When do you change your cleats?
10-10-20, 06:56 PM
#1
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When do you change your cleats?
Just changed my cleats and I probably should have switched them out two weeks ago. Are you lazy about changing your cleats? Do you switch them out early? Do you have a pair of shoes that you use that are more beat up versus nicer shoes?
10-10-20, 08:31 PM
#2
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When they start causing problems. Usual first problem is either not smooth clipping in or unintentional clipping out.
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10-11-20, 01:26 AM
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My last set of old style Look Delta cleats lasted about 18 months, around 5,000 miles. I noticed the left cleat tongue was dangerously thin and might snap if it broke while I was standing to pedal. That would cause an ouchie that my would-be-children would feel years away.
Considering that I set my left foot down most often and how much more worn it was compared with the right, I'll probably start replacing the Look Delta cleats every year. Or maybe I'll finally switch that bike to SPD-SL or Keo. I've kept the old Look Delta pedals on that old school steel bike because it's more or less period correct. But I don't have any real preference between Delta, Keo and SPD-SL.
My last set of SPD-SL cleats are almost 18 months old and still have plenty of wear. The rubbery tips that make them a little better for walking also protect the parts of the cleat that snap into the pedals. Those still have plenty of life remaining. I have 2,700 miles on that bike/cleats.
Considering that I set my left foot down most often and how much more worn it was compared with the right, I'll probably start replacing the Look Delta cleats every year. Or maybe I'll finally switch that bike to SPD-SL or Keo. I've kept the old Look Delta pedals on that old school steel bike because it's more or less period correct. But I don't have any real preference between Delta, Keo and SPD-SL.
My last set of SPD-SL cleats are almost 18 months old and still have plenty of wear. The rubbery tips that make them a little better for walking also protect the parts of the cleat that snap into the pedals. Those still have plenty of life remaining. I have 2,700 miles on that bike/cleats.
10-11-20, 03:19 AM
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Yeah. I usually keep mine until the left one, which I clip out from at lights, breaks. Or is really close to breaking. Then I change them both.
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10-11-20, 04:48 AM
#5
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I usually replace my SPD-SL cleats when they look about what yours look like.
Before I got a smart trainer and started doing Zwift, I'd often replace them a bit earlier at the start of a new biking "season." Now with the indoor trainer and Zwift, I'm doing amost as many miles in Jan/Feb as any other month. Trainer riding is easier on the cleats (less unclipping, very little walking on them) so now if they are borderline, I'll keep using them indoors.
I use the trainer riding to break in new bike shoes - mostly using my beat up shoes with good cleats on the road, good shoes with beat up cleats on the indoor bike/trainer!
Before I got a smart trainer and started doing Zwift, I'd often replace them a bit earlier at the start of a new biking "season." Now with the indoor trainer and Zwift, I'm doing amost as many miles in Jan/Feb as any other month. Trainer riding is easier on the cleats (less unclipping, very little walking on them) so now if they are borderline, I'll keep using them indoors.
I use the trainer riding to break in new bike shoes - mostly using my beat up shoes with good cleats on the road, good shoes with beat up cleats on the indoor bike/trainer!
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10-11-20, 07:48 AM
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I just changed mine yesterday and realized that I probably went too long.
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10-11-20, 07:58 AM
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Okay, so I’m not the only one waiting a bit too long. My bike is also my transportation anywhere so my cleats get worn down a bit faster than most as I do more walking.
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10-11-20, 09:26 AM
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I don't walk in my cleats, ever, so I only change them out when I start getting movement in my pedal. Every 2-3 years, I reckon.
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10-11-20, 07:03 PM
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Change when they are worn. For me, that’s when the “lips” that hold cleat in pedal (at front and back of cleat) are thin/worn enough to come close to breaking. New ones have lips that are around 3mm thick. Worn means 1mm or so. Some fancier cleats even have wear indicators.
As always, YMMV.
As always, YMMV.
10-11-20, 09:29 PM
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Change my Deltas when they start to squeak which means the end is near!
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10-12-20, 07:47 PM
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On my bike with the Speedplays Frogs they have lasted since 2013; my Shimano pedals and cleats are far too young to figure out how long they'll last.
10-12-20, 07:49 PM
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Those are still usable. I’ll usually tighten up my pedals as my cleats wear to prevent accidental ejection. If you need a secure fit/like to sprint hard then you might have to replace more frequently.
10-12-20, 07:55 PM
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Ever since I watched a friend come unclipped at 30mph while starting his sprint, I change 'em a bit more often.
After a visit to the urgent care for some stitches, he was mostly okay.
After a visit to the urgent care for some stitches, he was mostly okay.
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10-13-20, 10:45 AM
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Thankfully I’ve never crashed because of it.
Glad your friend was okay.
10-13-20, 10:59 AM
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After watching quite a few wrecks occur over the years because people don't swap their cleats I highly recommend to everyone who is riding often to swap their cleats at least once a year. They aren't very expensive and they are a wear component. Going until they break on you is not a badge of honor. Quite the opposite in fact.
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10-13-20, 11:49 AM
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I am very careful with my cleats always using cleat covers when off the bike. This cleat is over 2 years old. I usually put my right foot down when I stop. The left cleat of this pair is less worn than the one in these pictures
10-13-20, 02:55 PM
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A friend of mine did this exact thing. He had Time pedals. He switched to Shimano after that. I haven’t heard of anyone who has accidentally unclipped from Shimano. It becomes pretty obvious when the retention force is fading.
10-13-20, 06:08 PM
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^^^ This ....only mine are Time ATAC's...I just changed a set after 10 years only cause I got new shoes and I thought, what the hell, new shoes, why not new cleats.
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10-13-20, 06:11 PM
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Love ATACs. They're all I use on 2 bolt cleat bikes. That said I still change them once every year or two and it makes a difference. Way more positive engagement. More pronounced when I was still racing cyclocross.
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10-13-20, 07:13 PM
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Back in the day when toe straps were the thing, the correct shoes had a cleat, the cleat had a slot that the edge of the pedal slipped into, those cleats never wore out, I still have a pair of shoes that came with the cleats that I bought in 1981, those cleats, and shoes, have about 250,000 miles and the cleats are fine to use, but the shoes have seen their better days. The new schit only lasts maybe 5,000 to 10,000 miles? or swap out every year
10-13-20, 07:16 PM
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10-16-20, 05:19 PM
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I've been using Frogs on my roadie for years as I prefer the large degree of float...easy on the knees. I usually swap out cleats about once a year or so.
However with Speedplay acquired by Wahoo, it's not clear they will be making this line of products any longer. I can't find the cleats anywhere and calls to the manufacturer yielded a "well, we don't know yet what we are doing" answer. I'm guessing they are done. So, no idea what to do next if I'm sticking with my MTB shoes.
However with Speedplay acquired by Wahoo, it's not clear they will be making this line of products any longer. I can't find the cleats anywhere and calls to the manufacturer yielded a "well, we don't know yet what we are doing" answer. I'm guessing they are done. So, no idea what to do next if I'm sticking with my MTB shoes.
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10-16-20, 06:51 PM
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I've been using Frogs on my roadie for years as I prefer the large degree of float...easy on the knees. I usually swap out cleats about once a year or so.
However with Speedplay acquired by Wahoo, it's not clear they will be making this line of products any longer. I can't find the cleats anywhere and calls to the manufacturer yielded a "well, we don't know yet what we are doing" answer. I'm guessing they are done. So, no idea what to do next if I'm sticking with my MTB shoes.
However with Speedplay acquired by Wahoo, it's not clear they will be making this line of products any longer. I can't find the cleats anywhere and calls to the manufacturer yielded a "well, we don't know yet what we are doing" answer. I'm guessing they are done. So, no idea what to do next if I'm sticking with my MTB shoes.