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Shimano PD-M520 — Specs & Analysis
Manufacturer specifications, compared against every other pedals in our database. We do not test gear in the field — we measure, verify, and compare.
Double-sided SPD, 380 g the pair, and the cheapest way into the system roughly 72% of surveyed Tour Divide riders were using. Adjustable release tension, and cleats you can replace in almost any bike shop in the world.
The M520 is the default answer to "which clipless pedals" and has been for years, which makes it the honest benchmark for what clipping in actually costs. Fifty-five dollars, 380 g the pair, double-sided SPD, adjustable release tension.
For bikepacking the argument is not the one usually made for it. The efficiency case is the weakest one available: at the steady submaximal power that describes a loaded touring day, published research finds no metabolic difference between platform and clipless pedals, and coaching riders to pull up on the upstroke raises pedalling effectiveness while lowering net efficiency. Nobody should buy these expecting to go faster on a fully loaded bike.
The real arguments are two. First, repeatable foot position, which is what makes cleat placement an adjustable lever — a clinical series of 21 cyclists with pedalling-related forefoot pain and forward-set cleats improved when the cleats were moved back. There is no equivalent adjustment on a flat pedal. Second, ubiquity: SPD is the system with spares behind the counter of small shops on remote routes, and on a long trip that is worth more than a few grams.
Double-sided means no flipping, which is a small thing that matters when you are tired and starting on a climb. The costs are the standard clipless ones — cleats and bolts are consumables that wear and pack with grit, mud and snow can make engagement awkward, and cleated soles make any real hike-a-bike unpleasant.
Weight is per pair, from retailer listings; Shimano publishes no weight on their own storefront. The price stored is Shimano's own $55, not the $61 one major retailer lists as MSRP.
Who Is the Shimano PD-M520 Best For?
Riders committing to clipless who want the system with the best spares availability. If that describes your riding style, the PD-M520 should be at the top of your shortlist. It sits in the Pedals category alongside 6 other products we track.
How It Compares
At 380g and $55, the PD-M520 is 25g heavier than the lightest option in this category (the OneUp Components Composite Pedal at 355g). The most budget-friendly option is the OneUp Components Composite Pedal at $49.99.
The price-to-weight ratio comes in at $14 per 100g — excellent value for money, making it a great option for riders on a budget.
What We Like
- +The cheapest way into SPD, the system most surveyed racers use
- +Double-sided, so no flipping to find the mechanism
- +Adjustable release tension
- +Cleats and spares available almost anywhere
Watch Out For
- −No flat side at all — cleated shoes or nothing
- −No efficiency advantage at the intensities bikepacking happens at
- −Cleats and bolts are consumables on a long route
- −Shimano publish no weight themselves
The Bottom Line
We haven't scored the Shimano PD-M520, and neither has anyone else we can cite. It's here for its verified specifications and dimensions, which is what the fit tools run on — a score is an editorial judgement, and we don't hand one out until someone has a basis for it. What this page can tell you is measured: 380g, $55, and how both sit against every other pedals product we track.
Price and Weight checked against the manufacturer on 30 August 2026 — see the source.
Specifications and dimensions come from the sources listed above. Where a page draws on first-hand riding, it says so.
How it compares
Against the 7 pedals we hold published specs for.
At 380g the PD-M520 is lighter than 4 of 6 alternatives we track. The category median is 383g.
At $55 it undercuts 5 of 6 of them, against a median of $85. That works out at $14 per 100g — below the $22 median for pedals.
Weight and price come from published specifications. Cost per 100g is a blunt measure — it rewards light gear and says nothing about durability or whether the thing works — so treat it as one input, not a verdict.
More in Pedals
Flat, clip-in and dual-sided pedals. Weights here are per pair, which is how makers publish them and how you buy them.