SiNi balls in the pedals after 1 year and 5000 miles.

[zerodish]

There is no noticeable wear on the balls I would have went through 5 sets of steel balls in the same amount of time because of rust. The outer race is better sealed than the inner race so you could use ceramic on the inside race to save money. I was unable to get every thing in focus at the same time however the axle cone is the most worn.      http://www.flickr.com/photos/63373992@N07/9144861293/

[DaveB]

You would have gone through 5 sets of steel balls in 5000 miles?  Where do you ride, under salt water?  I have Speedplay Frogs with 36,000 miles and the bearings are just now starting to develop some play and they have never been replaced, only greased every few months with an injector.  I have Shimano's cheap M515 SPD pedals on my rain bike and with no maintenance at all they are in fine shape with thousands of miles of abuse.

I suggest you rethink your maintenance procedures or buy higher quality pedals to begin with. 

 

[zerodish]

The steel pins on my aluminum pedals wore all the way down and were getting too slick. So I transferred the SiNi balls to my new pedals. 2 of the balls have failed. By failed I mean they are running rough though I can't actually see the defects.

[staehpj1]

I can't imagine.  I must terribly neglect my pedals.  The decent ones seem to be sealed good enough that they are pretty much zero maintenance for the spindle bearings.  The exposed stuff need to be kept gunk free and lubed to keep clipping in and out smooth.  I wouldn't be surprised if one set of my pedals have 100k miles on the original bearings.  I don't keep track, but I still have a pair of the very original spds that ultimately had the balls need replacement after 20 years of zero maintenance.  I was in the middle of a tour and the shop where I was didn't have the tool to get them apart to replace the balls and repack the bearings.  I bought new pedals and rebuilt the old ones when I got home.   I replaced the balls and repacked them with fresh grease.  They were the very early spd model from 1990 and I still use them on my beater bike.  With that set of bearings and the grease that I put in after that tour.  Those pedals did tons of muddy mountain bike racing, trail riding, general road riding, and touring including a bunch of long (multi week and multi month) tours.

That was for good models of Shimano pedals.  My Look pedals were similar.  Cheap pedals didn't do so well.  Stuff like Wellgos varied.  Some were decent some terrible.

[HikeBikeCook]

I am riding with Shimano Ultegra SPD Road pedals from 1998 and only lube the clip in mechanism and have never done anyone bearing maintenance. Same for all my mountain bike pedals, all various brands of double sided SPD's and a pair of Time Attak.

[staehpj1]

I am riding with Shimano Ultegra SPD Road pedals from 1998 and only lube the clip in mechanism and have never done anyone bearing maintenance. Same for all my mountain bike pedals, all various brands of double sided SPD's and a pair of Time Attak.

Yeah the spindle bearing maintenance on those original spds was the only I have done on any on decent pedals purchased since 1990 and I have been a high mileage rider for many of the years since then.  I consider pedals with 5000 miles on them pretty much still brand new.

The OP did blame rust rather than wear though so I am assuming poor seals were the issue rather than wear.  Still, if my pedals had to have new balls 5 times in 5000 miles they have long since been thrown in the trash.

[wildtoad]

I recommend ditching whatever pedals you have and buying some quality pedals, new or used.  If you like SPDs, it's hard to beat the quality, durability and usability of Shimano pedals. I have A600 road, XTR mtb, ancient 520 mtb, and 2 touring A530 variants in use across different bikes. They've all been perfect and just go and go w/ minimal maintenance.

If you don't care for SPD and just want regular platforms, MKS brand pedals are also fantastic.  Great experience w/ them.

There are just too many very good and affordable pedals out there to be fooling around w/ unreliable brands/models.

[TCS]

If you like SPDs, it's hard to beat the quality, durability and usability of Shimano pedals.

I'll take the PD-M324, thank you!  Flat (grippy!) + SPD (with generous float) sides, consistent hang angle.  Reasonably well sealed, adjustable cup&cone bearings, anti-corrosion materials & finish, good bearing design, rebuildable (easiest with the TL-PD33 tool).

[ray b]

There is no noticeable wear on the balls I would have went through 5 sets of steel balls in the same amount of time because of rust. The outer race is better sealed than the inner race so you could use ceramic on the inside race to save money. I was unable to get every thing in focus at the same time however the axle cone is the most worn.      http://www.flickr.com/photos/63373992@N07/9144861293/

Thanks.

Cool technology.

Nice photos, but I agree, I'd like to know (a) what kind of pedals you're using, (b) where you're using them, and (c) why you don't have sealed bearings.... (OK, I did just overhauled a pair of Campagnolo record pedals after close to 50 years of regular use, including racing, touring, and lately commuting, so I understand the concept of loose bearings, but not the unusual wear.)

Also, any photos of what your pedals did to stainless steel bearings for comparison?

[zerodish]

The new pedals are VP 565 which sells at the MalWart for $22. I got mine at a coop in exchange for some wheel building. The old ones were the same except for the steel pins. Here is what happens if you crack a ball in half. https://flic.kr/p/2kRbhWR By the way I carry a 12mm socket which fits on the end of a 10mm hex wrench to adjust pedals. https://flic.kr/p/bRpunt

[ray b]

The new pedals are VP 565 which sells at the MalWart for $22. I got mine at a coop in exchange for some wheel building. The old ones were the same except for the steel pins. Here is what happens if you crack a ball in half. https://flic.kr/p/2kRbhWR By the way I carry a 12mm socket which fits on the end of a 10mm hex wrench to adjust pedals. https://flic.kr/p/bRpunt

Ahhh..., the co-op - land of stuff that needs a better than average mechanic with SiN balls.

Don,t need to point out that the capst of the SiN bearings is more than the pedals..., but then I always liked things like  V-8s hidden in a rusted VW bugs, so I'm not being critical.