All right, thanks guys. I will try a drop of something, whatever I can find that's cheap enough to be worth it, and see if it will work.

I do have the option of returning it, but it's in the UK, and shipping is already more than half of what I actually paid for them 18 months ago, so not really worth it at this point.

Plus, I was thinking of switching to SPD pedals anyway as this is my non-studded commuter road bike.