my SPD's are feeling pretty sloppy now, i tried turning the tension up but hasnt really done a lot, so i'm thinking i might need new cleats or pedals as they have quite deep grooves in the top plate.

How do i tell if its cleats or pedals (they're about 3 years old), and if its new pedals whats the current shimano reccomendations… 520's, 540's or are XT worth it?

cheers

Could try taking the cleats off and comparing with some new ones ? Mine are pretty worn, but they're pretty old too.

You're probably best having a search through the forums to check, but the last time I did, a few week weeks ago, 540s or 520s seemed to be popular and Merlin was about the cheapest for 'em (I *assume* they come with cleats, but might be worth checking in case it's OEM stuff)

Cleats are softer than the pedals so they wear & not the pedals. My pedals are about 6 yrs old & I used new cleats with them recently as I got some new spds…..they were really clunky (in a good way) with a nice, positive action. Showed how knackered the old ones must have been! I had to back off the tension adjuster a couple of clicks with the new cleats.

I tried new cleats with old pedals – still pretty sloppy.

I got new pedals and compared with the old ones, you can see the wear and tear on the old ones. They were as tight as… you know…

hmmm just seen that the 520's are only 19.99 at CRC and its 13 quid just for cleats, so i think i'll just go for new pedals!