saddle height between SPD and SPD SL pedals.

willhub
willhub Posts: 821
edited November 2012 in Workshop
On my commuter when I am going from A to B i'll use my SPD pedals, but on say a club ride, I'll use SPD SL, now at the current saddle height, it feels ok when using SPD SL, but using SPD pedals it feels too low, anyone have any idea why this is?

Comments

  • TommyEss
    TommyEss Posts: 1,855
    I get the same - the stack heights are different between different pedal and cleat systems - not by much, but by enough for it to feel a bit "wrong" - slightly higher stack height means you need a touch more seat post, or, as you've found, it feels a bit low.
    Cannondale Synapse 105, Giant Defy 3, Giant Omnium, Giant Trance X2, EMC R1.0, Ridgeback Platinum, On One Il Pompino...
  • willhub
    willhub Posts: 821
    What is the height diffo you rekon?

    SPD are recessed into shoe and SPD SL are not

    I was thinking due to that the SPD SL would technically make the saddle feel lower but as mentioned it is other way round, totally baffled.
  • TommyEss
    TommyEss Posts: 1,855
    It's only a few mm I reckon - it feels bigger because you notice the difference, but we get so used to our pedal strokes any change is like wearing the left shoe on your right foot.

    Overall stack height is the total combination of where the clears sit in the pedal from the centre of the pedal axle, plus depth of cleat, plus depth of sole on your shoe - so, even with a recessed cleat, if you've got a slightly thicker sole (quite likely on MTB shoes compared to low slung carbon disco slippers) then you'll probably find those extra few mm.

    Remember too, most road racing pedals and shoes are aiming to get as low a stack height as possible - thin cleats, thin pedals and ultra-thin carbon fibre soles. I bet if you switched from carbon road shoes to "normal" glass-fibre road shoes you'd find a slight difference.
    Cannondale Synapse 105, Giant Defy 3, Giant Omnium, Giant Trance X2, EMC R1.0, Ridgeback Platinum, On One Il Pompino...
  • willhub
    willhub Posts: 821
    Ahhhhhhh!

    I've got large insoles in my shoe, that must be it!

    I'm just gonna raise saddle by 1cm on my SPD and think no more about it then I rekon.
  • rozzer32
    rozzer32 Posts: 3,923
    willhub wrote:
    Ahhhhhhh!

    I've got large insoles in my shoe, that must be it!

    I'm just gonna raise saddle by 1cm on my SPD and think no more about it then I rekon.

    I hope you mean 1mm?
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  • willhub
    willhub Posts: 821
    No not 1mm, the height difference is deffo more than that.
  • k-dog
    k-dog Posts: 1,652
    1cm sounds too much - I'd go for about 5mm.

    Shouldn't be too hard to work out the difference - might take a bit of fiddling each time you change for a while.
    I'm left handed, if that matters.
  • John.T
    John.T Posts: 3,698
    Stack height with SPD is about 2 to 3mm more than SPD-SL so you should raise the saddle by that much. It varies with shoe sole thickness so be prepared to fine tune.
    My Fleet.
  • father_jack
    father_jack Posts: 3,509
    Feels much higher than just a few mm. Cleats sit on the base of the sole, rather than level with the tread. It feels more like 1cm.
    Say... That's a nice bike..
    Trax T700 with Lew Racing Pro VT-1 ;-)
  • k-dog
    k-dog Posts: 1,652
    Yeah, but that reduces the stack as your foot is nearer the pedal.

    The spd pedals are slightly thicker, the soles if the shoes are probably thicker (not as thick as the tread for this though) but I think the cleats are thinner - they look that way to me anyway- so that gets you back a few mm.

    I still think it'll be nearer 5 than 10.

    Don't have any spds mounted or I'd measure it. Does depend on the actual shoes though. You clearly get thicker and thinner ones so the right combination could make that number +/- 5.
    I'm left handed, if that matters.
  • father_jack
    father_jack Posts: 3,509
    nah. I remember changing from spd to spd sl and seat was way too low, not the sort of thing you'll notice for 5mm.
    Say... That's a nice bike..
    Trax T700 with Lew Racing Pro VT-1 ;-)
  • John.T
    John.T Posts: 3,698
    I use spd-sl in summer on my winter bike an go to sp for winter. I just raise the saddle 3 mm.
    My Fleet.
  • k-dog
    k-dog Posts: 1,652
    On thinking about it I bet the shoes are the biggest factor.

    If you have 'nice' summer shoes they've probably got a high tech thin sole and if you get winter shoes I would get something cheaper so they probably have a thick rubbery sole. There could easily be a 5mm difference in thickness there.

    But, if your shoes are more similar in tech then the difference will be minimal and it's only the cleat/pedal stack height that will come in to play.
    I'm left handed, if that matters.
  • billysan
    billysan Posts: 575
    Here's a list with distance spindle center to bottom shoe:
    Campagnolo - 20mm
    Look - 22mm
    Miche - 20mm
    Ritchey - 12mm
    Shimano SPD - 16mm
    Shimano SPD-R Ultegra & 105 - 14mm
    Shimano SPD-R (7700) Dura Ace - 12mm
    Shimano SPD-SL Ultegra - 16mm
    Shimano SPD-SL (7810) Dura Ace - 14mm
    Speedplay - 13mm
    Time Equipe Pro - 12mm
    Time Impact - 11mm
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