Bicycling is getting more popular in the world of traffic jams and the more aware people become of staying active, moreover, with global warming which is one of the causes is the emission. For those who love bicycling for sports or commuting, you may want to consider their pedal option as well since it will affect our experience. Shimano A530 Vs M324 are two great options from this popular brand but, before shopping, make sure the one you pick is the best choice for the application.
In this article, we are going to give you information about:
– What to Consider when Preparing a Bicycle
– What are Shimano A530 and M324
– What Shimano A530 and M324 Look Like
– What Shimano A530 and M324 can offer to you
– How are the Performance of Shimano A530 and M324
– Shimano A530 vs M324
Choosing Bicycle
Many of us find bicycling as a fun activity to exercise, enjoy nature, exploring, adventuring, or just conveniently commuting from school, college or workplace without having to get stuck in traffic jams or standing in a packed subway. This activity is also a nice way to help reduce the emission we have to emit when driving our cars or riding a motorcycle which is of course better for our planet. Even for children, this activity is very interesting and beneficial in so many ways.
Most of us are learning to ride our first bike at 5 years old with a regular bicycle or with training wheels attached on the rear wheels so we can ride confidently today. Even if you are not used to one, we can learn it fast as long as done safely especially if you are also placing a goal at the end of the day e.g. to ride with friends and colleagues over the weekends or to help burn some of those excess fat.
However, like many other sports, bicycling is not something we can just start anytime without preparation because first, we have to get the equipment with the most ideal features for our activity. For example the bike we used for riding a long track may not be the same as the one we used for commuting or the one we used to go to the office will not be the same as the one we carry while adventuring through different terrains and tackling rocks or dirt.
Besides the type of bike that we need to pay attention to, the tire is also necessary and the reason will be the same on why we have to use an all-terrain or mud tire for an off-road driving because different surface will need different special feature as well to properly carry the bike and the rider safely. In addition, another part you may also want to pay attention to is the pedal since eventually the debate about platform or flat and clipless or clip-in pedals are still going on.
Both of them are similar yet different and while people are free to choose which fits their taste the most, it is worth noticing that each one of them may offer different touch to your activity. Clip-less pedal is the one often used by experienced riders and it needs special shoe in which it will help clips into the pedal while flat or platforms are as the name suggests, have a flat surface so any shoe can sit on top of it the same.
About Shimano A530 and M324
With more people are trying bicycling and want to live a healthier life with a routine exercising, there are more demand created as well in the market and just like everything else, it is always better to choose carefully or list down what you need from them before shopping so then we can pick the most ideal choice. If the bike and tires are all set, now is the time to try matching the pedal with your preference since most bikes out there are often paired with a standard flat pedal.
If flat pedal is already fitting your riding then we don’t see any point of replacing it but, if you are not sure yet, we can try different types available in the market and among those many manufacturers who are producing bike pedal, we agree that Shimano is one of the best as well as one of the most popular among bike riders. This Japanese company is offering various cycling gears and a list of another sport gears in the catalogue including bike pedals.
When talking about Shimano, we are also talking about their long adored SPD system which is compiling tons of bike pedals and rotating around the idea of clipless and many of them are favorite options of experienced or casual users. If you are riding a bike that is a hybrid of road, mountain, and touring, two of the most ideal pick from the family are Shimano A530 and M324 because they are made for the application and are also equally versatile.
This is because both of these models are made to satisfy more users or anyone who are not ready yet to move into clipless and still want to have a flat pedal on their bike thanks for being a hybrid model as well, especially if you are new to the clipless idea. What’s not very-well embrace is the price point because there are many similar pedals out there with the same capabilities yet are more affordable; some even half the price of these SPD system.
Shimano A530 and M324 Design
As you can see on the sample picture above, both Shimano A530 and M324 are quite the same in a glance and while they do look different when measured closely, the composition stays the same; one side is clipped and the other is flat. However, checking further, we can also distinguish that Shimano M324 is slightly wider than the other model and as opposed to a little bit round in shape, this pedal is also more square-ish which may preferred better or not depending on the rider’s taste.
They are made from great quality materials and will stand abuse for those who are more committed to the game and as for fashion, both models available in silver but the A530 is also offered in black in case it fits your bike fashion better. What we do like better just from the design alone is A530 actually lighter compared to M324, making it more flexible and comfortable for riding in different conditions.
Shimano A530 and M324 Features
If you are eyeing these pedals because of their versatility to choose either clipless system or platform side, the first thing you have to know about the SPD pedal is it is using 2-hole design or system. For some new riders, the term clipless may sound contradicting since they do have clips on board but it is actually called this way because the pedals are made as opposed to the more traditional “cage” version which secure our shoes with additional strips built to mimic a compartment.
Since it has special clip at one of the side, we also need to have the proper shoes that can match together and, the type of shoe to have when riding using this side is usually called as MTB shoes or Mountain Bike Shoes since the cleats in your pedal will fit into the cycling shoes. The two holes in SPD line including Shimano A530 and M324 are connecting directly to the sole of this type of shoes so it will stay in contact with each other while pedaling.
Another features adored by many is these pedals also allow the users to adjust the tension of their SPD binding when we already get the cleats on. As for the platform side, both of them can be used with any shoes you have and they don’t have to be specifically made for these pedals. What’s different in this side is A530 model is renewed with a concave platform side so they are not completely flat as what we can get on the M324 model.
This platform side is very helpful when the road or your shoes are wet to make sure they are not slipping from the place and in addition, there are also ridged surface to secure the feet. As for the quality, they are already great out of the box and working smoothly from the first try. Read also: CatEye Padrone Vs Strada here.
Shimano A530 and M324 Performance
On the performance side, Shimano A530 and M324 are equally a nice pedal to have and install, replacing the flat ones in your new bike but, one thing for sure they are not made for racing purpose and more into commuting or leisure riding activity. M324 is working well but the weight is too much for daily application yet, it has a nice, wider platform surface. The A530 on the other hand is slightly narrower but the concave platform is helpful to secure foot and it is also far lighter than the other.
Comparison
Now, let’s compare Shimano A530 with M324. As you may already know, both of them are the same hybrid pedal but are also different because the first model is lighter, slightly narrow, and have concave platform as opposed to the heavy, wider, and completely flat platform. In addition A530 design is also helpful in terms self-cleaning so it shed muds easier.
Shimano A530 vs M324
Conclusion
All in all, the decision is all yours to make because not all of us will have the same preferences and it is better to get the one that fits your taste the most but, comparing these two, we do like Shimano A530 better especially on the lightweight feature and the concave platforms which is nice to keep shoes even on rainy days.