Any good links for setting up cleats on new shoes/pedals

Thelittlesthobo

I need this to be bang on perfect. I cant afford for my setup to cause me any issues because of a knee problem. So as its my birthday tomorrow and i am getting some new shoes and pedals to replace my flats and trainers. I have taken the day off work and hope to spend the morning setting things up properly.

If anyone has some good advice or a good link to instructions then please let me knw. I am presuming they have a similar adjustment to spd's from the mtb.

Thanks

Mark Bom

I can't give any expert advice, but I adjusted mine after a few short runs and when I was completely happy, marked around the cleat with a permanent marker.
When I change cleats I know where to position them.

If you're concerned about your knees, why not use a turbo trainer and see how you feel after ten minutes and adjust the cleat until they feel right.

Also, consider the amount of float you want.

Thelittlesthobo

Are they not like spd's where it kinda marks the sole anyhow. All my previous mtb shoes you can tell where they have been.

Was planning on setting them up as best i could and taking an allen key to adjust as i go. I do remember a video of a guy sitting on a seat (Stool) and checking out how his feet hung to account for natural leg angles but maybe i am imagining it.

Will have a search of you tube later

CakeLovinBeast

I find that I'm forever adjusting mine at the moment... And then the bloomin' allen bolt works itself loose and I end up having to retighten them!

As a starting point, I'd balance yourself against a wall using your hand and just rest your feet on the pedals as you would normally to get an idea for the angle that your feet are most comfortable at. My heels are both a little bit outward-facing, but nothing too significant, but it's something to be aware of.

I got a DVD free with a bike magazine recently about bike fitting - it may have been Cycling active. It was dull to watch, but useful at the same time. The guy on there recommended that the cleats actually go slightly behind the ball of your foot. I tried it and it feels good for me, but YMMV.

Secteur

Happy Birthday!

If it's your first cleated set up, then it's trial and error.

I set both of mine straight, and got terrible R knee pain. After trial & error, I now ride my L foot straight and my R foot toe-out at a fair angle and the centre slightly further out on the pedal. It looks wrong and slightly lopsided, but it's the only position that is completely comfortable.

CakeLovinBeast

Found the bloke that I was talking about:

Steve Hogg

Thelittlesthobo

Thats what i am worried about secteur. I can almost 100% guarentee i will not have an identical setup on each foot. Hmmm, i need this to be right and cant afford for even one general ride to result in any pain.

How about photographing my feet on my flats when they are comfortable and trying to translate this into cleat positions on my new shoes?

CakeLovinBeast

Makes sense. Maybe get some chalk too, so you can draw lines on the new shoes to mark where the ball of your foot rests, and also the centre line through the shoe?

rubertoe

I recall some one posting a link to a site about bike fit and positioning - including a usefull bit about cleats and positioning - i use SPD - SL cleats (yellow) which have some float (they move about) and are much better for the knees than fixed - unless you go and get a pro bike fit win which case your looking at £££ but perfectly fitted cleats.

Trial and error was my way of finding - but i note that you said elsewhere that you are rehabbing from a Knee injury - so i see why you need to get it right..

MattC59

Put your shoes on (before you mount the cleats) and rest them lightly on the pedals with the ball of your foot roughly over the pedal axle. Do a few pedal revolutions (drop the chain off the inner chain ring if you don't have a turbo trainer) then see how your feet sit.

If your feet sit toe out, heel in, then, as a starting point set your cleats roughly central, but angled with the front of the cleat pointing slightly towards the inside of the shoe. If your feet sit toe in, heel out, then as a starting point, set your cleats roughly central, but with the front of the cleat pointing slightly towards the outside of the shoe.

This should give you a reasonably good starting point, then go for a ride around the block and see how they feel. You'll probably have to tweak the position a bit, and you'll be able to fel whether you need to move the cleat fore/aft, left/right or tweak the angle slightly.

Herbie The Dog

Sit on the edge of a table and let your feet dangle naturally.

Line the cleats up so they point straight ahead.

Some tinkering maybe required. As well as another pair of hands to help you get the cleats straight.

That's how I've done it each time...never had an issue.

andrewjoseph

If you used spd's on your mtb, then set up the road cleats with closest position you can to your mtb setup. It takes me several rides to get a cleat/shoe change set up correctly.

Zoomer37

Could just go to your LBS and ask for a bit of help. They won't mind (tell them its your birthday) and you should get them more accurate than trying to get tips from here.

You'd be amazed how wrong these things can be set up by only being a few mm's out.

Thelittlesthobo

Thanks for the suggestions. The one with the table is the one i had heard about. Will see how i get on with the suggestions. LBS although very helpfull do not seem to be the most clued up on things like setups etc. I have asked similar questions in the past and havent got the most informative answers.

Thanks again

gilesjuk

Just use MTB pedals from someone other than Shimano and you will only need to position the cleats under the ball of your foot. No other positioning required.

You'll also be able to walk normally not like a penguin.

Time, Look Quartz, Crank Brothers Eggbeaters are all fine pedals with plenty of float.

Thelittlesthobo

Why other than shimano? Reason i ask is i have had shimano & time spd's (MTB) and the cleats were very similar sizes. I have a set of mtb spds and they were my back up plan if i cant get along with the SPD-sl. Shoes are set up for both

Paul E

Mine arent indectical either, one I have a lot of toe in the other about half as much, seems to work, I had horrible left knee pain till I got it right, raising my saddle helped a lot too as it was 25mm too low or so it seems.

steveadi

http://drivemybike.wordpress.com/2009/0 ... -on-shoes/
http://bikemagic.com/how-to/maintenance page 3
Happy Birthday

Thelittlesthobo

Cant believe Bikemagic has a link on that. Been a member for years. Will check that out thanks

Thelittlesthobo

Just a quick note to say i fitted the cleats this morning. Used a mixture of Cakelovinbeast link which showed how to set the cleat fore/aft by finding the metetarsal joint of your big toe to determine the middle of the ball of your foot. Then added about 12mm on to place it a little bit further back as i found them not recommending having the pedal spindle exactly under the ball of your foot.

Then i used the Bikemagic method which i knew from the past. Sat on the edge of the table and hung the feet out. Showed me how my normal posture for my feet is for the heel to sit in and toes out. This was confirmed by a quick spin on the bike in flats. So i adjusted the cleat to what i though would take care of this.

Just done a very hilly 30mls loop and i can feel it in the legs and knees but no more so than doing the same ride last thursday. I managed the hills much better this time as well.

Thanks for the help