Shimano M540 Pedals

[migrantwing]

Yesterday, whilst riding to work at around 6am, my beloved 10 year old M540's gave up the ghost.
The left pedal completely locked up on me, nearly causing me to fall. I had serviced them quite a few times over the years, degreasing, cleaning and regreasing, even installing new balls a few times. Looking at the internals, I'm guessing that the aluminium thread that holds the spindle to the pedal body had weakened and stripped over time and had worked it's way loose, this in turn made everything seize up. I have ordered some more M540's as they are easy to service and, as I can attest, have lasted over a Decade.

Just a reminder to give your bike a once over every now and then, and always check and service your pedals. Luckily, I didn't have an accident but could have easily done so.

 

[Cycleops]

So ten years for a £70 pedal. That's £7 a year. Maybe I'm being unreasonable but that doesn't seem too wonderful, but then I don't know what sort of mileage it's clocked up.

 

[Mo1959]

So ten years for a £70 pedal. That's £7 a year. Maybe I'm being unreasonable but that doesn't seem too wonderful, but then I don't know what sort of mileage it's clocked up.

Seems ok to me, plus they wouldn't have been £70 ten years ago. Just the last couple of years they have shot up in price. Probably more like £30 ten years ago.

 

[Cycleops]

Yeahbut that's inflation, adjusted cost would be similar.

 

[Blue Hills]

So ten years for a £70 pedal. That's £7 a year. Maybe I'm being unreasonable but that doesn't seem too wonderful, but then I don't know what sort of mileage it's clocked up.

must admit I was surprised that a well maintained shimano pedal had bust so soon.

 

[Blue Hills]

Seems ok to me, plus they wouldn't have been £70 ten years ago. Just the last couple of years they have shot up in price. Probably more like £30 ten years ago.

Aren't these pretty much the same thing?

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/mount..._s__e__h_9046300_ii__vi__&gclsrc=ds&gclsrc=ds

Still, thanks for the post OP.

If maintained I think most Shimano pedals should last pretty much for the rest of our days.

I have wrecked one pair, but only through long term neglect.

(first ten years or so of being back into cycling I did minimal maintenance of anything)

Time to get the balls and grease out folks.

 

[Ajax Bay]

I wonder if the amount of servicing had anything to do with their demise. Too much 'love'?
Roughly how many thousand miles, @migrantwing ?

 

[migrantwing]

Seems ok to me, plus they wouldn't have been £70 ten years ago. Just the last couple of years they have shot up in price. Probably more like £30 ten years ago.

Think I paid around £35-40 at the time as they were around a Tenner more than the M520's. Same/similar pedal but with more plastic than metal.

 

[migrantwing]

must admit I was surprised that a well maintained shimano pedal had bust so soon.

Things just give up sometimes

 

[migrantwing]

I wonder if the amount of servicing had anything to do with their demise. Too much 'love'?
Roughly how many thousand miles, @migrantwing ?

Anything could have happened. Maybe the last balls I put in had worn, the races had pitted, a bit of grit in there before I serviced the pedals. I have commuted for the last 9 months, 12-15 miles per day in snow, ice, torrential rain and sun, that's without any weekend rides. As I mentioned, it looks like the aluminium 'sleeve' that the spindle and the internals sit in has stripped or worn. The left pedal is toast, the right pedal is usable.

I couldn't even guess how many miles @Ajax Bay

 

[migrantwing]

Aren't these pretty much the same thing?

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/mount..._s__e__h_9046300_ii__vi__&gclsrc=ds&gclsrc=ds

Still, thanks for the post OP.

If maintained I think most Shimano pedals should last pretty much for the rest of our days.

I have wrecked one pair, but only through long term neglect.

(first ten years or so of being back into cycling I did minimal maintenance of anything)

Time to get the balls and grease out folks.

The pedals you have linked to are the M520's. Same/similar pedals but the spindle is plastic and aluminium where as the spindle on the 540's are metal

 

[Blue Hills]

The pedals you have linked to are the M520's. Same/similar pedals but the spindle is plastic and aluminium where as the spindle on the 540's are metal

View attachment 637087

I thought I had a few pairs of the 520s - not aware that the spindle was plastic (sounds very unshimano) - will check - always had the idea that the difference between the 420 and 540 was finish or weight or something.

 

[Ajax Bay]

The pedals you have linked to are the M520's. Same/similar pedals but the spindle is plastic and aluminium where as the spindle on the 540's are metal

Mmmm? Why do you think that:
M520:

Features

*Bearings: Sealed cartridge *Axle: Steel *Body: Alloy *Cleat material: Steel

So for <£30 - 520s. For £60: 540s.
M520 weighs 380g; M540 weighs 355g.
PS Aluminium is a metal; just saying.

 

[presta]

I use rat traps, I've gone through half a dozen pairs in ~50,000m. The best and longest lasting ones were a cheap pair of Sakae ones from Halfords, they had a steel cage and plastic spider, I had about 16,000m out of those before a bearing cup broke. I miss them, they're the only ones I've had that were wide enough for my feet. A Union pair lasted 9,000m before a bearing broke up. Two pairs of System EX EX331 lasted 6k & 8k before they were too worn to adjust. I had to cut a nearly new pair of Wellgo LU939 off after 3,500m after they seized in the crank. I currently have a pair of MKS MT Lite which have done 9k. They're ok, but they're anything but 'Lite', and there's too little friction, so they swing around like a pendulum whilst I'm trying to get my feet in the clips. I used to get my feet in first time every time before I got those.

 

[lazybloke]

Mmmm? Why do you think that:
M520:

Features

*Bearings: Sealed cartridge *Axle: Steel *Body: Alloy *Cleat material: Steel

So for <£30 - 520s. For £60: 540s.
M520 weighs 380g; M540 weighs 355g.
PS Aluminium is a metal; just saying.

For those who are truly fanatical about weight mass, the Boardman equivalent of 540s save about 20g