Pedal/Cleats advice

OwenB

Hi guys at Christmas my girlfriend bought me a new set of Mavic Peloton road shoes, which made my current spd pedals surplus to requirements as they have the 3 holes rather than 2 in the sole.
I wasn't sure which platform to go for and decided to go "cheap" in the first instance as I'm skint and also I just didn't know what was best.
I bought some Exustar ones from my LBS in March as they said they were good for the price at £20 and in all honesty they've been fine for me, the only problem I've had is the cleats. They're the red ones which I presume are copies of the look style. They've broken up pretty quickly and while they still engage they don't feel secure and need changing, my question is are all look style cleats brittle? Or should I consider an alternative pedal manufacturer as I can't afford to be spending £15 on a new set of cleats every couple of months when I could be using the SPD's.

slowondefy2

Shimano 105 pedals are all you need, I'd say. The cleats have designated wear regions, and the connection with the pedal won't loosen as the cleat wears. Cleat covers are also available if you want.

I have the model down, R540 SPD-SL, because I was looking to go cheap as well. And I'm very pleased with them. Can't go far wrong with Shimano IMO, especially at the cheaper end of the market.

Gizmodo

OwenB wrote:

...my question is are all look style cleats brittle? Or should I consider an alternative pedal manufacturer as I can't afford to be spending £15 on a new set of cleats every couple of months when I could be using the SPD's.

I bought Look Keo pedals and cleats last October, they've been used several times a week all through the winter and still have months and months of wear left in them from what I can see. Sorry, you get what you pay for.

OwenB

Thanks, I thought it might be the case, I guess the replacement cleats will be made of sturdier materials than the ones that came as standard with the cheaper pedals.
Just wanted to check really.

giropaul

Exustar do some more resilient ones (see e-bay), or use Look originals (delta) - I'm guessing that your pedals are delta?

Cleats don't wear much from use on the bike. They do wear very fast from walking, putting your foot down (compare the wear on the foot you put down when stopping).

Therefore - don't walk on the cleats; if you do, use covers; do keep the cleats and the pedals scrupulously clean.

By the way, 2 months of regular riding will see most types of cleats (except SPDs as they are metal) needing replacement.

MartinB2444

+1 for cleat covers. I put them on as soon as I dismount. As well as protecting the cleats you don't end up doing the splits on slippy cafe floors. Just remember to take them off before setting off again if you don't want to end up looking a complete birk :oops:

slowondefy2

:? I stomp about on my Shimano SPD-SL cleats all the time without any problem. They've certainly lasted much longer than just 2 months.