After a mere 12 years and probably upwards of 20,000 km my Shimano M545s has developed a wobble between the cage and the inner cleaty bit.

Can they be services or should I swap them for another set that will see me through to 2028?

See fig 1.

Fig 1.

Now I might be mistaken but I’m sure these have the plastic collar, that’s why I went for the 649’s, so I could service them. But give them a go.

http://www.shimano.com/media/techdocs/content/cycle/EV/bikecomponents/PD/EV-PD-M545-1752B_v1_m56577569830608617.pdf

This is the spare parts list but how much you can get now I don’t know , any shop with a madison account can check and order parts post free for you to save them making up large orders

Your mother was Scottish and your father was from Yorkshire.

Get with the programme grandad! These are what all the cool kids are using*

* and should easily last you until 2030

I’ve serviced a few for mates before, parts availabilty was often a problem (only left-hand of this one, right hand of that in stock kind of thing), nothing too difficult involved provided parts are available, but probably not viable if you have to pay shop labour rates either.

Binski, the ultra-tight bastard in me is drawn to the price of those. Are you recommending them from the point of your own personal experience or because you know I’m an ultra-tight bastard?

I like a pedal that I can still ride on for a short while if I unclip, usually on the technical* rocky stuff that I have a habit of “dabbing” on.

*technical for me.

Binski, the ultra-tight bastard in me is drawn to the price of those. Are you recommending them from the point of your own personal experience or because you know I’m an ultra-tight bastard?

All the above. I am also reluctant to shell out for bling stuff when other cheaper stuff works equally as well. I’ve had a pair on the P7 since I bought it (5 years ago?). And they were my default when I bought the Trigger. I’d had M545’s before, and was a big fan, for exactly the same reasons as you. These are betterer, for the right reasons. And totally bombproof

I’m pretty sure I have a pair that were taken to bits for some reason but never reassembled. If you want a part because it’s no longer available, let me know what you need and I’ll probably be able to sort it for you.

Thanks Binners, I’ll crowbar open the wallet and check that the credit card hasn’t expired.

Singletrack should do a column called “Tight Bastard Corner” where cheap kit, whether it be good or bad, is reviewed. None of your aspirational or lifestyle bling nonsense, just stuff that people actually take a punt of. Each review should be no longer than two words. Those words being “Rubbish” and “Not Rubbish”.
Eg
Shimano pedals – Not Rubbish
Solar Storm lights – Not Rubbish
Solar storm batteries from China – Rubbish
99p Chinese chargers – Rubbish

I know just the two who should do it.

It looks like the only spare parts now available for those pedals are parts 5 and 6 on the exploded diagram, the cap units including the spring or the spring by itself.