Pedals > Pedal Cleats Pedals

Advantages: Impressive durability, adjustibility, reliable SPD mechanism
Disadvantages: Mud clearing not as good as other brands

...an absolute steal. Shimano redesigned the pedal to make the pedal body and clip mechanism more open so that it shed mud better - I don't know if this makes any difference, but the mechanism is generally reliable throughout a ride. Normally difficulty clipping in and out is caused when you get off the bike and get mud and stones jammed in the shoe cleat. On the pedal mechanism there is a screw with marker arrows, so you can adjust the clip tension. ...
...could give them 6 stars I would. If you're going to try going clip-less then you won't go far wrong with these Shimano entry-level pedals. At the very least the low cost means that you have lost very little if you find you don't get on with them. ... Read review

Advantages: Ease of entry; Mud clearing; Float
Disadvantages: Durability of pedal and cleats

"Oh look! Someone's stolen your pedal!" At first glance it can certainly look that way when you see the quirky Crank Brothers Eggbeaters on a bike. These are minimal in the extreme, and look unlikely to be able to operate in the intended manner. But operate they do, and pretty well too. Eggbeaters take their name from the shape which, clearly, makes them look like they're ready to whisk up an omelette. They are a type of 'clipless' pedal (quick ...
...style; flats with 'clips' - the little straps that go over your foot to attach you; and clipless, which attach you to the pedal by a variety of methods, culminating in a cleat on the sole of your shoe). These pedals are aimed at the mountain bike market, though can be used on a daily road bike (as I do) thanks to their simple design and lack of 'clogability' when it comes to mud and grime. As can be seen from the picture they are very open, and ... Read review

Advantages: great value and functionality
Disadvantages: might fall off once or twice whilst learning!

The Shimano M535 pedals are my pedal of choice these days, I’ve used other pedals and even other manufacturers but I have found that for value for money and ease of use these cannot be beaten. At first, using clipless pedals can be daunting but its not really an option when riding cross country as the added power and control are more than worth the effort of overcoming the fear and the odd bumps and bruises that you might get during the learning ...
...the top of the range Shimano units (which I would highly recommend) at a cost of around £120 but these are by no means the only option as compatible shoes can be picked up for as little as £20 to £30. Back to the pedals, they’re reasonably light, easy to maintain, set up and use and even manage to look pretty good. At a price like this I don’t think they can be beaten. Highly recommended… ... Read review

Advantages: Good for knee complaints, works well in mud
Disadvantages: Can be difficult to get used to, not Shimano compatable

...using clipless pedals for some time now, but for a few months now I've been suffering from tendonitis in my right knee, which was causing me considerable problems, and I was even considering going back to flat pedals. Fortunately, there is another option out there, in the form of the Time Atac. Instead of the binding brought to us by the Almighty Shimano, which allowed nearly no float whatsoever, the somewhat unusual design of the Atacs allows either ...
...the pedal is frightfully simple. Two bars, one fixed, one sprung, hold the cleat in place and allow the cleat to be positioned anywhere between the bars, with quite high tolerances for twisting, which of course, can lead to the biggest gripe with these pedals: "I can't unclip so easily". This is certainly true when you compare them to other clipless pedals, but as any clipless pedal user will recall, they had problems unclipping with SPuDs at first, ... Read review

Advantages: Control, power transfer, efficiency etc
Disadvantages: You might fall off once or twice....

...platform types exist like the shimano m646's that can be good for all disciplines! There are two main players in the mtb emporium; these are Shimano who make the spd (shimano pedal dynamics) & Time who make the Atac. But I've seen loads of other makes I hear you cry - sure the list is endless, VP, Ritchey, Wellgo etc etc but at the end of the day they are all shimano copies & are usually adequate but not as good as the real thing! They are generally ...
...have a set M535 (LX) shimano pedals as well as a set of cheap M646 platform copies from wellgo. On the shoe front I use Northwave arctics in the winter (the only shoe to have in the cold; Northwave use a shimano sole with their own upper), Specialized comp in summer & a set of Lake "skate stylee" shoes if I gotta walk anywhere in them! ... Read review