Serviceable road pedals

Tech Tech - What to Buy
1

I’ve been riding Look Keo Classics and Blades for many years. From time to time they’ve worn out, and I’ve bought a new pair. Being a quite heavy and reckless rider, I’ve also broken pedal bodies, so I’m not giving these pedals an easy life…

However I’ve always been dismayed at the lack of serviceability for the Look pedals. If I wear out a bearing I shouldn’t need to change the full pedal? Is there any current pedal system out there that is really serviceable? And no, the old Speedplay is not a viable option, saw a set of original Pavé pedals on eBay for over $500 :grimacing:

2

I have been able to get years of use out of the fact Shimano SPD pedals are generally pretty serviceable, and it looks to me the SPD SL road pedals are similarly serviceable.

3

Your best options are likely, as noted Shimano.

The 105 option is very affordable and doesn’t weight much more than the Ultegra model.

You can also explore Favero Assiamos if you want to have power added to them.

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4

But it’s there nothing a little exotic and dare I say it: sexy? Like Hope Union SPDs, specifically designed for serviceability?

5

Dura Aces then, maybe? Shimano SPD pedals are pretty sturdy and hold up well to abuse. I regularly ride in the rain and storms in the tropics, and have never really needed to service the pedals, even after disassembling one or 2 pairs to check in on them…

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6

Shimanos are serviceable but you don’t need to since they last forever anyway.

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7

My problem with newer Shimanos is the fact that the pedal body can (and will) wear out. The bearings are rock solid. I’ll likely reactivate some old metal bodied Ultegra pedals I’ve got lying around.

8

Is it just the perceived price of old Speedplays that eliminates them? Because $500 is a joke and you could find plenty cheaper. And they are the most completely serviceable pedals out there.

9

wow - what mileage are you putting into the pedals to wear the face plate? I do 10 - 12,000 km annually on Shimano Dura-ace pedals, and 9 years in hey have no discernable wear.

10

I could be wrong, but I suspect that @Flo_Uhl was referring to the forward section of the pedals, where the front of the cleat hooks onto. That bit has a tendency of wearing away, especially if the user/rider is on cleats with more float (i.e. Shimano’s yellow ones) , due to the constant swivelling/rubbing. Of the cleat.

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11

That’s what I was referring to. Faceplates are fine and at least to my mind would require serious abuse to wear out. But the front hoop seems a but flimsier on the new pedals. I’ve noticed the wear now after only about 8k as a constant slight clicking and movement. Particularly on the side that I unclick first when coming to a stop.

12

Sorry for my misunderstanding - now I’ve got it … Yeah, a little for me - but does not seem to compromise cleat entry or retention. Also thinking about force transfer / surface interface - once you were clipped in, that area should not be bearing any downward force, so low likelihood that is causing a “clicking” noise. If severely worn, risk would be on “pulling up” or loss of strength of cleat retention, but the forward projection of the front section of the shimano cleats are 10 mm or more, so should not “pull out” unless that whole “front hoop” section was worn through and literally gave way !

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