I bought Nashbar-branded pedals and cleats four years ago. The pedals were a good deal for the money ($23). They matched my entry-level road bike perfectly and are still going strong.

I recently ordered a pair of replacement cleats since the old ones were getting worn and the front was broken. I wasn’t expecting them to last more than a few seasons since they are made out of plastic and they get a lot of wear and tear from walking around and clipping/unclipping. I was happy to find out that the replacements are $8 versus the $16 – $30 I would spend for a name brand set.

The replacements work perfectly and they have included a few nice features. The plastic seems more sturdy than the old ones and a tiny bit thicker at the top edge which is where the failure occurred. The biggest and most important difference is that they supplied hex bolts instead of the standard flat head bolts. This makes it much easier to tighten them and to repair them on the road with my minitool. Lastly, you can see in the middle that they have been re-designed to add a 1 degree wedge for better fitting. I’ve never been professionally fitted, but this is a good feature to have and prevents the need for a costly/expensive wedge.