Shimano Clipless Pedal Shootout Review – XTR Trail vs XT Trail vs PD-M530

Looking for a new set of clipless trail bike pedals? Shimano has you covered with 3 levels of caged clipless pedals. Mountain Bike Action has put together a head to head shootout of Shimano’s XTR Trail, XT Trail, and PD-M530 pedals. They note some distinct differences between the 3 models and show you some good photo comparisons.

I really like these new caged models because you get a lot more area to put your foot on when you’re not engaged. This helps in tricky situations when you need to start off at an odd angle or up a hill and in case you accidentally un-clip and can’t get back in right away.

Shimano Clipless Trail Pedal Shootout
Shimano Clipless Trail Pedal Shootout

The oldest myth about Shimano pedals is that they are all the same, and the only difference is the use of lighter and more expensive materials to achieve the weight goals of the XTR and XT pedals. This shootout blows that singletrack legend out of the woods. These pedals are different enough in design that it does not take a trained eye to see it.

shopping iconIf you’re in the market to purchase some clipless pedals Jenson USA is our suggested online store. They have a lot of models with some excellent prices.

1 thought on “Shimano Clipless Pedal Shootout Review – XTR Trail vs XT Trail vs PD-M530”

  1. I enjoyed the review despite the rather predictable end result, I myself have a set of XT trails which I found for a relatively cheap price and I completely agree that they have fantastic performance, like almost all of Shimano’s new components. I think that feedback to media is imperative, especially in reviews and so I thought I should just highlight a small point. During the review there was one very small mistake which slightly bothered me and that is ” It reduces unsprung weight in a critical area. ” this is actually incorrect as the pedal is bolted onto the main frame (albeit indirectly) which on a suspension bike is actually sprung mass. The unsprung mass would be a part of the bike that is not suspended from the ground, such as the wheel. If however you are talking about a non-suspension bike I can see your point but it is rather moot, because specifying the pedals as unsprung mass would be unnecessary because the entire bike is unsprung mass. Keep it up the reviews though guys but try to get your facts right next time eh? ;)

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