Sunday, July 7, 2013

The matter with cleats

Real Cyclists

Angono, Rizal  PHL     | July 7, 2013



My Shimano cleats on Scott carbon cycling shoes has gone kaput and has begged for replacement. I had it temporarily replaced with hard plastic Exustar (which works well only with Exustar pedals). 

Some observations on Shimano cleats:

l. Its price has gone up from P500.00 a pair to P680.00 as per my canvass in bikeshops last Wednesday in Cainta.

2.  While it is  one of the best:  easy to engage and disengage, it seems to wear out easily if you walk too much with your biking shoes on.

3.  My conversation with others showed that the left cleats usually fail:  it gets misaligned or breaks.;  not the right cleats.  Why.  Because when you ride you engage first your right shoe then followed by the left shoe.   As you engage the left shoe and you are not looking or as you pedal, the shoe and cleats hit the wrong places and and wears out.  (Perhaps engage the left shoe first)

4. You have to clean it regularly especially after walking through sand, soil or grass.  Dirt can fill the gaps in the cleans and can make this malfunction.

5. Oil or put Armor all so that the cleats can slide in and out of the pedal easily.

6.  Tighten, or check the screws before every ride;  they can turn loose and the cleats may malfunction

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