The best clipless MTB pedals you can buy

Best Value: Shimano Saint PD-M820

Shimano’s SPD system celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. It’s by far the most widespread clip system on the market. While Shimano renewed their small caged trail pedals several times in the last years, gravity drivers had to make do with the ancient DX pedals. But with the Saint PD-M820 Shimano has finally revised their pedal offering for DH and enduro pilots.

The basic design of the Saint PD-M820 is similar to the XT PD-M8020 but with a much larger platform. Unlike its little brother, the Saint has interchangeable pins whose heights can be adjusted using washers. The cage is higher at the back than at the front, which means that when clipped in it only rests on the back of the shoe. However, the area around the click mechanism is considerably larger than with other Shimano pedals, ensuring a stable foothold even without the cage. The click mechanism impresses with Shimano’s typical precision and can be clicked in easily from behind as well as from above. The adjustable tension makes it easy to adjust the pedals to your preference.

In practice, the SPD system scores very well with us for its simplicity. The vast shoe compatibility and worldwide distribution make Shimano’s click pedals the first choice for globetrotters because suitable replacement cleats are likely available in every bike shop around the world. Besides, the Saint PD-M820 proved to be extremely reliable in our test, even after half a year of heavy use, we were not able to complain of any significant signs of wear.

Conclusion

The Shimano Saint PD-M820 is the best SPD pedal on the market and entirely convinced us with its simplicity and durability. It’s a bit heavier than the trail-oriented pedals in the test, but we’d accept the little extra weight for a better time on the trail any day of the week.