cleats + shoes another question

johpat

Hi

I usually MTB with flat pedals but I am planning to buy a road bike for work. I have ridden a friends road bike with SD shoes and found I got pins and needles and cramps in my legs. Is this just because the shoes lock your feet and there's no flexibilty or play to allow my feet to float? And can you have cleated shoes that will allow feet to move?

Thanks in advance
John

ris

i use the shimano pd system and it has a bit of horizontal float, which you can adjust to a certain degree by tightening the cleat grip in the pedal (although it could make it harder to get the feet out again!)

if you have borrowed somone elses shoes then it might be that the cleats aren't in the right place for your feet (they can be moved around and set at the angle you need to get a comfortable ride). it does take a bit of time to get the setup right, i was riding with my feet pointing a bit inwards for a few days and it was painful on my ankles.