Shimano  PD-ES600 SPD Road Touring Pedals

Around the time Shimano launched the GRX line, they also launched the ES600 SPD pedals, similar to the old PD-A600, but with some key differences that make them the lightest SPD pedal Shimano offers. For my purposes, I have two different gravel bikes: one I race with and one I put a dropper post on, and utilize to ride singletrack or bikepack. One is more svelte and business like, the other is pure party. On my more race oriented bike, I often run road pedals (Ultegra SPD-SL), but there are races in which I want the mud clearing and walkability of an SPD shoe. I had been swapping some XT race pedals over, but saw these and thought "why not?" At this point I've put about 6k miles on these pedals and here are my thoughts: it's a Shimano pedal, it will last forever and not develop squeak or play; it only takes a minute to get used to clipping in more like you would with a road shoe/pedal. They clear mud and snow much better than even my XT pedals (or the Saints I have on my MTB). Thus far, they continue to work flawlessly. However, there are a few things worth nothing: * I'm not sure why they didn't put the steel plate over the axle that XT and XTR pedals have. * The paint is not going to last forever. You can see the current state of them in my photo. * Even with many thousands of miles on them, the bearings still spin a bit slow when clipping in. You get used to it, but they have not really broken in much, at this point. Which is rather surprising. If you're looking for a gravel specific pedal, this may be the best thing on the market.

Upgraded from a pair of EH500 flat/SPD combination pedals, which were a great starter pair. While the EH500 had a slight curve on the SPD side, these ES600 pedals are a little wider and much flatter, which has been an improvement for longer rides. Didn't use the flat side of my previous pair so these single-sided pedals are a nice upgrade for my use case.

Shimano bills these as Ultegra level, but they just aren’t. There is no stainless wear plate so within a few ride the paint wears away. That doesn’t seem like a big deal until the raw aluminum under the paint starts to gouge, at which point the float become really stiff and the shoe sole squeaks like mad. There’s really nothing that can be done about it aside from grinding away the shoe where it contacts the pedal, which defeats the purpose of the larger platform on these. Shimano really missed the mark this time.

Have you ever tried to clip in really fast when the light turns green, so the group doesn't leave you behind, so you shov your foot down, but the pedal is upside down so your shoe slips and the pedal scratches legs and maybe hurt your ankle? If you have, these will remind you of those times, often. If you haven't, you will with these.

Replacement for pedals I accidentally left on a bike I sold. Perfect for my bike.

I have major foot problems which limit my ability to ride with my "road shoes". I do have a pair of sandals with SPD cleats on my commuting bike but not my "sweet road bike". I was shopping for regular somewhat MTB pedals when I saw these. I've not had a chance to give them a good long ride (this no 5-Star), but I believe these are exactly the pedals I need to ride in my sandals AND keep the bike weight under 18 lb. Hoping for decent weather soon!

I bought these one sided sod pedals to save a little weight road biking and they are really nice. Shimano pedals have never let me down and once I got used to the one sidedness of these I am totally sold.

Quality bearings on inside and outside of spindle makes for a high quality pedal. A little bit heavier, but much better than plastic sleeve bearings that create friction and wear out quickly.

They're easy to engage and I feel my feet are secure if I want to sprint hard. Plus I get to wear more walking friendly shoes than with SDP-SL types. 25% off at REI was great too!

Agree with others that the paint gets chipped quickly but otherwise it’s a great pedal!