Cause of broken cleat?
12-11-13 | 01:51 AM
#1
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Cause of broken cleat?
I installed some used cleats that had around 100 miles on my new Giro Apeckx shoes.
I went out on a test ride around 6 miles. On the way back home I started sprinting, and I felt my foot pull up from the pedal. I pulled over and noticed my right cleat was not on my shoe anymore. The cleat was stuck on my pedal and the bolts were still attached to my shoes.
Was this a cleat failure? Bad/cheap cleat?
I did install the cleats with the shorter cleat bolts that were provided with the shoes due to the low-stack height.
I went out on a test ride around 6 miles. On the way back home I started sprinting, and I felt my foot pull up from the pedal. I pulled over and noticed my right cleat was not on my shoe anymore. The cleat was stuck on my pedal and the bolts were still attached to my shoes.
Was this a cleat failure? Bad/cheap cleat?
I did install the cleats with the shorter cleat bolts that were provided with the shoes due to the low-stack height.
12-11-13 | 03:13 AM
#2
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 502
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I installed some used cleats that had around 100 miles on my new Giro Apeckx shoes.
I went out on a test ride around 6 miles. On the way back home I started sprinting, and I felt my foot pull up from the pedal. I pulled over and noticed my right cleat was not on my shoe anymore. The cleat was stuck on my pedal and the bolts were still attached to my shoes.
Was this a cleat failure? Bad/cheap cleat?
I did install the cleats with the shorter cleat bolts that were provided with the shoes due to the low-stack height.
I went out on a test ride around 6 miles. On the way back home I started sprinting, and I felt my foot pull up from the pedal. I pulled over and noticed my right cleat was not on my shoe anymore. The cleat was stuck on my pedal and the bolts were still attached to my shoes.
Was this a cleat failure? Bad/cheap cleat?
I did install the cleats with the shorter cleat bolts that were provided with the shoes due to the low-stack height.
1. Not original Look cleat.
2. Taking off and screwing on (maybe too tight) weakened it at the spot where it broke. Did you use washer?
Last edited by Ice41000; 12-11-13 at 03:47 AM.
12-11-13 | 06:28 AM
#4
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From: Perth, Australia and sometimes Penang Malaysia
Bikes: Litespeed L1r, Litespeed Ghisallo 07, TCR Advanced Team SL 0 ISP, Giant TCR Advanced SL, Giant TCR Advanced Team - T-Mobile, Giant Propel Advanced SL
Looks like you used round washers, rather than the normal rectangular type, which spread the load better.
12-11-13 | 06:38 AM
#5
Thread Killer
Joined: Aug 2008
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From: Ann Arbor, MI
Bikes: 15 Kinesis Racelight 4S, 76 Motebecane Gran Jubilée, 17 Dedacciai Gladiatore2, 12 Breezer Venturi, 09 Dahon Mariner, 12 Mercier Nano, 95 DeKerf Team SL, 19 Tern Rally, 21 Breezer Doppler Cafe+, 19 T-Lab X3, 91 Serotta CII, 23 3T Strada
Sprinting? Clearly an over-watt condition; just too many watts for the cleat to handle. Either get off the juice, or get DTC (droping teh hamer) certified cleats, which are basically kryptonite reinforced diamond nanofiber (with a cosmetic 3k carbon weave). 
In all seriousness, you can see the washer indents, and it looks like they were too small diameter and overtorqued, which as mentioned above, was almost certainly the cause of the failure.
In all seriousness, you can see the washer indents, and it looks like they were too small diameter and overtorqued, which as mentioned above, was almost certainly the cause of the failure.
12-11-13 | 06:53 AM
#6
Mr. Dopolina
Joined: May 2007
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From: Taiwan
Bikes: KUUPAS, Simpson VR
Cheap is as cheap does.
12-11-13 | 07:09 AM
#7
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From: Someplace trying to figure it out
Bikes: Cannondale EVO, CAAD9, Giant cross bike.
12-11-13 | 10:38 AM
#8
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12-11-13 | 11:19 AM
#10
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Yeah. Coming out of a pedal while standing, particularly at high effort, can cause a nasty crash. Judging from pic, washers look missing or wrong. Probably not worth going cheap on cleats. I get genuine Look products from Ribble for cheap...in which case I guess cheap is OK.
12-11-13 | 12:28 PM
#11
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From: Medway, MA
Bikes: 2011 Lynskey Sportive, 1988 Cannondale SM400
Round washers are the wrong answer. the rectangular ones fill those slots, reinforcing the plastic. Looks like the front slot broke, and then the cleat slid off of the other two.
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