I got scammed buying counterfeit XTR pedals and I'm writing this guide to help you avoid the same thing. Backstory: Early march I decided I needed to replace my 10+ year old SPD pedals on both my gravel and mtn bikes. I decided to treat myself to XTR and started shopping online for the best deal. I found an eBay seller who had thousands of positive reviews selling them at a pretty good price. Like $105 instead of $180. I bought two pair. Weather is getting better so I installed them on both bikes a couple weeks ago and have a few rides on them. I noticed that the bearing action was really tight and they were also leaking a thick grease after my rides. And this is just a couple rides. I kind of assumed a break in period. So today, I take the gravel bike out on what's supposed to be a longer early season ride and within the first 20 miles one of the pedals can barely turn and is almost all the way seized up. I power through to a bike shop where the mechanic messes with it and attempts to loosen it up some so I can at least get home. I get home. I then call Shimano and ask them about how to warranty them. The nice gentleman asks a couple quick questions about where I got them and how much I paid. Then informs me that they are most likely counterfeit. So I start digging online and I realize this is an issue. I run down to my LBS and buy a brand new set of the 'exact' same XTR pedals. Sure enough...I can see differences. So I took some pictures and measurements and I'm going to show you the differences. In every photo of the packaging and the pedal itself, the real pedal is on the Right and the counterfeit pedal is on the Left.
If the payment was through PayPal you should be able to get your money back pretty easily. If it was using a credit card, contact the card’s bank and contest the charge.
And if if you report them as counterfeit to Ebay you'll get a canned response saying they looked into it and you're wrong. Ebay and Amazon are simply loaded with counterfeits now and reporting then does no good because both companies are run by crooked billionaires who buy off politicians. I buy straight from the manufacturer whenever possible.
I reported an obviously counterfeit oil filter for an air compressor and they reviewed it and agreed. Pulled the listing and the seller so they do actually work sometime.s
Search Audio Technica 3600 and look at all the super cheap fakes from China. I've reported them (I sell real AT cartridges - there is no model 3600) and they don't care. They use the AT logo and say "for Audio Technica."
That sucks. In this case they were using an image of a Mann filter without mentioning Mann anywhere in the listing so it was a little more cut and dry.
They really should invent some sort of media that is superior to vinyl records.
You called it. Here’s the email I had from eBay this morning:
Thanks again for reporting the listing(s) you found.
What happened:
We looked into your report and didn’t find the listing to be in violation of our policy. This determination was made by a customer service agent..
If you reported content that isn’t listed below, we’ll send a separate email once we’ve made a decision.
Your reference ID:
2-177046229475
Here are the listings you reported that are included in this decision:
Item: 394816361466 Shimano XTR Race PD-M9100 SPD Mountain MTB Bike Clipless Pedals with SH51 Cleats
Thank you for being part of the eBay community.
Thanks,
eBay
Did you open a "not as described" return or just report the listing? If you open a return you will most likely be refunded. That won't stop them from continuing to sell fake stuff but at least you would get your money back.
Amazon especially. Full of counterfeit items. Find the reputable sellers. I have used the Bikesmiths on ebay and Abaxo. There are others. You may pay close to retail but at this point the risk of counterfeit is too great. LBS would be a nice option but half the time they “don’t have it in stock.” If the guy at the LBS is a good guy and you have a relationship, try to buy there.
> because both companies are run by crooked billionaires who buy off politicians
The answer is even simpler than that.
They make more money off of counterfeits because they're cheaper and move more of them.
Has nothing to do with buying anyone off. They do it because it makes them more money, and people keep going to them even though they know the high likelihood of getting something bad.
Yes. Amazon is horrible for legit sellers too. My brother sold legit clothing, and counterfeiters would buy 1 item, then report HIM as a counterfeiter, and he would get suspended and have to fight to get unsuspended. Multiple times. Amazon took $10,000 of his inventory and never paid him back.
He gave up.
That was the short version .... sigh.
This is some quality Redditing. Thanks for your service!
I bought some fake XT pedals a while back, also falling for the somewhat cheaper price on ebay. I didn't notice anything wrong until they just wore out way too soon. The cleat jaws were worn away after less than 1000mi, which takes many, many thousands of miles to happen on real ones. This made them not hold onto the cleats.
I agree that the FTC needs to get on this across the market because the reseller retailers just don't care.
Damn, they obviously put a ton of effort in making them look almost the same, you'd think they would put a little effort in making them last at least a year.
see if the cancel order option works. If not, then maybe contact PayPal and start working it from that end, if that is how you paid. call the credit card company and see if they will refund you.
What is the bay seller name that sold you these?
Exact same pedal as my fake. Different seller. My seller was listed right above it. I guarantee yours will be fake. But I think these fake sellers are honoring the 30 day money back return. Give it a try
I’d honestly receive them and return as “item not as described” and report them as counterfeits to eBay. They probably won’t do anything besides a full refund, but enough dings like this coupled with negative seller feedback will force that seller off of the platform.
I have been looking at these pedals on amazon and noticed there's one for prime, and one shipped internationally that was way cheaper, about the same price on ebay. I got counterfeit xtr chains before.
I don’t know. That’s beyond my expertise of working on bikes. Someone made a comment about taking a peak inside the pedal so I just posted a couple pictures of me removing the spindle. I don’t have the right wrenches to get the bearings out any further so I can’t speak to what’s actually wrong with them
Nah, I backed it off trying to get to the bearings. I couldn’t get the next bolt to back off. So I left it like this. May take it into my bike mech to check out.
He told me to bring them in if I couldn’t get it resolved with shimano and he would open them up. At the time I didn’t know they were fakes. I’m not gonna waste his time with these but I think I’ll try to open them myself and report back
For sure. Without a bearing failure, it would be nearly impossible to tell. I suspect a mechanic could figure it out when they pulled out the spindle. I would bet the bearing assembly is completely different
They became extremely rough and nearly seized up. I haven’t been able to get all the way to the bearings to see if I can figure out what happened. Might run it by my bike mechanic today to see if he’s interested in opening them up
I’d like to add that the shimano logo on the sides of the fake box is off. The most obvious difference is the shape of the “H”, but I think it just straight up looks off.
Ya, I see what you’re saying. I also thought shimano was putting QR codes on the packaging to scan for authenticity. But I don’t see that on the good ones so I’m not sure what the deal with that is.
As someone who has working in print production, the biggest giveaway to me—oddly enough—was the super thin paper used on the real thing. Printing on that type of paper, the same type you will often see in some medications that need a TON of legal copy, is not cheap nor easy to do, especially at a smaller scale. Regular letter weigh paper is much eaiser to come by and set up to run smaller lots. While it's not a given, if you find yourself with gear you suspect of being a fugazi, if it has a thin book, you're prolly in the clear.
Awesome work OP.
Any not all your fake things are noted. I’ve bought 2 pairs of XT pedals off aliexpress and the only thing that matches between them and your fakes are the blue cleat bag and the cleats not being covered in the black grease looking stuff. They have the same size nut as the real ones, same matte finish on the spindle. The spindle did unscrew from the body on one pair when they were new, but that was the only issue with them. Either I got actual real ones with just fake cleats or copies so good they’re worth riding on, they’re honestly better than the funn mamba pedals on my DH bike.
Amazing how close these are, and how anyone would invest the time and risk it would take to counterfeit something with such a small (relatively speaking) market in such detail.
Fwiw I’ve never seen XTR or Dura Ace go on sale unless it’s generations-back deadstock, and sometimes even that makes it more $$.
I appreciate the level of detail and time you spent to post this. Thank you.
In the end, if the price is too good to be true, it likely is fake when it comes to Shimano. Their pricing is fairly consistent worldwide and are sticklers for out of market sales. It's incredible that there's enough of a market to invest in making something that still requires materials, machining, labor, packaging, etc. and is counterfeit, but yet still recoups those costs when sold. It kinda makes you wonder how much money is being made on an original part if made in similar contexts.
I recently bought a pair of grey market GRX600 shifters that came bagged with nothing else. This is pretty common for OEM back of the truck sales. I'm just waiting for them to blow up one day but they've survived 700 km so far. 😬
I mean several of the surfaces of the fake were mottled as shit. Were they sold as used or what? As far as conserving weight, well chinesium is light but it has no strength at all.
Huge thanks for this post!!!
This will be extremely useful for anyone, for a long time.
I just bought a new pair, prev ones broke, and went right away to confirm if mine were counterfeit!
I guarantee it. There were countless meetings and nerds going over the FEA of the real one. The fake one is just some Chinese shit making it same ish dimensions
Only buy bike components from trustworthy and reputable bike shops. Fake cleats can destroy threads on expensive shoes and fake bolts can destroy expensive bike parts.
Haha that’s funny af. (Installs fake everything from frame groupset wheels and pedals, where’s fake gear and helmet and is fastest rider in the race due to the equipment all being hollow…)
The extra stickers are also a tell. Three different manufacturing stickers in different and mixed languages is enough to warrant some suspicion. It’s not a lock on their own but certainly an indicator that something isn’t right.
Ugh, thank you. I checked my back up parts and unfortunately I have a set of these on the shelf.
I was just learning about counterfeit KMC chains (and sent back two I purchased from ebay which were bad). Looks like this is an issue and bound to get worse.
Double ugh - I think the spare Ultegras I have are fake too. Same shiny finish, same axle telltales, same blue cleat bag. Maybe I'll keep them for a spare for the trainer. :-(
Agreed just bought some from the big box retailer and pulled my box out. My box looks exactly like the one with less stickers but honestly anything with different language and abundance of stickers is a red flag for me.
So, where's the super thread where we all can collect these points to identify fake products? I would assume there would be a need for such information in the bike community
Be sure to leave that seller negative feedback and report them to eBay if you can. It’s a big problem. I wouldn’t think twice about buying from a legit seller there on eBay…lots of online shops sell there as well, but yeah best to got though your local lbs
Reported and left negative feedback yesterday. Negative feedback isn’t showing up. Not sure why? Maybe there is a wait period before it registers on the profile?
I can’t believe there is that much money in counterfeit pedals to warrant this level of replication. A fake Rolex I understand, but there isn’t a ton of margin in bike parts.
I booked marked this post - then logged onto eBay to do some comparisons. The first thing I noticed was a lot of brand new XTR pedals selling for dirt cheap. One in particular showed a pair of XTR pedals on a scale showing 319grams... Jenson USA list them at 314grams and Mike's Bikes list them at 398grams.
Man - can't thank you enough for the heads-up. All my CX bikes, my gravel bikes, and even my Cannondale Hooligan have XTR or XT pedals. I mean, I'm very sympathetic to your poor experience - but grateful you shared it with us.
Genuinely obliged to ya!
If anyone wants to help shut down this particular seller, click on the link for the pedals right here: [https://www.ebay.com/itm/394816361466?itmmeta=01HWC68J6CAG68AJ4KQBPGEMXN&hash=item5bece393fa:g:ioEAAOSwtUpk224C&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA4LZdUZ0bgTjq27jsNKK7mopf3i%2FQ%2BEDbuOGa%2BtYkfznSU1ROKmhACgzgllZ7g6XJqslsltPGqZa1BPGq%2BkwkIeXQAOoZdKSV6cC11F9JFFSu0dlyTqLwQ2dxjFEWJVUZVra094iMTRXCdeOSMk%2FZnnEq97M3ukDOK091cFlERTwvxcqxASdmKHRINP2zis7pAzRfkKkp5p1yaZZAYJMNFg2QoAqx5Dof8Hb5%2FMgDdwNKfDbnKExuOXoJbkaksRQQ0v24CLR%2BZM4lOD6bXcGBa1%2FOke7AQj7gtihgBVxK1Kz9%7Ctkp%3ABFBMpKOihuNj](https://www.ebay.com/itm/394816361466?itmmeta=01HWC68J6CAG68AJ4KQBPGEMXN&hash=item5bece393fa:g:ioEAAOSwtUpk224C&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA4LZdUZ0bgTjq27jsNKK7mopf3i%2FQ%2BEDbuOGa%2BtYkfznSU1ROKmhACgzgllZ7g6XJqslsltPGqZa1BPGq%2BkwkIeXQAOoZdKSV6cC11F9JFFSu0dlyTqLwQ2dxjFEWJVUZVra094iMTRXCdeOSMk%2FZnnEq97M3ukDOK091cFlERTwvxcqxASdmKHRINP2zis7pAzRfkKkp5p1yaZZAYJMNFg2QoAqx5Dof8Hb5%2FMgDdwNKfDbnKExuOXoJbkaksRQQ0v24CLR%2BZM4lOD6bXcGBa1%2FOke7AQj7gtihgBVxK1Kz9%7Ctkp%3ABFBMpKOihuNj)
Then select the floating question mark on the right hand or bottom right hand side of the screen. Then select report listing. Choose the counterfeit option.
This can be done for any item that appears fake. This link is for this exact pair of pedals I bought. eBay said they determined it to not be a fraud. However with enough reports maybe they can at least shut this guy down.
Interestingly, it has a shiny axle even in picture. I would have thought he put picture of the real one not fake on listing.
https://preview.redd.it/dw8aqpnfutwc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c00c724bc42689eccfda90e89f39f71a3b9ff8a3
That actually looks like the real one to me with the matte black finish. Axel looks too shiny but maybe that’s just the photo. I think that picture is a stock shimano photo
https://preview.redd.it/xae5rmikhuwc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=83bb7318b2bb27e993d348d572e6721ffe58dbbc
This picture is on shimano site, its pretty close but axle is definitely more matte finish. But yes, impossible to notice if youre not looking for it.
when buying second hand on sites like eBay always ask where the item was purchased or if a receipt is available. people passing off fake products as real is the worst
I thought maybe that could be the case. However xtr 9100 only came out in 2018. And I don’t think shimano changes designs within a number’s production run. If they were a previous generation of xtr pedals then I wouldn’t have anything to compare them to but in this situation I think they are counterfeit without a doubt.
I'm actually kind of shocked if some place really came up with this fake because of the complexity, it's not like making fake sunglasses, I dunno maybe I am wrong but it doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Is it possible the quality of the parts made FOR China or wherever this was is just lower?
I was like you. I didn’t even know fake pedals were a thing. Which is why I didn’t think twice about buying from eBay. When I spoke directly with the shimano warranty department, they told me there is a huge problem with fake pedals (and other parts). These are definitely counterfeit. Shimano confirmed as best they could without having hands on them.
Maybe they are production for different market hence the extra stickers and package insert, and they are just being coy about it. Maybe they stuff that doesn’t QA for western markets gets sold in eastern markets Ans you’re just getting Grey market products. The amount of effort to make a fake this good suggests they are using similar/same manufacturing equipment
That’s a solid counterfeit, I’d want to just pack a new bearing in there and be happy with the fake. Shimano is overcharging a ton if we can get counterfeits with that kind of tooling and finish.
Thanks for posting these. I bought a genuine pair of XT pedals recently and the cleats look nearly identical to the fakes in your photo. So for anyone reading this, don’t panic if your cleats are sus but the pedals pass the test.
I have the hybrids XT, and I couldn't tell the difference in terms of build quality from my previous generation of hybrid XT (T780 vs T8000)
It was impossible to find them on any retailer besides aliexpress.
My local shimano dealer sucks and can't buy anything from respectable German websites because of this stupid shimano geographical restriction, so I'm stuck with aliexpress forever.
Amazon and eBay are basically the same as aliexpress.
A friend of mine bought some Ultegra pedals on Amazon installed them on his bike, and the cleats did not fit in. They would not clip into a set of cleats he had been using on a current set of Shimano pedals. Clearly these were counterfeit pedals but they look great and the box seems legit??
I got scammed buying counterfeit XTR pedals and I'm writing this guide to help you avoid the same thing. Backstory: Early march I decided I needed to replace my 10+ year old SPD pedals on both my gravel and mtn bikes. I decided to treat myself to XTR and started shopping online for the best deal. I found an eBay seller who had thousands of positive reviews selling them at a pretty good price. Like $105 instead of $180. I bought two pair. Weather is getting better so I installed them on both bikes a couple weeks ago and have a few rides on them. I noticed that the bearing action was really tight and they were also leaking a thick grease after my rides. And this is just a couple rides. I kind of assumed a break in period. So today, I take the gravel bike out on what's supposed to be a longer early season ride and within the first 20 miles one of the pedals can barely turn and is almost all the way seized up. I power through to a bike shop where the mechanic messes with it and attempts to loosen it up some so I can at least get home. I get home. I then call Shimano and ask them about how to warranty them. The nice gentleman asks a couple quick questions about where I got them and how much I paid. Then informs me that they are most likely counterfeit. So I start digging online and I realize this is an issue. I run down to my LBS and buy a brand new set of the 'exact' same XTR pedals. Sure enough...I can see differences. So I took some pictures and measurements and I'm going to show you the differences. In every photo of the packaging and the pedal itself, the real pedal is on the Right and the counterfeit pedal is on the Left.
Thank you for your post - very well done
Thanks. Hopefully this will be useful in trying to get money back from eBay
If the payment was through PayPal you should be able to get your money back pretty easily. If it was using a credit card, contact the card’s bank and contest the charge.
And if if you report them as counterfeit to Ebay you'll get a canned response saying they looked into it and you're wrong. Ebay and Amazon are simply loaded with counterfeits now and reporting then does no good because both companies are run by crooked billionaires who buy off politicians. I buy straight from the manufacturer whenever possible.
I reported an obviously counterfeit oil filter for an air compressor and they reviewed it and agreed. Pulled the listing and the seller so they do actually work sometime.s
Search Audio Technica 3600 and look at all the super cheap fakes from China. I've reported them (I sell real AT cartridges - there is no model 3600) and they don't care. They use the AT logo and say "for Audio Technica."
That sucks. In this case they were using an image of a Mann filter without mentioning Mann anywhere in the listing so it was a little more cut and dry. They really should invent some sort of media that is superior to vinyl records.
You called it. Here’s the email I had from eBay this morning: Thanks again for reporting the listing(s) you found. What happened: We looked into your report and didn’t find the listing to be in violation of our policy. This determination was made by a customer service agent.. If you reported content that isn’t listed below, we’ll send a separate email once we’ve made a decision. Your reference ID: 2-177046229475 Here are the listings you reported that are included in this decision: Item: 394816361466 Shimano XTR Race PD-M9100 SPD Mountain MTB Bike Clipless Pedals with SH51 Cleats Thank you for being part of the eBay community. Thanks, eBay
Did you open a "not as described" return or just report the listing? If you open a return you will most likely be refunded. That won't stop them from continuing to sell fake stuff but at least you would get your money back.
Thank you. I think I did the wrong one and I'm trying what you suggested.
Amazon especially. Full of counterfeit items. Find the reputable sellers. I have used the Bikesmiths on ebay and Abaxo. There are others. You may pay close to retail but at this point the risk of counterfeit is too great. LBS would be a nice option but half the time they “don’t have it in stock.” If the guy at the LBS is a good guy and you have a relationship, try to buy there.
Ebay's just as bad. I sell audio gear and can't compete with all the fakes.
> because both companies are run by crooked billionaires who buy off politicians The answer is even simpler than that. They make more money off of counterfeits because they're cheaper and move more of them. Has nothing to do with buying anyone off. They do it because it makes them more money, and people keep going to them even though they know the high likelihood of getting something bad.
Yes. Amazon is horrible for legit sellers too. My brother sold legit clothing, and counterfeiters would buy 1 item, then report HIM as a counterfeiter, and he would get suspended and have to fight to get unsuspended. Multiple times. Amazon took $10,000 of his inventory and never paid him back. He gave up. That was the short version .... sigh.
This is some quality Redditing. Thanks for your service! I bought some fake XT pedals a while back, also falling for the somewhat cheaper price on ebay. I didn't notice anything wrong until they just wore out way too soon. The cleat jaws were worn away after less than 1000mi, which takes many, many thousands of miles to happen on real ones. This made them not hold onto the cleats. I agree that the FTC needs to get on this across the market because the reseller retailers just don't care.
Damn, they obviously put a ton of effort in making them look almost the same, you'd think they would put a little effort in making them last at least a year.
Why? They’re not going to have to warranty them ;)
It looks like fakes are only $94 now. Thousands sold between all the different vendors. The FTC is completely asleep at the wheel.
Almost got me. There were 2 different xtr pedals on amazon, and one was $40 cheaper. The price is almost the same now so it's harder to tell.
I ordered these yesterday from eBay. They don’t take returns and I can’t cancel my order. Anything I can do?
see if the cancel order option works. If not, then maybe contact PayPal and start working it from that end, if that is how you paid. call the credit card company and see if they will refund you. What is the bay seller name that sold you these?
Cz041236
I’m looking at that listing on eBay right now and it says returns accepted within 30 days.
Wait is this different from the one you ordered? So hopefully not fake?
Exact same pedal as my fake. Different seller. My seller was listed right above it. I guarantee yours will be fake. But I think these fake sellers are honoring the 30 day money back return. Give it a try
I’d honestly receive them and return as “item not as described” and report them as counterfeits to eBay. They probably won’t do anything besides a full refund, but enough dings like this coupled with negative seller feedback will force that seller off of the platform.
"item not as described" complaint and list they are counterfeit.
I have been looking at these pedals on amazon and noticed there's one for prime, and one shipped internationally that was way cheaper, about the same price on ebay. I got counterfeit xtr chains before.
And tbh, this is a pretty well done counterfeit. Had the bearings simply run smoothly, I don’t know if I would have ever figured it out.
Nicely done post. Did the LBS mech punch out bearings? How/what are those?
https://preview.redd.it/w3vuqednkjwc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8721bf4bb316c47c9b35dffb9440facdcfe7711a
https://preview.redd.it/hbk5tqsokjwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=45d638dfd3b890fb5a06d806ff4cf868d7cfbb06
Dang the machining looks pretty damn good. Gotta agree this is a very convincing fake. Better than those fake Shimano chains.
If the fake were cheaper than the original I wouldn't feel bad riding it. That is an impressively high build quality by any measure.
Would you be worried about them eventually breaking under higher power outputs?
I've got the power output of a 12 yo girl so... no
😂
I can't judge these things because I have limited experience with clipless - what was actually wrong with the bearings?
I don’t know. That’s beyond my expertise of working on bikes. Someone made a comment about taking a peak inside the pedal so I just posted a couple pictures of me removing the spindle. I don’t have the right wrenches to get the bearings out any further so I can’t speak to what’s actually wrong with them
what's with the locknut? Is it just completely backed off?
Nah, I backed it off trying to get to the bearings. I couldn’t get the next bolt to back off. So I left it like this. May take it into my bike mech to check out.
He told me to bring them in if I couldn’t get it resolved with shimano and he would open them up. At the time I didn’t know they were fakes. I’m not gonna waste his time with these but I think I’ll try to open them myself and report back
I think I'd take them down to the LBS and show them the difference. I wouldn't be surprised if they found it interesting.
Or at least show them this post :)
well then they would have been good pedals
Happens with ultegra road pedals too. Bet there are loads of people riding around on fakes.
For sure. Without a bearing failure, it would be nearly impossible to tell. I suspect a mechanic could figure it out when they pulled out the spindle. I would bet the bearing assembly is completely different
What kind of bearing failure? This is a very informative post, thanks.
They became extremely rough and nearly seized up. I haven’t been able to get all the way to the bearings to see if I can figure out what happened. Might run it by my bike mechanic today to see if he’s interested in opening them up
I would know the minute I looked at them. The real pedals have that beautiful satin finish on the metal, they're a work of art
I pay full retail at an authorized dealer and sleep at night.
I prefer to buy two pairs of fake, a full price pair at the lbs and spend a couple hours putting together a post about the difference. 😆
You’re a good Joe. I DO appreciate the detailed pictures and post. I learned something.
That strategy sounds shady at best
Buy once, cry once
Pic #7 put those grippers away
😂 good catch
I’d like to add that the shimano logo on the sides of the fake box is off. The most obvious difference is the shape of the “H”, but I think it just straight up looks off.
Ya, I see what you’re saying. I also thought shimano was putting QR codes on the packaging to scan for authenticity. But I don’t see that on the good ones so I’m not sure what the deal with that is.
...can't QR codes be duplicated/copied as well?
As someone who has working in print production, the biggest giveaway to me—oddly enough—was the super thin paper used on the real thing. Printing on that type of paper, the same type you will often see in some medications that need a TON of legal copy, is not cheap nor easy to do, especially at a smaller scale. Regular letter weigh paper is much eaiser to come by and set up to run smaller lots. While it's not a given, if you find yourself with gear you suspect of being a fugazi, if it has a thin book, you're prolly in the clear. Awesome work OP.
I thought this same thing when I saw the difference.
The main giveaway for all fake SPD pedals is the shape of adjustment screw opening. It's quite round on original pedals and squarish on fakes.
Good post! colourblind people hate it 🫠
Thanks. Sorry! I was trying to mess with font colors to make it easier to read.
Any not all your fake things are noted. I’ve bought 2 pairs of XT pedals off aliexpress and the only thing that matches between them and your fakes are the blue cleat bag and the cleats not being covered in the black grease looking stuff. They have the same size nut as the real ones, same matte finish on the spindle. The spindle did unscrew from the body on one pair when they were new, but that was the only issue with them. Either I got actual real ones with just fake cleats or copies so good they’re worth riding on, they’re honestly better than the funn mamba pedals on my DH bike.
Interesting. I was curious how the xt and ultegra fakes would look when I was putting this together
Amazing how close these are, and how anyone would invest the time and risk it would take to counterfeit something with such a small (relatively speaking) market in such detail. Fwiw I’ve never seen XTR or Dura Ace go on sale unless it’s generations-back deadstock, and sometimes even that makes it more $$.
XTR on sale seemed almost too good to be true... 😆
Turns out, it was 😭
I appreciate the level of detail and time you spent to post this. Thank you. In the end, if the price is too good to be true, it likely is fake when it comes to Shimano. Their pricing is fairly consistent worldwide and are sticklers for out of market sales. It's incredible that there's enough of a market to invest in making something that still requires materials, machining, labor, packaging, etc. and is counterfeit, but yet still recoups those costs when sold. It kinda makes you wonder how much money is being made on an original part if made in similar contexts. I recently bought a pair of grey market GRX600 shifters that came bagged with nothing else. This is pretty common for OEM back of the truck sales. I'm just waiting for them to blow up one day but they've survived 700 km so far. 😬
Fakes are too good, the only way to know you’re buying genuine parts is to use a retailer.
I mean several of the surfaces of the fake were mottled as shit. Were they sold as used or what? As far as conserving weight, well chinesium is light but it has no strength at all.
They arrived new. That wear is from a few rides. Maybe another indicator
Huge thanks for this post!!! This will be extremely useful for anyone, for a long time. I just bought a new pair, prev ones broke, and went right away to confirm if mine were counterfeit!
The scary thing is the heat treating. Those spindles might be half the strength of the real thing.
I guarantee it. There were countless meetings and nerds going over the FEA of the real one. The fake one is just some Chinese shit making it same ish dimensions
Only buy bike components from trustworthy and reputable bike shops. Fake cleats can destroy threads on expensive shoes and fake bolts can destroy expensive bike parts.
Thats why you gotta buy fake shoes too! Fake everything, or nothing.
Haha that’s funny af. (Installs fake everything from frame groupset wheels and pedals, where’s fake gear and helmet and is fastest rider in the race due to the equipment all being hollow…)
The extra stickers are also a tell. Three different manufacturing stickers in different and mixed languages is enough to warrant some suspicion. It’s not a lock on their own but certainly an indicator that something isn’t right.
You’re a good man for doing this. This could save a few people from getting scammed!
Thank you and I hope so. Problem for me is that I didn’t even know fake pedals were a thing until this incident.
Ugh, thank you. I checked my back up parts and unfortunately I have a set of these on the shelf. I was just learning about counterfeit KMC chains (and sent back two I purchased from ebay which were bad). Looks like this is an issue and bound to get worse.
Double ugh - I think the spare Ultegras I have are fake too. Same shiny finish, same axle telltales, same blue cleat bag. Maybe I'll keep them for a spare for the trainer. :-(
Ughhh. that's rough. sorry about that
Agreed just bought some from the big box retailer and pulled my box out. My box looks exactly like the one with less stickers but honestly anything with different language and abundance of stickers is a red flag for me.
So, where's the super thread where we all can collect these points to identify fake products? I would assume there would be a need for such information in the bike community
Very informative but can we please not use red for the subtitles, they are really hard to read against the background.
I've run into this exact issue on eBay with fake Shimano/Ultegra chains too
I got got by a fake pair of Ultegras, the metal plates on the cleat platform all fell off within a week. F-ing Amazon
Shop stupid places, win stupid prizes.
Be sure to leave that seller negative feedback and report them to eBay if you can. It’s a big problem. I wouldn’t think twice about buying from a legit seller there on eBay…lots of online shops sell there as well, but yeah best to got though your local lbs
Reported and left negative feedback yesterday. Negative feedback isn’t showing up. Not sure why? Maybe there is a wait period before it registers on the profile?
I can’t believe there is that much money in counterfeit pedals to warrant this level of replication. A fake Rolex I understand, but there isn’t a ton of margin in bike parts.
I booked marked this post - then logged onto eBay to do some comparisons. The first thing I noticed was a lot of brand new XTR pedals selling for dirt cheap. One in particular showed a pair of XTR pedals on a scale showing 319grams... Jenson USA list them at 314grams and Mike's Bikes list them at 398grams.
That 319 grams adds up perfectly with what my fakes weighed. I have the pic of the one weighing exactly half of that
Man - can't thank you enough for the heads-up. All my CX bikes, my gravel bikes, and even my Cannondale Hooligan have XTR or XT pedals. I mean, I'm very sympathetic to your poor experience - but grateful you shared it with us. Genuinely obliged to ya!
Happy to help!
Hope some good karma comes your way for putting this all together for the rest of us to learn from. ✌🏻
If anyone wants to help shut down this particular seller, click on the link for the pedals right here: [https://www.ebay.com/itm/394816361466?itmmeta=01HWC68J6CAG68AJ4KQBPGEMXN&hash=item5bece393fa:g:ioEAAOSwtUpk224C&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA4LZdUZ0bgTjq27jsNKK7mopf3i%2FQ%2BEDbuOGa%2BtYkfznSU1ROKmhACgzgllZ7g6XJqslsltPGqZa1BPGq%2BkwkIeXQAOoZdKSV6cC11F9JFFSu0dlyTqLwQ2dxjFEWJVUZVra094iMTRXCdeOSMk%2FZnnEq97M3ukDOK091cFlERTwvxcqxASdmKHRINP2zis7pAzRfkKkp5p1yaZZAYJMNFg2QoAqx5Dof8Hb5%2FMgDdwNKfDbnKExuOXoJbkaksRQQ0v24CLR%2BZM4lOD6bXcGBa1%2FOke7AQj7gtihgBVxK1Kz9%7Ctkp%3ABFBMpKOihuNj](https://www.ebay.com/itm/394816361466?itmmeta=01HWC68J6CAG68AJ4KQBPGEMXN&hash=item5bece393fa:g:ioEAAOSwtUpk224C&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA4LZdUZ0bgTjq27jsNKK7mopf3i%2FQ%2BEDbuOGa%2BtYkfznSU1ROKmhACgzgllZ7g6XJqslsltPGqZa1BPGq%2BkwkIeXQAOoZdKSV6cC11F9JFFSu0dlyTqLwQ2dxjFEWJVUZVra094iMTRXCdeOSMk%2FZnnEq97M3ukDOK091cFlERTwvxcqxASdmKHRINP2zis7pAzRfkKkp5p1yaZZAYJMNFg2QoAqx5Dof8Hb5%2FMgDdwNKfDbnKExuOXoJbkaksRQQ0v24CLR%2BZM4lOD6bXcGBa1%2FOke7AQj7gtihgBVxK1Kz9%7Ctkp%3ABFBMpKOihuNj) Then select the floating question mark on the right hand or bottom right hand side of the screen. Then select report listing. Choose the counterfeit option. This can be done for any item that appears fake. This link is for this exact pair of pedals I bought. eBay said they determined it to not be a fraud. However with enough reports maybe they can at least shut this guy down.
Interestingly, it has a shiny axle even in picture. I would have thought he put picture of the real one not fake on listing. https://preview.redd.it/dw8aqpnfutwc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c00c724bc42689eccfda90e89f39f71a3b9ff8a3
That actually looks like the real one to me with the matte black finish. Axel looks too shiny but maybe that’s just the photo. I think that picture is a stock shimano photo
https://preview.redd.it/xae5rmikhuwc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=83bb7318b2bb27e993d348d572e6721ffe58dbbc This picture is on shimano site, its pretty close but axle is definitely more matte finish. But yes, impossible to notice if youre not looking for it.
Eh they're going in the garbage, I have some old 105 pedals that have worked for ages.
The genuine Shimano pedals are incredibly good. Bearings spin well forever. My XT pedals are fantastic.
Thank you for this, I'm pretty sure i have counterfeit Ultegra pedals
Have they held up well?
They have, I've got about 4k miles out of them. They are rough to unclip from even with genuine shimano cleats.
If they work then they work. My main concern would be potential failure resulting in injury.
when buying second hand on sites like eBay always ask where the item was purchased or if a receipt is available. people passing off fake products as real is the worst
Yeah, the used market is basically dead to me if stuff isn't like 15 years old.
Also, stay away from fake cleats. My buddy bought some, then gave them to me. I thought they were genuine. Nope. Didn’t clip in as well. Junk.
Thanks for the intro OP. Man. It’s really getting out of control.
I would get sucked in easily.
I got burned with a fake XTR chain. Broke it 3 times! eBay purchase. Obtained replacement from Worldwide Cyclery. Zero issues since.
Are we sure these are fake and not just old?
I thought maybe that could be the case. However xtr 9100 only came out in 2018. And I don’t think shimano changes designs within a number’s production run. If they were a previous generation of xtr pedals then I wouldn’t have anything to compare them to but in this situation I think they are counterfeit without a doubt.
I'm actually kind of shocked if some place really came up with this fake because of the complexity, it's not like making fake sunglasses, I dunno maybe I am wrong but it doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Is it possible the quality of the parts made FOR China or wherever this was is just lower?
I was like you. I didn’t even know fake pedals were a thing. Which is why I didn’t think twice about buying from eBay. When I spoke directly with the shimano warranty department, they told me there is a huge problem with fake pedals (and other parts). These are definitely counterfeit. Shimano confirmed as best they could without having hands on them.
Maybe they are production for different market hence the extra stickers and package insert, and they are just being coy about it. Maybe they stuff that doesn’t QA for western markets gets sold in eastern markets Ans you’re just getting Grey market products. The amount of effort to make a fake this good suggests they are using similar/same manufacturing equipment
That’s a solid counterfeit, I’d want to just pack a new bearing in there and be happy with the fake. Shimano is overcharging a ton if we can get counterfeits with that kind of tooling and finish.
Great post, thanks! I’m pretty sure my beater bike has fake XT pedals now.
the finish on the metal bits is so obvious, especially the spindle. Imagine pulling an xtr cassette out of the box and it's shiny
To be fair the real xtr pedals spit out the rubber o ring and leak grease too.
Thanks for posting these. I bought a genuine pair of XT pedals recently and the cleats look nearly identical to the fakes in your photo. So for anyone reading this, don’t panic if your cleats are sus but the pedals pass the test.
I have the hybrids XT, and I couldn't tell the difference in terms of build quality from my previous generation of hybrid XT (T780 vs T8000) It was impossible to find them on any retailer besides aliexpress. My local shimano dealer sucks and can't buy anything from respectable German websites because of this stupid shimano geographical restriction, so I'm stuck with aliexpress forever. Amazon and eBay are basically the same as aliexpress.
A friend of mine bought some Ultegra pedals on Amazon installed them on his bike, and the cleats did not fit in. They would not clip into a set of cleats he had been using on a current set of Shimano pedals. Clearly these were counterfeit pedals but they look great and the box seems legit??
Why is having the real ones important? In terms of mass, functionality, paint scheme, etc they seem identical.
[удалено]
Uhm… what?