Bont Shoes - cleat holes and positioning

CRAIGO5000

I've just got hold of some Bont Riots and after a few bakes in the oven, they are fitting great. I'm now at the point where I need to dial in my cleat alignment and though a little Googling, It appears they drill the holes to mount your 3 point cleats quite some way off compared to the usual manufacturers.

Coming from some LG Revo shoes and roughly copying the alignment, the cleats are mounted in my Bonts all the way back - a good 10mm off my old LG shoes. I've test rode for an hour and I'm struggling to "feel" the position of the cleat. I did notice that I felt as if I was pedalling with more heel down on the power stroke which led me to Steve Hoggs advice for my size of shoe (44) and style riding (road/crit race). This advice recommends I should mount cleats so that the joint in the ball of the first metatarsal is approx 10mm BEHIND the pedal axle when horizontal. So I thought i'd give it a try and low and behold, there is no more travel left in my SPD-SL yellow cleats. I'm already as far back as the shoe will allow and that puts me approx 5mm in-front of the pedal axle when horizontal.

Has anyone else noticed this different cleat drill pattern in Bont shoes or possibly come from LG or Shimano shoes and if so, what have you done?

Thanks

styxd

I think you've got mixed up.

According to Hoggs advice, the pedal axle should be about 10mm behind the ball of your foot

c40nl12

I bought a pair of Riots last year and I love them, but I have to have the cleats at different positions to even up the shoes on the pedals, the two shoes look as if they were made in different factories.

CRAIGO5000

I think I am mixed up. :oops:

With my current set-up in the Bonts, the cleat is all the way back even though I transferred the markers off my old shoes where the met joint in my big toe is. That I can't understand.

The ball of my foot is now approx 5mm forward of the pedal axle with horizontal cranks. it does force me to pedal heel down which isn't causing any discomfort in the short rides I've done but a good 3-4 hours training session will I'm sure, be the proof.
I'm thinking of riding like this more permanently as it seems to take the load right off my calve muscles and also removed lots of strain from the front of my foot and toes etc. which I can only assume will help with preventing the numb toes I used to get after 3-4 hours in the saddle in my LG shoes.

styxd

The holes on the Bont shoes seem to be further rearward than on alot of shoes. Is this what you're getting aT?

Also, you may find you need to move your saddle down a touch as Bont soles are pretty thin, aswell as running your cleats further back.

mitchgixer6

I've heard that the Bont cleat holes can be in funny positions, and even some times in different positions on each shoe in a pair.

I think because the soles are so thin it's fairly easy to drill new holes if you want to move them.