Have it both ways
Written: Jul 03 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Well made, versatile, user friendly
Cons: heavy, less clearance than other clipless pedals
The Bottom Line: An excellent choice for the commuter, tourist, or any casual cyclist.
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| markfelber's Full Review: Shimano PD M324 Platform Mt. Bike Pedal |
When clipless pedals appeared in the late '80s, they were a great step forward for racers and something of a step backward for tourists and all but the most athletic recreational cyclists. With the old style toe clip and strap arrangement, it was possible to ride your road racing bike to the local coffee shop or corner grocery store in a pair of sneakers (not very efficient, but possible)and walk around like a normal human being when you got there. It was also possible to put on a close fitting pair of stiff soled cycling shoes with cleats and crank down the straps tight for maximum pedalling efficiency when you wanted to go racing or just ride really hard. When clipless pedals appeared on the scene, life got a whole lot easier, safer, and more comfortable for racers and other performance oriented riders, on road or off. Getting in and out of clipless pedals at at a race start, at a traffic light or after an emergency stop is a whole lot easier than fumbling for a toe strap with the old cleats/straps/toe clip arrangement. I've been there, done that, and got the road rash when I didn't get my foot out in time. Not having a toe strap cinched tightly around your foot made life a lot more pleasant too, especially in cold weather. The bad news with clipless pedals was that all of a sudden, you had to have a special pair of shoes just to ride your bicycle, and those shoes were just about worthless for walking in. This was fine for the dedicated athlete, but what about the person who just wanted to ride down to the grocery store for a loaf of bread, or down to the coffee shop on Sunday morning?
Shimano came to the rescue with the PDM-323, and upgraded their rescue efforts with the PDM-324, which I bought and fell in love with a little over a year ago. Like it's predecessor, the PDM-324 is two pedals in one. One side is a very sturdy, well made platform pedal, just like the bike you rode as a kid. Ride your bike in sneakers, wingtips, Tevas, or whatever happens to be on your feet when you get the urge to go for a ride, and walk around without that annoying clickety-clack that you get from cycling shoes when you get where you're going. The other side is a sturdy, well made clipless ATB pedal, using Shimano's excellent SPD mountain bike cleat system. Click your ATB shoe into this side and enjoy maximum pedalling efficiency for a higher level of performance than you could ever get with sneakers or wingtips. As a bonus, Shimano's recessed cleat design makes walking around in SPD shoes much easier than shoes with conventional cleats, although you still get the annoying clicking sound from the cleats.
This is a great system for someone who uses the same bike to go shopping, commute to work, and ride for purely athletic/recreational purposes. Wear your work shoes riding to work, and wear your cycling shoes for the fun rides. It's also a great setup for the cycle tourist, since you might not always want to wear your cycling shoes.
Two downsides to this system are the extra weight of what is essentially two pedals in one (the PDM-324 weighs more than any good quality SPD pedal, but less than the combined weights of a platform pedal and an SPD pedal) and the reduced ground clearance of the platform pedal when cornering or riding on very rocky trails. This is not going to be a major concern to any but the most dedicated, performance oriented cyclists.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
markfelber
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Member: Mark Felber
Location: Summit County, CO
Reviews written: 27
Trusted by: 22 members
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