I put these Shimano pedals on my commuting bike, a Kona Jake with fenders, to replace similar pedals made by Crank Bros. because I decided to shift to SPD cleats. My Crank Bros. pedals and cleats were getting harder to quickly clip in, and it turns out that the SPD pedals and cleats clip in better for me. These two-sided pedals have a better grip on the platform side, too, with the small screw-ins compared to less grippy bumps on the Crank Bros. two-sided pedals. I'm pleased with the change and pleased with the Shimano pedals.
I replaced a no-name pedal that was of a similar function (SPD/Flat) on my mountain bike yesterday. The other one was more difficult to clip in, and I was hoping for the vaunted Shimano quality.
While I haven't used it extensively yet, I can say that it is MUCH easier to clip into these pedals as they stay in a position and don't rotate freely, allowing the clips to stay up while I prepare to engage. And it is very smooth to disengage from the clips -- very important on a mountain bike.
The downsides thus far? First, you have to manually install the 16 small pins onto the pedal; they do not come installed. Be sure to put the side with the small (hex wrench) hole facing out so you can tighten them. (MY GF is mechanically challenged yet never reads directions, and installed them all on her pedals with the points facing out via pliers. She's already lost 3 pins, and I was able to remove one with just my fingers. The wrench hole faces out!)
Second, the flat platform is much smaller than other such pedals on the market, including the one removed. That may limit the traction you get on this pedal, or the type of footwear that is suitable. I prefer SPDs, so the flats are mainly used where there is significant danger of tipping down a slope.
These pedals can be installed with a 6mm hex wrench or a standard cone wrench.
I have three bicycles. One is a full suspension mountain bike, one is a gravel bike and one is a road bike. The mountain bike has flat pedals and other two have dual sided pedals. The dual sided pedals work well because, on any given day, I could be commuting, hiking, camping, club riding, etc. and I don't have to have or want special shoes for each type of ride. The pedals are well made. Plain shoes (street, tennis, hikers, sandals etc.,) do not slip off the flat side of the pedal and SPD equipped shoes easily clip in and out. I highly recommend them for their versatility and quality.
I use the Shimano PD-EH500 Pedals on my urban bike. They're perfect if I'm kicking around in casual apparel and shoes. If I have to do a quick run down the street to a neighbor or the mail box, the wide platform works great with tennis shoes etc.. For the longer rides I wear my SPD cleated shoes that have a more rigid insole. Very easy to clip in and release. Like all Shimano products, the product is quality and performs well.
I have just started riding clipless and these pedals and the cleats provided with them have been a good introduction. The spring tension on the pedals is adjustable and you can start with a low tension that makes it easier to clip out at first and slowly increase the tension as you become more experienced till you find a tension suitable to you. The SH56 cleats that come with the pedals allow for easier clipping out and have saved me on several occasion were I came to a stop and forgot to clip out ahead of time.
Installed a set of these on 3 bikes after shifting over from Crank Brothers so I could match my Garmin Power pedals. I love how these give me an option to 'unclip and flip' prior to some boulder drops where the roll out area is sparse or non-existent. As a 30-year clipless pedal user I was surprised how easy I became comfortable with these pedals. When I start off, if the shoe doesn't clip, I just lift my foot at the bottom and clip when when it gets to the top. It is automatic for me now, no thought or remembering required.
Adjustability is easy, and I like a nice 'grip' on my cleats, so the adjustments allow me to easily switch the medium out-of-the-box to a hang-on-for-dear-life grip.
I had two bikes until a month ago. I decided to sell my more casual ride. I want a cleat for my serious rides, but also wanted to be able to ride with just a sneaker for rides with my wife. This pedal looked to be the answer. It indeed is. It's got enough grip to hold the cleat for an energetic ride, but the other side is perfect for riding in my sneakers. If you are looking for a dual-purpose pedal, look no further, this one is what you want.
I am very new to cleats.
The bicycle I purchased came with Look pedal. So I initially purchased a Look cleat. However, I have friends who mentioned how they had fallen at traffic stops as they couldn't disengage in time.
I was truthfully a bit stressed and terrified but at the same time so eager to pass this stage in wearing clipless shoes. So I returned the Look cleats. Decided to change pedals. Opted for this one thinking i I might use the regular side and when I am comfortable will start using the cleat side of the pedal.
Well, I didn't realize that the pedal came with Shimano "multiple" range shoe cleats. I strained them to my bike shoes and nervously took it for a ride.
I was so thrilled to see how intuitively this is designed. It unlocks with twist out or twist in off your feet. Even more, if you have the cleats locked to the pedal and lose your balance while stopped and as a as reflex swing or move your legs in an attempt to land, the cleats intelligently disengage. This has happened to me at least 3 times and has saved me from falling and also avoiding embarrassment. I have now done close to 200 miles and never had to use the regular side of the pedal and always used the Cleats. I had no issues at all. I highly recommend this especially to those who are wanting to move the step towards clipless shoes and cleats but did not have the courage to do so
Bought it for a trail work bike when I wear boots and sometimes my mtb shoes. Keeps me from having to change from flats to SPD. It's not as stable as bigger flats built specifically for that purpose, and the SPD side needed more tightening to keep the clear in place than my XT SPD pedals. So some compromises both ways, but if you have the need for an either/or option and you're not hitting gnarly terrain it should suit your needs. The quality seems spot on.
I like the pedals don't get me wrong. I ride on the flat side in boots with no fear of slipping when its cold and nasty, but the clip in side is just too light. It is light enough that I worry about slipping when I stand up to mash it. Looking at the springs it is clear that it is a bigger gauge (smaller size) spring. PD-M540 springs goes around the axial 4 times when PS-EH500 springs goes around 5 times. So I swapped the springs and boom, best of both worlds.
When I looked into choices of dual purpose pedals, the PD-EH500 pedals looked like they would work perfectly for me and I couldn't be any happier with my choice. Extremely easy SPD to lock and release when wearing my cleats and perfect size platforms with excellent grip for my everyday shoes. Unlike others I've owned in the past, these pedals are much easier to orientate between SPD and flat. The perfect commuting Ebike pedal for road and trail!
I ride both rail and signal track trails. These peddles are perfect for both. I can clip in for rail trails and then just flip the pedal over in locations when I need to put my feet dow quickly.
These are the best dual sided pedals I've ever used! I have gone through several sets of the A530s, and always loved them, but the platform side on those does get awfully slick in wet conditions. With the little bolts on these pedals, the platform outperforms even the M324 with its traditional cage design. Even in the rain, with leather soled shoes on, my feet are stuck on those little bolts. The SPD side is, as advertised, much lighter than any other SPD pedal I've used. The downside is, I'm not entirely sure I'm clipped in till I look down (no loud click sound or sudden feeling of tension when you stick the cleats in). But, it makes sliding in and out of these much easier.
If you're shopping for a commuting or touring pedal, I can't imagine it gets any better than this.
Warning, though, you'll have to screw the little bolts in yourself. I was pretty pissed to see this when I opened the box, but it took all of 2 minutes to get them in.
Love the Shimano PD-EH500 Dual Sided Pedals; I am a first time spinner and these petals has made a huge difference in spinning; they are easy to clip in and they give me a smooth ride. Grateful for your store, I called and spoke with Eric (I think, sorry if I got your name wrong) you provided and answered all my questions.
