Fixing cleats onto road shoes

rumbataz

I've got myself a pair of dhb R1.0 road shoes and have screwed SM-SH11 cleats (the yellow ones) onto them. I just want to check I've done things properly.

The cleats had three rectangular washers and three screws per cleat. The shoes had three holes each in the soles. I basically lined up the cleat so that the three holes were centralised vertically, dropped a washer into each recess on the cleat and popped a screw into the recess and tightened it reasonably firmly onto the shoe, but not too tight.

So, I have two questions: was I right to centralise the holes in the cleats so that there was an equal gap fore-and-aft? Secondly, I have no idea how much to tighten the screws. I tightened them firmly but not too tight - not to the point where I was straining to turn the allen key. How much should the cleats be tightened?

imposter2.0

You'll know if the cleats are not tight enough.

As for where to position them - the slots are there to give you the adjustment you may need. Centralising the cleats like that kind if removes the point of having any adjustment.

rumbataz

Okay, so is it correct that the cleat should be adjusted (fore-and-aft) so that the ball of my foot effectively sits on the pedal axle? Moreover, should it be adjusted such that at no point should I be pedalling with my toes?

imposter2.0

Yes and yes. Although if the cleat is correctly fitted, it should end up nowhere near your toes anyway.

rumbataz

Many thanks for the advice. I've also watched a few YouTube videos on the subject this evening and learned that I had forgotten to grease the cleat screws! Will set them up properly tomorrow.

dj58

I'd use the loctite copper anti-seize you bought on those cleat bolts.

rumbataz

There's an interesting bit of text in the dealer's manual for my pedals regarding the adjustment of the Shimano cleats:

After temporarily fixing the cleats, adjust them by repeatedly engaging and releasing the cleats, one by one, to determine the optimal necessary cleat positions.

It then goes on to say:

After the optimal cleat positions have been determined, firmly tighten the cleat mounting bolts with a 4mm Allen key.

Has anyone come across this method of adjusting cleats before? What it appears to suggest is not to tighten the cleats fully until you've engaged and disengaged them in the pedals.

ic.

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19709551#p19709551]rumbataz[/url] wrote:

There's an interesting bit of text in the dealer's manual for my pedals regarding the adjustment of the Shimano cleats:

After temporarily fixing the cleats, adjust them by repeatedly engaging and releasing the cleats, one by one, to determine the optimal necessary cleat positions.

It then goes on to say:

After the optimal cleat positions have been determined, firmly tighten the cleat mounting bolts with a 4mm Allen key.

Has anyone come across this method of adjusting cleats before? What it appears to suggest is not to tighten the cleats fully until you've engaged and disengaged them in the pedals.

That does sound a bit daft, as you would expect the cleat to move if it wasn't tight.

The method my bike fitter used was to feel for the centre of the knuckle for my big toe and little toe (medial and lateral cuboid I beleive) and mark the shoe, he then lined up the markers on the cleats to these marks (Look Keo cleats had little marks in the cleat to show the middle point) and bingo, cleat positioned correctly. Not saying it will work for all of course, but a start

laurentian

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19708749#p19708749]DJ58[/url] wrote:

I'd use the loctite copper anti-seize you bought on those cleat bolts.

Definitely this

rumbataz

^ Yeah - definitely did that - reseated the cleats last week after putting some anti-seize onto the bolts. Currently I'm doing some short rides getting a feel for the position of the cleats and I'm sure I'll have to reposition them slightly.