Advantages: quality, use, price
Disadvantages: None

...Previously, I had a pair Of Ritchey WCS Ti spd pedals (i paid £60 on ebay, but the retail at £140!!). These were next to useless - the bearings failed within 12 months. They looked good and weighed not a lot, but didn't work very well, at all :O( I begrudgingly purchased the XTR spd's for £56.99 from wiggle, as I didn't want to go the "shimano" route again. First impressions of quality were superb, especially for under £60!!! The smoothness of the bearings is silk like. fitting is just like any other pedal. Adjusting the tension springs was also the same as any other spd, although I didn't have to do them as tight as previoud spd's I'd owned. Clicking in and out of the pedal gave a satisfying quality click. In riding i've done so far, they perhaps clogged more than i'd have liked, but the riding was very very extreme. After 2... Read review

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Advantages: None
Disadvantages: Extreme pain

...to the baby by taking anything stronger. Then one day I bumped into a friend who happened to be a nurse. By coincidence her daughter was also pregnant and she was suffering from a great deal of pain due to a condition known as Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD). My friend told me that their GP had also been treating her daughter for a urine infection, which is a common mistake as many doctors have little or no knowledge of SPD. She gave me a copy of a magazine article and the website address of the British SPD Support Group. She suggested Katy take this information to her GP and see if it might be what she was suffering from. We did this and fortuately the GP was honest enough to admit he hadn't come across the condition before and made an appointment for Katy to see a specialist. We have just returned from seeing a physiotherapist... Read review

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Advantages: Control, power transfer, efficiency etc
Disadvantages: You might fall off once or twice....

...If you're riding XC there is no other option, you should be riding clipless! Clipless pedals (so called because they do not require a toe clip & strap)improve bike control, power transfer, efficiency of pedal stroke (your foot is closer to center of spindle) & allow those that have trouble lifting the bike at the rear to cheat! Mainly used for XC not trials, downhill or duel, some platform types exist like the shimano m646's that can be good for all disciplines! There are two main players in the mtb emporium; these are Shimano who make the spd (shimano pedal dynamics) & Time who make the Atac. But I've seen loads of other makes I hear you cry - sure the list is endless, VP, Ritchey, Wellgo etc etc but at the end of the day they are all shimano copies & are usually adequate but not as good as the real thing! They are generally... Read review

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Advantages: none whatsoever
Disadvantages: pain, agony, sleepless nights

...(This review has been amended at the end to let you know how SPD is since I gave birth). I am currently 34 weeks pregnant and since around week 20, I have been suffering with SYMPHYSIS PUBIS DYSFUNCTION, known as SPD for short. SPD is quite often known as PGP nowadays - Pelvic Girdle Pain. I had only heard of it before when my friend was diagnosed with it late in pregnancy. There are varying levels of pain and discomfort with SPD and I count myself "lucky" that mine pain is not so severe that I am in a wheelchair as some sufferers are. A lot of people have never heard of SPD and do not have much sympathy for anybody who suffers with it, so I would like to explain the condition, what can be done about it, and what the symptoms are. SYMPHYSIS PUBIS DYSFUNCTION From a medical website - The symphysis pubis is the joint where two... Read review

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Advantages: none
Disadvantages: very painful

...You may have read my mums (mrsandrewsjk) opinion on Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD), well I am the daughter that is suffered from it. So I thought that I should write an opinion from a sufferer’s point of view. It first started when I was around 14 weeks pregnant, I was walking down the road and started getting a very sharp pain in both of my hips, and the more I walked the worse it was getting but eventually it passed, so I just put it down to pregnancy pains. Then a few days later I went out again and within five minutes of leaving the house I got the pains again, but this time they were a lot more painful than before. I happened to be on the phone to my dad at the time and I cryed in pain, so he told me to get straight home, which I did (very painfully I might add!) and as soon as I got there I called the doctor out. When... Read review

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Advantages: Sturdy reliable and fast than a car arround town
Disadvantages: None

...Having just completed 1000 mile Lands End- John Ogroats on a super galaxy I can do nothing but praise it. Before starting the trip it was about 3yrs old and had been cycled hard. I made some slight modifications an put on spd cleats, suspention seat post and Terrys saddle and Panracer kevlar slik tyres. I cycled through some appalling weather but the bike was as fresh when I finished as when I started. None of the spoks loosened and when cycling at speed the ridgidity got me out of some tight scrapes. My next trip is Winchester to Santiago in northern Spain . Spring 2001. If you want to do a cycle ride do the end to end.... Read review

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Advantages: Looks/Sound/Playability
Disadvantages: Price (if your cheap)

...When it comes to hand-crafted guitars, the CF Martin Company does have a bit of a head start on its competition. It's that they've been making guitars since 1833 or so, and it just so happens that they are very much a part of acoustic guitar folklore in the minds of acoustic guitarists worldwide. While the stories of people haphazardly discovering old pre-war Martins may bring a mist to the eyes of many admirers and collectors, the C.F. Martin Company has worked hard to preserve that legendary hand-crafted status and to empower their current models to have that "something special" sound, feel and look about them. Sounds Good to Me The SPD-16W (the W stands for walnut back and sides) doesn't disappoint us as we put it through its paces. First off, the sound is F-U-L-L. The bass notes have this presence about them, not boomy or bottom... Read review

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Advantages: Very fast great price
Disadvantages: needs a separate power supply

...This Philips SPD5100CC external hard drive does exactly as it says on the tin. I own this product and i have been using it for two years without a glitch. I love it .Let me tell you why. **ITS SHOCK PROOF AND PORTABLE** What would be the use of an external hard drive if you lost all the Data whenever it took a fall? This external hard drive comes in a tough but light aluminium shell. It makes it very robust . **IT LOOKS GREAT ON YOUR DESK** For those of you who are concerned about looks, i would say this hard drive is very good-looking its got this cool blue Led light that just makes you want to look at it. my three year old stares at it for hours on end! it has a very small form factor, this means it doesn't take up a lot of the precious real estate on your desk. Its like having a book sitting permanently on your desk. ** IT COMES... Read review

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Advantages: Strong, well made, functional
Disadvantages: Nothing yet.

...SPD INTRO Shimano M072 shoes are SPD cycling shoes so here's a quick explanation of what SPD is. For those who may not know SPD stands for Shimano Pedaling Dynamic. All very nice I hear you say, so to explain they are Clipless pedals. Basically you get a pair of shoes, bolt on some clips to the shoes, get a pair of SPD pedals which are like a clamp, step on the pedals and your feet are locked to the pedals. Rotating your feet to the side then releases you from the pedal. (not as dangerous as it sounds). GENERAL Shimano mountain bike shoes have been around for a number of years now and in my opinion if you are a user of SPD pedals then you can't beat Shimano PSD shoes for reliability. I have used number if different types over the years, most of which I cant remember the name off and ones that usually found the bucket because they broke... Read review

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Advantages: firm cushion for positioning, can be used for bottle feeding too
Disadvantages: cumbersome, not for those with severe back pain

...was really looking forward to trying out my brest friend support pillow after reading all the wonderful reviews about it. Sure it was not cheap, but it seems to be universally loved... Al looked well when the cushion first arrived - removable cover, pocket for the remote (don't we all get cranky if we lose that mid feed!), and a firm surface to help baby latch on well. When I tried it on, I was disappointed that I found it uncomfortable to use. I do have to point out that I suffer from SPD and that my experience will be different to most mums. It is the area that I suffer back pain which makes it uncomfortable, rather than the cushion itself. I would recommend that anyone with SPD consulted their physio before using to make sure it's suitable for them. On the plus side though, I gave it to my partner to use when he was giving his... Read review

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