SPD-SL Cleat Durability
 

When I started road cycling, for months I used SPD cleats on Eggbeater pedals. I figured they'd be easier to clip into (4 way engagement) and because I would have to walk with my bike in town quite a bit, the shoes would be easier to walk in. That worked out really well and the metal cleats have held up incredibly but a couple of months ago, I decided to try SPD-SL cleats since my friend was giving away a pair of pedals.

I quite like the SPD-SLs but I find that I'm ripping through right side pedals pretty quickly. The left pedal is pretty intact but I suspect because I clip and unclip my right foot whenever I have to stop, the right side sees much more wear from hitting the ground, pushing off, mounting/dismounting etc. I've also noticed a bit of variability between how long a cleat lasts in relation to its brand (or maker etc.). I've only used generic non-Shimano cleats so far and:

A pair off Amazon for about $15-20 lasted the longest (a couple of months)
A pair from a LBS about $30 lasted the second longest (a few weeks)
A pair off eBay about $10 lasted 2 days.

Where do you get your cleats? How long do they last you? Are there tricks to extend their lifespan?

I only ever used Shimano cleats (I prefer the blue ones), and they last about two years for me.

Same here. Only Shimano blue cleats....last 10,000 miles. I get them off ebay.

They should last a long time if you don’t walk in your cycling shoes. They were not designed for that. Try getting some cleat covers if you need to do prolonged walking in your cycling shoes.

like you I started in eggbeaters years ago then went to Shimano road pedals. The cleats me years and I ride some 4000-7000 miles a year. I don't stop much only briefly and do not walk around on them more than I need to but some. I would make sure they are Shimano cleats I bought some knock offs on ebay that I use on my trainer in winter and other set of shoes. They are not built as well I can tell but work fine.

I'm guessing I get somewhere in the neighborhood of 5,000 miles from my Shimano SPD-SL yellow cleats. That's with a bit more walking around and in-town riding than they're really ideal for - I use covers to go in shops, but not walking up the driveway or lurking at rest stops. I also replace them before they're completely destroyed.

Likewise, my cleats go bad more quickly on the foot I put down (left, for me). I'm somewhat tempted to start rotating the cleats, but if I'm going to change out both, may as well have shiny new ones on both.

It looks like my usual source, Merlin Cycles (UK), still sells Shimano branded cleats for cheap to the US, but shipping has gotten expensive. Jenson USA is also a good source.

Like others the foot I put down wears much quicker. I probably get 2k miles on right foot and 4K on the left foot. I only replace the right cleat half the time

I don’t really keep track, but I imagine I get ~10-12k for a pair of SPD-SL cleats (always genuine Shimano cleats). The right one (my “unclipping” side) looks a little more beat up than the left, but the bearing surfaces (ie, the surfaces that causally contact the pedal) are largely untouched by contact with the ground. Not sure how to judge “how long cleats last”, as, for me at least, there’s no real indication for when to replace other than “these look like crap - maybe I should get some new ones”. Certainly this occurs before the cleats reach the point of failure. Unlike pushing a cassette to the point that gear changing is compromised, I’d rather not push cleats that far, ‘cos cleat failure is potentially dangerous. I’ve never had an unintended pullout with the Ultegra R600 pedals I’ve used on my “good bike” for the last ~15 years

I must be too hard on them then. I did swap out the cheap eBay cleat with the other eBay cleat (I've only been replacing the right side one as the left is pretty intact). Barely walked with them (maybe a few steps on tarmac and some on grass) and a day later the yellow bit is already deformed. I do think it may just be a defective set or a cheap manufacturer. I've got a couple of what should be genuine Shimanos on the way but they may take some time to get here.

Oddly the one time I realized my cleat broke and I couldn't clip in while out in the city, I stopped by 3 different bike shops and none of them carried Shimano branded SPD-SL cleats. They only had an expensive generic brand.

I just replaced a set of old school Look Delta cleats (knockoffs, not Look brand) that lasted from January 2017 until this summer. The left side was wearing dangerously thin, because I always set down my left foot first. So, 2+ years and at least 5,000 miles, probably more, including more walking than I should do in plastic cleats.

There may be some quality differences in generic cleats, but if I was wearing through cleats every few weeks, I'd probably give up clipless and go with platform pedals. Especially for urban rides. I use platforms on my hybrids and they work fine. Foot retention with road bikes is mostly habit for me, since I used toe clips in the 1970s. But they don't really make any difference in my speed. And good grippy platforms and shoes feel nearly as secure. I just modify my pedaling style slightly.

I have only used two cleats, Shimano factory get about 2 years or around 10,000 miles. for the indoor trainer I am using some knock off cleats off ebay for like $5. They will be done FAST, super cheap and will be trashed in no time. Wont try those again!

Actually considering that my left cleat gets as much walking action as my right but is holding up fine, I'm betting it's the clip/unclip/stopping/pushing off frequency that's killing the right cleat. I'm going to try to consciously push off with the pedal stroke instead and see how that lasts.

Also make sure you're not dragging your foot when you come to a stop, easy to do without noticing and it'll wear the cleat down pretty quick.