Caution - Aldi cycle shoes (MTB type)

[Garz]

This may of course just be a coincidence and bad luck but I had a horrible experience on my recent commute that I would like to share to highlight any concerns.

I have only used them on a handful of occasions, a few runs to the supermarket and back or round the block up until last week when I finally got round to commuting to work.

This is 16.5 miles each way, so maybe not the average commute but I shall continue...

The pictures below show what happened on the return home journey. I was thinking the unclipping action at traffic lights was becoming awkward, maybe I was just losing the edge and becoming un-coordinated:

As I approaced a busy crossroads about 1.5 miles from home I realised I could not unclip <panic>. Luckily I managed to creep to a set of railings and lean just in the nick of time. To my horror I realised both cleats/shoe plates had come away so it was nigh on impossible to clip out!

After this event I got home and studied the shoes, one was still attached to the pedal which I would address later this weekend. It seems the construction of the shoe sole is extremely weak and allows when some force is applied to move unlosening the bolts.

I have now ordered a proper pair of shimano branded MTB shoes to hopefully reinstate my faith in the technology. I hope nobody else has had such a similar incident on the cheap shoes, but if you have.. please share!

 

[jayonabike]

I'd be wary of anything bought from Aldi. Buy cheap buy twice.

 

[oldfatfool]

I have done probably 1000 miles in mine no problems.

 

[Christopher]

Oy! Glad you weren't hurt. I have a pair of those whcih I intend to ride fixed. No flowers for my funeral please. (Seriously I will keep a close eye on them...)

 

[cyberknight]

I had those exact shoes, mine lasted over 2 years with at least 7-8000 miles and i only binned them when the sole cracked .
Looks to me like the bolts were loose.

 

[mark c]

Ive done over 1200 miles and no problem with them.

 

[top-tube]

I had a similar problem with my Lidl sourced shoes recently. I bought some Shimano cleat plates as replacements for the radged ones supplied with the shoees, and they have performed just fine since.

 

[black'n'yellow]

I have done probably 1000 miles in mine no problems.

the distance ridden in them is irrelevant - the issue seems to be with how many unclips they can sustain before failure...

 

[HLaB]

I done thousands of miles no problem in my last Lidl pair and quite a few in my current pair no problem either. The only time I've seen a problem like that was a shimano shoe I think.

 

[Norm]

the distance ridden in them is irrelevant - the issue seems to be with how many unclips they can sustain before failure...

Having had a similar incident with my Shimano shoes, I'd say the issue is making sure that your bolts are done up tightly before setting off, as CyberKnight suggests.

 

[Garz]

I had those exact shoes, mine lasted over 2 years with at least 7-8000 miles and i only binned them when the sole cracked .
Looks to me like the bolts were loose.

I have a pair of northwave winter boots that are SPD, and three SPD-SL road shoes all have not had issues regarding tightness in the past three years using clipless systems. If it occurred on one shoe I may have been swayed to believe that, however as this happened on both shoes Im not convinced.

 

[wisdom]

You could try taking them back just in case it was a faulty pair.Had someone possibly had them and taken them back.Its worth a try(with a letter of explanation)

 

[Garz]

Just done a quick search and bikeradar thread noticed: http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=15613785

The shoes have been withdrawn by Aldi "due to quality issues". So they told me at the Selsdon, Surrey branch anyway. The jackets looked good though.

Another bad experience from this user: http://treadly.net/2009/11/08/cheap-shoes-bad-shoes/

If anything I hope it raises awareness as I wouldn't want someone else to experience that or get hurt. I have learnt from this and will double check the tightness to rule out it being user error in future (not that I think I loosened them or left them loose in the first place). Will see if the reasonably priced Shimano I have ordered will fare the same...

 

[cyberknight]

the distance ridden in them is irrelevant - the issue seems to be with how many unclips they can sustain before failure...

Given that the OP had ridden a few miles ,O:FF had done over a thousand and i had done many thousands would show that they can sustain many unclips so i find your post a bit confusing unless of course you are suggesting we have left the shoes attatched to the bike and track stand at junctions?

Just done a quick search and bikeradar thread noticed: http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=15613785



Another bad experience from this user: http://treadly.net/2009/11/08/cheap-shoes-bad-shoes/

If anything I hope it raises awareness as I wouldn't want someone else to experience that or get hurt. I have learnt from this and will double check the tightness to rule out it being user error in future (not that I think I loosened them or left them loose in the first place). Will see if the reasonably priced Shimano I have ordered will fare the same...

So we have 3 against and 2 for so far, i would say hardly compelling evidence.
Looking at your piccies i would say they were not tightened up enough to start with but in your defence if you used the original bolts provided with the shoes rather than ones with the cleats they have a small hex head so it could have lead to your issues.
Espcially as i can see no marks where the cleats have dug into the sole plate as mine do on the various spd shoes i have used including a good spec lake pair.

 

[Berties]

I buy from my lbs they adjust as required as well as fit,it's a too risky thing to buy cheap on this occasion