Buying Used Bike Gear? When to Replace Cleats or Pedals for Safety
You've been riding those clipless pedals for months, maybe years. The cleats look worn, but the pedals seem fine. Should you replace the whole system or just swap the cleats? Many cyclists face this dilemma when shopping for used bike gear , unsure whether they're making the right call. The answer isn't always obvious. Sometimes you need new cleats. Other times, the pedal mechanism itself has degraded beyond repair. How Float Mechanisms Actually Wear Down Your pedal's float mechanism takes a beating every time you clip in and out. The metal-on-metal contact gradually wears down the spring tension system and engagement surfaces. Float wear happens in three main areas: The spring mechanism loses tension over time. You'll notice this when your foot moves more than it should during pedaling. Fresh pedals typically offer 4-6 degrees of float, but worn springs can increase this to 8-10 degrees. The cleat engagement points also wear down. These small metal contacts guide...