First clipless pedal experience

CrookedCucumber

Well, after reading you lot enthusing about them for the last month, I thought I might as well give clipless a chance. After all, my credit card wasn't quite up to the limit this month So I invested in a set of bottom-of-the-range SPD pedals+Specialized shoes. They are mountain biking models, in fact, but I really do need to be able to walk in whatever footwear I cycle in. And if I don't get on with them, I can always flog them on eBay

Given that I've been using toe-straps for thirty years, I was pleasantly surprised by how easy the clipless pedals are to use. One thing I did notice, and was a bit taken aback by, was how easily the cleats engage when you don't want them to. I unclipped coming up to a junction, and rested my unclipped foot lightly on top of the pedal, and... well I imagine you can guess what happened: I went to put my foot down, and found it had re-engaged. Oh well, can't win 'em all.

Anyway... getting to the point: I installed the cleats so that they appear to lie straight along the axis of the shoe. Both feet the same. But I noticed that one of my knees tends to knock the top tube if I don't make an effort to keep it out of the way. At the end of a relatively short ride that knee was a bit painful. I have a feeling that when I use top clips, I automatically point my feet just slightly outwards, and that avoids this problem.

So I'm wondering if I should just adjust my cleats so my feet point outwards a bit, or whether there is some other solution, or whether I need to train myself in some way to pedal differently.

Comments welcome

redddraggon

Play with the cleat position until you find you are comfortable. There's no way you have to have them - give it a play.

dennisn

For me, adjusting the new cleats was pretty much like adjusting the old style cleats
with the toe straps. You really can't have your toes pointing outward too far or your ankles will start hittting the crankarms and toeing too far in is just plain uncomfortable.

Dennis Noward

daniel_b

CC, I set mine up straight as well, but it didn't feel right, as in my feet were at the extreme edge of the float.

If you have another bike with normal pedals, go for a ride, without thinking about what feels right, and then at some point look down and see what orientation your feet are at.

Mine were both pointing outwards, not massively, but a bit.

I adjusted my cleats accordingly, and now my feet sit in the middle of the float, and I don;t feel like I am having to hold my foot at the angle, it sits there naturally.

Dan

CrookedCucumber

Thanks folks. I figured it was just a tweaking thing, but I wanted to make sure I hadn't done something daft, like bolting the cleats in upside down or something

Kafka\'s Doll

One thing that peeves me about clips is the toe overlap -- it's actually pretty dangerous if you forget about it too. Okay, so I'd have toe overlap anyway. But without clips it's easy to move your foot backwards a little as you take a corner or trackstand.

CrookedCucumber

Kafka\'s Doll wrote:

One thing that peeves me about clips is the toe overlap -- it's actually pretty dangerous if you forget about it too. Okay, so I'd have toe overlap anyway. But without clips it's easy to move your foot backwards a little as you take a corner or trackstand.

Yes. I've set my cleats as far forward as they will go, because I thought this sort of thing might be a problem. I'm not sure if that's a general practice or not.

CrookedCucumber

Well... hmmm...

I adjusted the cleats so that they were pointing inwards as far as the tweakers would allow, and as far to the inside as possible -- allowing my feet to point outwards slightly.

It's an improvement, but my knees still brush the top-tube unless I either twist my feet or push my knees out.

I am slightly knock-kneed, I think -- when I stand with my knees touching, my feet are an inch or so apart. So I may have to accept that my knees are going to brush the top tube, rather than trying to push them out.

Anybody else have the same problem?

big manc

I recently changed my pedals from shimano SPD to crank bros smarty pedals i was getting pain in my left knee after a longish ride and no amount of adjustment helped. My new pedals have alot more side to side float as the mechanism is a more simple spring set up. been using them for 2 weeks now and no pains which i put down to my feet being able to find their own natural position.Might be something for you to consider if your current combo still a problem in the future. hope this helps abit.