Comments about Shimano PD-R540 Pedals:

First time riding clipless the cleats that come with these pedals have a lot of play (coming from platforms w/straps) which feels clunky to me just got some 4/5degs from the LBS which feel better. No issues with pedals so far...loved the price!

Comments about Shimano PD-R540 Pedals:

Quality pedal for price. Black color goes great with my bike.

Comments about Shimano PD-R540 Pedals:

I am a beginner road cyclist and this is my first set of clip in pedals. The pedals are easy to clip in and out of. They pair well with my Shimano R77 shoes also purchased from Jenson USA. For the price of these pedals you can't go wrong.

Comments about Shimano PD-R540 Pedals:

I bought this as my first pedals to my Rocky Mountain Oxygene 10 bike. I wanted something cheap with good quality. They are easy to mount. Only thing lacking is precision and, but that I guess you get get with a more expesive pedal. They are not heavy, but I would buy a lighter pedal set for my next bike.

Comments about Shimano PD-R540 Pedals:

With my first pair, there was this obnoxious creaking sound in one of my pedals. I suspect it was because the plastic housing the spring mechanism wasn't properly secured. Luckily, I was able to exchange these for another pair, and now I don't have that issue.

It should be noted that these pedals scratch very easily. I laid my bike down once, and the ground completely shredded the side of my pedal.

Overall, these are great for riders who want to explore clipless pedals. They're inexpensive and functional, but don't be discouraged if they're not very durable.

Comments about Shimano PD-R540 Pedals:

These are better than the stock caged pedals that came on one of my bikes. They are good (decent), but not great, as you get what you pay for (and get less as spending increases of course).

The bearings are a lot smoother than the ones on the stock caged pedals, but not as good as the ones on my new Ultegras.

The clip retention springs are looser than I prefer for sprints or any high output, but they are more than adequate for commuting and beginners.

Within a month there were a ton of scratches in the paint, and I was even fairly careful with them.

Comments about Shimano PD-R540 Pedals:

I just replaced a pair of Shimano SPD pedals with these on my road bike. These are much easier to engage, provide a more positive lock in, and feel better under foot. They do not disengage as easily as SPD's even at their lightest setting, so if easy disengaging is a priority you might not like them. The cleats are more fragile and much larger than an SPD cleat, so these are pretty bad to walk in. They provide less lateral float than my SPD's, and with optional red cleats can provide zero float.

If, like myself, you spend most of your time on the bike engaged and pedaling rather than walking around, these pedals are awesome. Cleat protectors are available for when you do have to come off the bike. I don't think I'll ever pop out of these on a hard climb, but at the same time I found them easy enough to pull out of quickly when I missed a traffic light.

Comments about Shimano PD-R540 Pedals:

This is my first pair of clipless pedals. I did not have any issues installing the on my road bike, nor did I have a lot of issues in using them. I did take one spill at the end of my second ride with them due to not being familiar enough with unclipping. No major deal, and I only scraped the pedal, not the bike.

Comments about Shimano PD-R540 Pedals:

Light, sturdy and held firm when riding hard. Easy clip in and clip out. First time for Road Bike pedals and extremely happy with performance.

Comments about Shimano PD-R540 Pedals:

I purchased these to go along with my Shimano R087ge Wide Road Shoes. This was my first venture into bike shoes and associated pedals. It took me no time at all to get good at getting locked into and exiting out of the pedals. Make sure you follow the instructions and do some practice in & out sequences while the bike is stationary (lean up against a wall).