 You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
How long do Shimano Sh51 spd cleats last? What is their mechanism of failure?
I have a couple of pr of shoes usin these cleats and a selection of xt and Boardman team spd pedals. Recently they have started to squeek as they float in the mechanism.
I can stop it by rolling my foot outwards and bracing the cleat against the pedal mechanism.
Does this mean they are worn out? The cleats are a couple of yrs old and seem to release just fine, but the noise is now upsetting me.
Any thoughts?
Brush a bit of chain lube onto your pedals with a toothbrush. Normally sorts it for a while in my experience.
I have one squeaky cleat! My left foot sits slightly pigeon-toed when pedalling so moves a bit as the pedal goes round. The squeak drives me mad once I've tuned in to it.
A dab of thick grease on the spd mating surface before leaving home seems to last most of a ride. I've also found dabbing my cleat in a puddle fixes it for a bit (assuming you can find a puddle).
My cleats are years old. Been squeaking for years too. No other indication that they're worn out so living with it.
WD40 on the cleats.
Try loctite on the pedal springs, once it's dried it stops any squeaks or creaks for ages.
The cleats should last way longer than the shoes you attach them to. I put new cleats on new shoes. I cant imaging the cleat fails unless you bash it on a rock and your foot is likely to fail before the cleat gets bashed out of shape.
It's not the shoes is it? I've had to trim off a small chunk of the sole rubber immediately around the cleat area on one pair. Grease / lube did the trick for a short ride but the long-term solution was to get the stanley knife out.
Ah, could be shoe/pedal interface?
I will check for any witness marks...