fixed or floating cleats

andy610

im going to buy some shimano 105 pedals at the moment i have shimano m520 pedals how will i know if my cleats have any float, and if they do have float and my 105 pedals dont what difference will it make to riding

LeighB

I use SPD SL pedals and I think the cleats with yellow rubber feet have float. I will see if I have the instructions from the pedals in the garage to confirm.

LeighB

Yes yellow have float and red are fixed.

hopper1

I just upgraded from 520's to 105 SPD-SL, using yellow cleats (with float), no probs so far.

fred_dillon

I use R540 pedals with yellow cleats, as everybody they are fine, I guess with fixed ones (red) any leg/knee issues might show up, but don't know

John.T

Nearly all pedals come with float cleats. If you want fixed ones you have to get them separately.

oldwelshman

fred_dillon wrote:

I use R540 pedals with yellow cleats, as everybody they are fine, I guess with fixed ones (red) any leg/knee issues might show up, but don't know

I use no float cleats as I have knee problems. With no float your knees do not move so much, also more efficient for pedalling

Alex_Simmons/RST

oldwelshman wrote:

fred_dillon wrote:

I use R540 pedals with yellow cleats, as everybody they are fine, I guess with fixed ones (red) any leg/knee issues might show up, but don't know

I use no float cleats as I have knee problems. With no float your knees do not move so much, also more efficient for pedalling

I somehow doubt an improvement in efficiency has been proven for fixed vs floating cleats.

I prefer fixed myself (Campag Profit), but most seem to prefer float. Go with what you like/prefer. Float tends to mask poor cleat adjustment better.

scherrit

wot Alex said....

we see loads of fitting clients with floating cleats set up so there is loads of float in one direction (of rotation), and none in the other so the position of the cleat was set really poorly but they are getting away with it (temporarily- there is usually a reason they've come to see us!) because of the float.

I have no float on my track pedals, and miles of un-sprung float on my road and mtb set-up.
Good luck,
Scherrit.
www.thebikewhisperer.co.uk

oldwelshman

Alex_Simmons/RST wrote:

oldwelshman wrote:

fred_dillon wrote:

I use R540 pedals with yellow cleats, as everybody they are fine, I guess with fixed ones (red) any leg/knee issues might show up, but don't know

I use no float cleats as I have knee problems. With no float your knees do not move so much, also more efficient for pedalling

I somehow doubt an improvement in efficiency has been proven for fixed vs floating cleats.

I prefer fixed myself (Campag Profit), but most seem to prefer float. Go with what you like/prefer. Float tends to mask poor cleat adjustment better.

Are you positive Alex?
I would say pedalling technique is improved with no float cleats set up correctly.
I have seen some really strange pedalling actions on some rides with legs pointing outward which got worse when climbing which surely makes it less aerodynamic?
Surely the most effective pedalling action would be a smooth circular action and not an eliptical motion?

JF

Of what i have heard and learn from physiotherapy. Fixed cleats can put alot of bad pressure on your knees therefore more chances of developping knee problems.The 105 don't give u much to work with in termes legs sideways positionning i find, so i like the float so that i dont feel like my feet are inward from my hips.

Alex_Simmons/RST

oldwelshman wrote:

Alex_Simmons/RST wrote:

oldwelshman wrote:

fred_dillon wrote:

I use R540 pedals with yellow cleats, as everybody they are fine, I guess with fixed ones (red) any leg/knee issues might show up, but don't know

I use no float cleats as I have knee problems. With no float your knees do not move so much, also more efficient for pedalling

I somehow doubt an improvement in efficiency has been proven for fixed vs floating cleats.

I prefer fixed myself (Campag Profit), but most seem to prefer float. Go with what you like/prefer. Float tends to mask poor cleat adjustment better.

Are you positive Alex?
I would say pedalling technique is improved with no float cleats set up correctly.
I have seen some really strange pedalling actions on some rides with legs pointing outward which got worse when climbing which surely makes it less aerodynamic?
Surely the most effective pedalling action would be a smooth circular action and not an eliptical motion?

You were talking about efficiency* of float vs fixed, not poor cleat positioning vs good cleat positioning (which is not a factor of float - bad cleat placement is bad cleat placement, no matter the float).

Claiming cleat float will change one's efficiency is a big call. However claiming good cleat placement enables one to pedal more effectively makes sense. Nevertheless, a world TT championship has been won with a mid-foot cleat placement, so I suspect it has even less to do with effectiveness than one might think.

Aerodynamics has nothing to do with how efficient we are. It has an awful lot to do with how fast we can go though.

* Efficiency being the proportion of our total energy output that ends up as mechanical energy driving us forward (typically ~23% give or take 2-3%).

hamstrich

The guy in the bike shop where I bought some cleats recently (who seemed to know what he was talking about) said that he'd only recommend fixed cleats for track racing. Perhaps this is because in track racing you're likely to be on the bike for much shorter periods of time and the greater freedom of movement provided by floating cleats is less likely to be necessary?

Alex_Simmons/RST

hamstrich wrote:

The guy in the bike shop where I bought some cleats recently (who seemed to know what he was talking about) said that he'd only recommend fixed cleats for track racing. Perhaps this is because in track racing you're likely to be on the bike for much shorter periods of time and the greater freedom of movement provided by floating cleats is less likely to be necessary?

Track sprinting places different demands on the shoe-pedal interface and accordingly riders typically prefer to use whatever is the most secure arrangement for them. Many sprinters and especially track TT riders will use straps as well for added security.

Pulling a foot on a freewheel bike is unpleasant, occasionally nasty. Pulling a foot on a fixed gear track bike and you're history.

sicknote

Is there any info on fitting them so you get it right as I have to do some for myself and have never used them before :?
Thanks

a_n_t

oldwelshman wrote:

I have seen some really strange pedalling actions on some rides with legs pointing outward which got worse when climbing which surely makes it less aerodynamic?

jesus! how fast do you climb!!

scherrit

We'd charge half an hour's labour to do it, but briefly:
front-back dimension: MTP 4-6mm in front of pedal spindle
side to side: as tight as you could get without scraping your foot or ankle bone on the crank
rotation: neutral foot centred in float
release tension: to suit rider's experience, weight and demands(eg at the extreme, commuter vs track sprinter).
Good luck,
Scherrit.
www.thebikewhisperer.co.uk