Skip to main content

Shimano M530 clipless pedals


THE M530S ARE the budget option in Shimano’s caged SPD pedal range and at 52$ they’re an absolute bargain. The low price means we can excuse their heavier weight (455g per pair) and less refined looks than their more expensive XT and XTR counterparts.

Engagement with the included cleats feels positive and secure, and you can adjust the mechanism to make it easier or harder to clip in and out. We like the reassuring clip-in clunk, and also the caged pedal body, which makes the M530s that bit easier to find when trying to clip back in than the 7$ cheaper non-caged M520s. The larger platform does feel a little skatey with really hard-soled cross-country shoes though.

After a solid six months’ battering, using them almost every day, the sealed cartridge bearings are in need of some attention, but that’s to be expected.

Price 52$

Popular posts from this blog

KONA SHRED

With a reputation for no-nonsense ruggedness and a background in the always progressive and punishing riding of Canada, Kona have been building hardcore hardtails for longer than almost anyone else. The Shred is the most expensive bike on test but it’s a proper trail tank.

Sam Reynolds' Polygon Collosus N9

WHO IS SAM REYNOLDS? Hailing from South East England, Sam Reynolds is one of the UK's top freeriders, specialising in dirt jumping and slopestyle. But with mates like World Cup downhiller Brendan Fairclough, he also likes to get up to speed in the hills, where he's been introducing the Collosus to some colossal jumps, gaps and drops.

CANYON NERVE AL 8.0

  S ince their entry into the UK market a few years ago, Canyon have made a name for themselves as purveyors of well-made bikes that exhibit often extraordinary value. The secret (or catch, depending on your point of view) is that the brand don’t have dealers – they ship bikes directly to your door.

SURLY INSTIGATOR 2.0

Ever fancied a fat bike but were worried about its lack of agility, flickability and general playfulness? Surly’s “26+”   wheeled bike could well be the answer, combining wide 26in hoops with huge 2.75in tyres. We hit the trails to find out just what the Instigator 2.0 is all about.

Cannondale Trail SL 29 SS

The fat aluminium tubes are a constrast to the skinny items seen elsewhere in the test, but this rigid Cannondale uses them to create one of the most old-school - and lightest - rides here.