Recommend some good Cleats

[PaulG40]

Recently my missus has switched to Shimano SPD-SL Cleats, she bought them with pedals for £35 for both from the local bike shop in a deal with the new bike. She likes the pedals, but having had them a month or so, on a ride yesterday one of the three allen bolts came loose and fell out. Maybe that's her problem for not checking the tightness on a regularly basis but the thing I couldn't believe was the state of the bottoms of them. She doesn't walk on them much, only from house to the street and when she's stopped at junctions etc unclipped.

Are they just considered cheap cleats? Could you guys recommend any good ones that'll last?

[Jimbo.]

PaulG40 said:

Recently my missus has switched to Shimano SPD-SL Cleats, she bought them with pedals for £35 for both from the local bike shop in a deal with the new bike. She likes the pedals, but having had them a month or so, on a ride yesterday one of the three allen bolts came loose and fell out. Maybe that's her problem for not checking the tightness on a regularly basis but the thing I couldn't believe was the state of the bottoms of them. She doesn't walk on them much, only from house to the street and when she's stopped at junctions etc unclipped.

Are they just considered cheap cleats? Could you guys recommend any good ones that'll last?

There are no alternatives: each brand (in this case, Shimano) caters for themselves, and themselves only. Shimano are amongst the more durable cleats, especially for walking in (walking and "clipping in" surfaces are separate, unlike others).

The bolt falling out was bad installation. Bolts should be torqued up properly.

re. the wear, whilst they do look worn for just a months use (a fair bit of walking and a LOT of clipping in/out I'm guessing), there's still some life left in them.

[itsnotarace]

Loctite the threads on install. Don't walk on them so much. My cleats look like that after a full year of use

[PaulG40]

good to know, thanks. yeah she does about 25miles a day in them, a third of which is unclipping and clipping in due to town traffic. I'm out serving in Afghan at mo, so can't do anything to help her so I'll probably get her to take them to the LBS and get them to sort them out.

[Accelebrate]

New cleats are £15ish and come with a replacement fixing kit. I get through a set of cleats every six months or so commuting, I've just bought some rubber cleat covers to pop on when walking between bike and desk in the hope they might last a bit longer.

[Eddh]

Pah, those are barely worn!

Don't believe the hype about 'when the yellow bit has gone replace them' they have tonnes of life left in them yet.

[IN51GHT]

Get some speedplays.....

[DMN]

Stick with Shimano ones, a lot of other companies make their cleats and pedals inter-changeable with the shimano design.