Shimano Unisex PD-A530 SPD Road Dual Platform Pedal

I bought this from Amazon, having never purchased cycling gear from Amazon before, because Amazon had by far the best price on the product. The pedal is exactly as I expected based on reviews, for better and for worse. I'll go over the pros and cons.Pros:(1) Very inexpensive for the functionality you're getting - flat pedal for commuting or casual rides, SPD pedal for longer rides.(2) Relatively light weight (380g on my scale), much lighter than most mountain bike-specific SPD pedals, which until recently were your only choice for a dual-sided pedal (for example, the  Shimano PD-M324 Clipless/Clip Pedals ).(3) The pedals look very sleek.(4) The bearings are much better than the inexpensive pedals I had been using before on my commuter. The "spinup", for lack of a better term, requires much less effort. This may be both a combination of weight (these are much lighter than many metal platform pedals), as well as the bearings.Cons:(1) The platform side is quite slick, as others have mentioned. I bought the pedals despite knowing this because my prior pedals, which were studded, were ruining the soles on my work shoes. These pedals will not damage shoes, but at the same time, offer little grip. That's not such a problem with sneakers that have grippy soles, but with flat-soled shoes, you really have to be careful about how much pressure you put on the pedal and can't easily stand up while pedaling. In addition to the slickness of the platform, the size of the platform also contributes, as it is much narrower than a standard flat pedal, so if you're not careful, your foot can slip off the edge, not just the front or back. This is a trade-off for a sleek-looking, functional SPD pedal.(2) The clip-in side ships at a default tension that is far too tight, even for experienced riders. Anyone new to riding an SPD-style pedal should immediately adjust the tension to the opposite extreme to get a feel for using them. At default tension, they are uncomfortably hard to get out of (and I have 15 years of experience on Shimano's SPD pedals, dating back to the M535, released in 1995).(3) I purchased the black pedals because they matched my black bike better, but as expected, the paint on the platform chips off easily. This is especially true when using it with SPD cleats, which can tear up the paint very quickly if you're using the platform side momentarily while riding.Overall, I'm very satisfied with the pedals. They offer a lot of performance for the price. Just be aware of the slickness of the platform if you intend to ride with dress shoes, the problem with the default tension, and the issue with the black paint chipping.

So I've been riding shimano clipless pedals for about 6 months without bike shoes.... So what I have to say about how wonderful these things are may be slightly biased. I think I'm a pretty fair reviewer, but it's just something for people to keep in mind as they read this.Because I primarily use my bike for commuting I do not wear bike shoes (nor do I own a pair of bike shoes) most of the time that I'm riding. I just got these guys put on my bike yesterday and took them out for about 13 miles and I have to say that they performed wonderfully. First of all, they provide a nice stable base for you to stand on while you're pedaling. I had no trouble standing up while climbing some decently steep hills which was nice. I did not experience any kind of slippage that some of the other reviews described. I think that the design of the pedals actually forms a nice kind of cup shape for the soles of your feet and it is very comfortable and feels very solid (but again, compared to riding clipless in regular shoes, of course it would feel much stabler) There is a minor annoyance however in that because neither side of the pedal is really heavier than the other, it does not provide the convenience of having either the platform side or clipless side always facing up. This makes getting going a little annoying sometimes when you're trying to get going and flip the pedals over as you're biking so you're on the desired side. This is, however, a minor annoyance. Overall I really like these pedals, they were worth every penny. The bike mechanic I had putting these on for me also told me that he uses these pedals on his touring bike and they're great for riding in sandals and such.One other thing to be aware of is a cosmetic thing (if you're into that) But my bike is black, and so I got the bike pedals. But the crank arms on my bike are silver, so it does look a little odd. I don't particularly mind and I don't know if I think I would like it better if I got the silver ones. It's not really important, just something to keep in mind. They function perfectly though so that's the important part.

I should have bought these first but I took the advice of a shop rather than a friend which resulted in a 50% chance of me falling off my bike whilst trying to get my feet out of the other clips.These clips are much better & I haven’t fallen off. ‘yet’, also easy to ride without cleated shoes for that quick trip to the local shops.

Great pedals, with or without cleats

For a novice to clipless, these work well offering both options for starting off. Seems easy to get clips in

Excellent introductory pedal to the clipless side!The flat side would probably benefit from a couple of pins for extra grip.

Love these pedals! Like having the option of using SPDS or no t depending on what ride I'm doing.