How long does your cleats last?
 

Hey,

I have seen people discuss about the pedals, but we haven't really discussed about the durability of cleats from the point of view of the fixed riding. We yank hard when we stop or skid and I am wondering how this affect the durability of cleats. And, LBS people aren't fixed riders and they can't offer useful information.

I was using SPD for few month now. Lately, I have been clipping out often. This clip-out is strange. For one thing, it doesn't "clip out" rather it "slip out". Also, clip-out doesn't happen while skidding; it happens while pedaling fast or sudden slow-to-stop near cross-section. Pretty harmless, but kinda unnerving. So I took the cleats out to replace, and they look like this.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...i/KC280245.jpg

Note the wear is concentrated on the rear extremity; anywhere else has prestign coating. This means rear extremeties of SPD cleats are the only part that wear down. This, in itself, isn't a bad thing. But note this is precisely where pedals clings onto the cleats.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...i/KC280246.jpg

Thus, any wear in this small region can critically damage the SPD cleats' reliability.

I swapped to ATAC yesterday, but I like the way SPD work and living where I am SPD is much more preferable. ATAC cleats are soft, but ATAC seems to work reliably with greater wear tolerance.

Hows other cleats? SPD-SL, Neo, Look, etc.

Thanks in advance,

Tomo

I've been using these for 30 years now:

http://os2.dhs.org/~john/rivat.jpg

maybe you need to tighten your pedals. My cleats are pretty beaten but I have no problems even though I walk with my shoes a lot and you can hear the cleat scraping the ground. Your pedals maybe worn too.

I use SPD's, do about 5000 miles/year, and it took me over a year to wear the right one down to the point it was slipping out.
(I usually unclip just the right foot at stops.)

Here's what Bebop cleats look like after 1 year of commuting on a fixie averaging 40 miles per work week and 20+ additional miles on the weekends. They've not failed once, although I guess one would expect that of cleats made of "spring-tempered steel" and costing $40 a pair.

I got into cycling over 10 years ago.. My first cleats were made of metal. I rode on those for years.. When I changed bikes and got new pedals , I discovered Look style cleats were now impossible to find in metal. However, the store clerk knew that at one time they were available.. Manufacturers likely , do not like cleats to last for that many years.

Tomo_Ishii,

Yea, I'd suggest giving the pedals a 1/2 turn of tightening. By the way, what's that dripping from the cleat in the first picture? Looks, um, well, um, ....

oops. misspelled stone. Sorry for that Tomo.

having to walk around a couple of miles on my spdsls probably didnt help cleat life.

I already tired giving it some tightening. Now it feels awkard. Sound is good, but it feels like I have narrower float angle. I know I can replace the cleat, but it took me 2 months and (as I said before) clip-out happens at oddest / scariest time. My old ATAC is bulky, but doesn't seem to have that problem.

It could be my SPD pedals that I use new Shimano style with solid rear locking plate. I know Ritchey uses DSR (rear plate is separated into two). May be they hold better.

P.S. I am worried about yanking at the cleats. I am not really interested in how long distance you can go. I mean sure I can go 5000 miles if I never have to clip out, but I have to slow down or stop. And sometimes, I only have time to lock up my pedals. (darn cell phone toting Tokyo pedestrians and drivers)

That looks wonderful. Bebop cleats only has scratches on the surface. How about the metal protrusions? Does it look worn out? I am also interested in wear tolerance of cleats as well.

my brass atac cleats last about 6 months to a year of 10+ miles of daily riding. I tend to replace them before any problems arise, though.

Depending on how much I ride my clipless, I go through 2-3 sets of Time ATAC cleats per year, but they also get walked on a lot. I'm pretty conservative about letting them wear too much as I always replace them before performance starts being degraded. I'd rather drop a few bucks now and then and just be more secure than wear them longer and start pulling out unintentionally. That said, though, the ATACs are great in that regard.

Incidentally, anyone know where to get the best deal on ATAC cleats?

Tomo_Ishi,

One possible solution - I noticed your initial picture is of the multi-release cleat. The black versions are the single release type. Going with the single release could solve your problem.

Umm ... It says SM-SH51, so it's a single release. I am just curious, hows SPD turning out for people? Am I having problems because I am far too used to ATACs?

How about Speedplay stuff? How long does those roadie plasti-cleats last?

I found this.

http://www.amazon.com/SINZ-REPLACEME...9212044&sr=8-2

But probably real Time's stuff is better. It certainly isn't all that much more.

http://www.shopwiki.com/Time+ATAC+Replacement+Cleats

T

I've used the Speedplay X's for years. I go through at least two set of cleats a year. I figure I go through cleats twice as fast on a brakeless fixed gear vs. geared.

On the Speedplays the "wires/springs" flatten out. They get tough to get in and out of and then start to release early. I have even broken the "wire/spring" on a set. It sucks when you are pulling up on the pedals to stop and you here a snap and your knee flys up in the air!

I have learned the signs of wear and replace my cleats before they fail on me.

Tomo_Ishi,

My apologies. For some reason I thought the brass colored cleats were the multi-release and the black were single release.

Tomo_Ishi,

Also, to finally answer the question you actually asked my SPD cleats seem to last a good, long time. 1 year at least. But, I've only been riding fixed for something like 3 months and I swap out to SPD's on weekends/holidays. During the week when I commute I do so on flats. I lose a bit in the connected feel department but it's a fair trade off for me as my commute is pretty flat.

Given how the systems work, it's got to be either the cleat or the pedal that is a softer material. Nothing nefarious here.

How long does your SPD last you?

Interesting.
I didn't realize Bebops used SPD-type mounting bolts.
I've always been interested in Speedplays, but refuse to give up my my mtn shoes that enable me to walk normally.
It looks like the Bebops are the best of both worlds.

3 months for the atacs cleats
and the slotted cleats have never been replaced

I want Bebops but since they're out of business (that's what I hear) I don't want to buy a system that may not be around for much longer

DOH!

How about Speedplay Frogs? It's supposed to be freefloating and stuff. Kinda worried about durability thought, because cleats go for 50 bucks or something.

I just returned from 30-40km shoppe-run. (to buy two pairs of ATAC cleats at bargain price!) You are right. I just remembered how sticky those cleats are. But I think I am OK now with all the experience behind me. I never fumbled. Of course, this doesn't mean I stopped looking. After all, I really have to hunt for ATAC cleats around where I am.

How secure are SPD platform pedals? I ask this because I think I am clipping out because my foot tend to pronate out. It's a bad habit I can't correct. So if my foot is super secure on a platform, I might not clip out. Then agin, they are considerably heavier.