This must be a first

[edocaster]

SPD-SL compatible (I think) cleats in Poundworld. For, you guessed it, a pound.

I don't do road shoes, so can't try them. I wonder if anyone will take the risk?

[mercalia]

SPD-SL compatible (I think) cleats in Poundworld. For, you guessed it, a pound.

I don't do road shoes, so can't try them. I wonder if anyone will take the risk?

IMG_20180428_153010s.jpg

you just saved your life

[Mike Sales]

I found a copy of The Dalkey Archive by Flann O'Brian in a pound shop. It had all the words in.

[hercule]

But were they in the right order?

[mercalia]

how do you know? did you count them?

[JohnW]

Isn't this really dangerous stuff? Is there no-one? - no authority? - that checks the safety of stuff like this? Do any of us, who are serious enough about our cycling to use this Forum, consider this stuff to be anything but at best a waste of money and at worst life-threatening? Are there no safety standards anywhere?

[Mike Sales]

how do you know? did you count them?

No, I know the book by heart.

[Mike Sales]

Isn't this really dangerous stuff? Is there no-one? - no authority? - that checks the safety of stuff like this? Do any of us, who are serious enough about our cycling to use this Forum, consider this stuff to be anything but at best a waste of money and at worst life-threatening? Are there no safety standards anywhere?

Aren't these just a couple of bits of plastic? Surely they are cheap enough to produce? For them to threaten life would require an unlikely coincidence of factors. If I used this sort of pedal I would happily try them.

[JohnW]

Isn't this really dangerous stuff? Is there no-one? - no authority? - that checks the safety of stuff like this? Do any of us, who are serious enough about our cycling to use this Forum, consider this stuff to be anything but at best a waste of money and at worst life-threatening? Are there no safety standards anywhere?

Aren't these just a couple of bits of plastic? Surely they are cheap enough to produce? For them to threaten life would require an unlikely coincidence of factors. If I used this sort of pedal I would happily try them.

I've seen toe-straps fail, and a rider deposited in the road. He was battered, bruised and bloody, but there was no traffic about to run over his head. In today's traffic conditions on even a half busy urban or estate road, he'd probably have been dead. Failure of an SPD pedal's grip could have similar effects. A cheapo plastic part is more likely to fail than bone-fida component made by a reputable manufacturer. I submit the opinion that such a coincidence of factors is more likely to occur with cheapo plastic parts than with decent, bone-fide tackle.

I don't use SPDs myself either, but if I did, I would not be happy to use the cheapo stuff myself, and I certainly wouldn't make a remark that may encourage a novice to use them. Each to their own though.

[Mike Sales]

I've broken handlebars and seat pin without even coming off. My foot slipped off the pedal last week without much of a wobble. Racing cyclists lose sprints when their feet pull off the pedal, but seldom fall.I have heard of cranks breaking without a fatality. I cannot remenber hearing of a breakage causing death. You give an example to show the possibly fatal result of a toe strap breaking, but which does not involve a death. It might have done if a car came by at exactly the wrong moment.
Any shoe plate can break, and spending more money gives no guarantee, but I have never heard of the sort of accident you describe causing death.
If I remember correctly, at least one racing cyclist has broken a bona fide Campag crank.
I don't feel even slightly guilty typing this: each person is responsible for themselves. Perhaps you never encourage new cyclists, lest their lack of experience leads them into danger?

[foxyrider]

does anyone actually use Shimano road pedals?

[gbnz]

For them to threaten life would require an unlikely coincidence of factors. If I used this sort of pedal I would happily try them.

I'd agree. Aside from that I only bothered with shimano spd sl's for several months - expensive, short life span, didn't make the slightest diffence to the speed of a ride

[edocaster]

Just to clarify, as the topic starter, I wouldn't recommend this purchase...

The risk is if the plastic is a bit too pliant, a rider might find themselves unable to clip out. That's the worst case scenario.

It's ridiculously cheap even compared to buying from Aliexpress or eBay. But I think it's just the one cleat, no bolts, etc. A bizarre set of compromises to get down to the £1 mark.

[JohnW]

.................at least one racing cyclist has broken a bona fide Campag crank.
I don't feel even slightly guilty typing this: each person is responsible for themselves. Perhaps you never encourage new cyclists, lest their lack of experience leads them into danger?

Mike, I've broken cranks - it's no big thing - not Campag but Stronglight, which are bone fide. The question was not about cranks, it was about cheapo tackle. I do encourage new cyclists, but I'd never encourage them to use cheapo tackle. Are you sure that you're not arguing for the sake of arguing.

[Mike Sales]

Just to clarify, as the topic starter, I wouldn't recommend this purchase...

The risk is if the plastic is a bit too pliant, a rider might find themselves unable to clip out. That's the worst case scenario.

It's ridiculously cheap even compared to buying from Aliexpress or eBay. But I think it's just the one cleat, no bolts, etc. A bizarre set of compromises to get down to the £1 mark.

I can't imagine that a too pliant cleat would be stiff enough to be unreleasable, but granting this possibilty.
The worst case then is not too bad. I have had that happen when I was careless enough to let my cleat fixing bolts loosen. I was also clumsy enough to fall towards the side which did not release. No bruises except to the ego.
One could check out release before starting.
Selling them singly seems perhaps the decision of a non-cyclist who did not understand the purpose.
I would not have thought it difficult to get the price of a bit of plastic down, when a single machine in China could turn out thousands a day.