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.

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.

COMMENCAL EL CAMINO 3

Commencal are going from strength to strength at the moment and they’ve taken their tough trail hardtail bang up to date with 650b wheels. With its skinny rims, crankset and fork, the El Camino certainly isn’t perfect and it’s the least hardcore bike here. The handling, smoothness, speed and all-round agility of the basic bike still make it a real blast for technical trail riding though, and it’s a great base for upgrading over time.

GT Zaskar Evolution

While some bike models last just a couple of years, others change with the times to stay at the top of riders’ wishlists. In the second part of this series looking at the evolution of bikes that enjoy enduring popularity with UK riders, we turn to the GT Zaskar – a bike that was at the forefront of our sport for a long time and still has plenty of appeal today.

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.