Pedal Hard: Shimano PD-R540

I've only owned one pair of clipless pedals in my years of cycling. Those were early model Speedplays I bought in 1993. I used them for a number of years until I sold my Centurion LeMans RS and have had only my KHS Montana Comp mountain bike to this very day. I really appreciated the two-sided design of the Speedplay pedals, but I was often disappointed with the trouble I had clipping out of them and the hot spots I experienced more than enough times for my comfort level. This time around I decided to ride the larger platform of the SPD type pedal with the hope for better comfort. Because I don't have any history with this kind of pedal I figured I would start with a basic to mid-level model and go from there. When I learn the subtlties of the pedal and levels of quality and perfromance I can graduate to a higher end model. My research found the Shimano PD-R540 had a great amount of positive user feedback. It falls into the basic to intermediate level, and to seal the deal I got a bargin of a price. A price that is hard to turn away, so I didn't have to contemplate this purchase much. I'm sure I will discover quickly how well these perform and how to adjust to their little quirks, if any. Then I'll know what features to look for in a pedal when I want to upgrade in the future.