Generic SPD SL cleats?
- Thread starter EspressoDan
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
smokeysmoo
Legendary Member
- Location
- Bolton, not very far from Nob End
Yes.
young Ed
Veteran
yes i indeed did buy some cheapo ones fairly recently off ebay
and they are going strong apart from all of the smaller yellow bits have fallen off but i have collected 3 of 4 of them and will superglue them on soon as they were just pressed in, the front bit how ever is all good and has not snapped off so the cleats of overall still working well and clipping in and out. i can't compare them to genuine shimano cleats as i have never had brand new ones but they to seem a bit loose on the pedal when clipped in and this is not just the float. the yellow bits falling off is no problem for me as i don't walk in them.
overall, yes i would buy them again if they last for at least a few months more
Cheers Ed
I've just got some. They were stupidly cheap - more like a third of the price or less. The cleat itself looks OK but the bolts and plates/washers are sh*te compared to the Shimano ones. Bolt heads made for rounding off, I reckon - and they come with a cheap n nasty allen key to make it a dead cert. So I've re-used the bolts from the old ones. Only been round the block to test them but they seem OK - perhaps a slightly less decisive click than the genuine article. Oh and the colours don't mean anything - I've got the red ones but they have the same amount of float as my yellow Shimano ones did. I'm not sure it's a clever area to economize in, as cleat failure can be fairly dramatic, but I had 4 pairs of SLs to replace and I'm skint. Will report back if there's anything else to say after some proper miles...
Not at 30p a pop, I don't, or it defeats the object of risking my life for stupidly cheap cleats. The reclaimed ones are OK, I reckon. Handy site for future nut & bolt needs, tho!
Thanks Ade, but the deed is done. My shoes are cheap-cleated up.
Gravity Aided
Legendary Member
- Location
- Land of Lincoln
EspressoDan
Member
Thanks for the info.
I'm not impressed with the wear on my genuine SL cleats. Yellow rear buffers came off in two rides but from what you've all said I suspect that aftermarket cleats would not be worth the gamble.
+1 on reusing bolts and keeper plates from genuine cleats if I do try them though. I've rounded off SPD bolts in the past and they're a b####r to get out after you do that.
I'm not impressed with the wear on my genuine SL cleats. Yellow rear buffers came off in two rides but from what you've all said I suspect that aftermarket cleats would not be worth the gamble.
+1 on reusing bolts and keeper plates from genuine cleats if I do try them though. I've rounded off SPD bolts in the past and they're a b####r to get out after you do that.
youngoldbloke
The older I get, the faster I used to be ...
Why are cleats so expensive? RRP of Keo Grip = £19.99. Ludicrous! Almost worth buying new pedals when your cleats wear out, as cleats are included. You're caught - you can't use the pedals without - same situation as printers and ink I suppose, except that the pedals are still pretty expensive anyway ....... I will only ever buy on discount.
Well... welcome to the cheap cleats. The report after riding from London to Felpham and associated bimblings is that they clip in just fine and don't seem about to snap or anything, but that they have too much float - certainly for anyone who was hoping that the red and yellow bits would have any meaning. But the main issue, as mentioned above, is that the red bits just fall off. Which doesn't matter much while riding but can become a cause for concern when carrying three pints across a slippery Wetherspoon's floor. DAHIKT. I'll use the ones I've got for now but will go for a more reputable brand of rip-off next time. False economy, I reckon.
