No, I don’t have any tips. I want to hear yours. It seems like this topic doesn’t get discussed as much as it should, seeing as how important it really is. Please share any tips/insights/links you have on the subject.
in bicyclings october issue there was an article about it.
"If you want to position the centre of the ball of the foot over the pedal axle, almost all shoes on the market will allow that. Remember though, that while your foot is a lever it is an inefficient one because the fulcrum of that lever is back at the ankle. Most riders will perform better and feel more solid and stable on the pedals if they position the ball of their foot slightly in front of the pedal axle.
Basically, the further back the cleat is positioned on the shoe, the greater the ability to maintain an effort because the torque curve of the rider becomes flatter. But like everything else in life, you don’t get something for nothing. The further back the cleat is on the shoe, the less your ability to jump really hard in a sprint.
For most road riders, Audax riders, triathletes and others who ride long distances, a rearward cleat position is usually the better option. If you are a speed demon in the local crits, then it is your sprint and ability to jump hard that needs to be maximised and so the converse is true."
Based on that Friel article I always place my cleats as far back as the standard drilling will allow…
Somewhere Friel talks about his son, who is a Crit Racer, Who experimented with the center foot placement, and found it manageable for crits…
I cant really see it in a sprint! and Toe overlap would be stupid on the track bike… So I just go with the all the way back placement…
No tips to offer. The area around my little toe on my right foot often gets numb or painful on longer rides. I’m going to try moving the cleat back a bit and see if that helps.
When I went in for my fit, the boss man moved my cleats all the way back. Since then, I’ve seen less numbness in my left foot (the same side as my knee problems) and haven’t noticed much other than that. I’d offer more to the conversation, but that’s all I know for sure.
Halbritt, your feet may be going numb because your feet swell slightly after running/riding/whatever for a decent amount of time.
Try adjusting your shoes after half of your ride, make them less tight. See if that helps
Also insoles. Moar vibration dampening. good for ur feet. bad for ur meet.
funny, i was just about to move one of my cleats back quite a bit. def doing now.
This brings a whole new perspective for noobs who ride with their heels.
Greater efficiency yo!
There isn’t much room for adjustment, but I have mine towards the back. Works for me.
[quote=GRHebard]Halbritt, your feet may be going numb because your feet swell slightly after running/riding/whatever for a decent amount of time.
Try adjusting your shoes after half of your ride, make them less tight. See if that helps[/quote]
I realize this, but I cinch both sides down just the same and only the right side goes numb. Good advice though. I’m going to move the cleats back a bit and see if that helps.
Cross: All the way forward w/ Pearl Izumi Quest MTB + Time ATAC
Road: All the way back w/ Pearl Izumi Vagabond Road + SPD SL
I didn’t do any research, I just started in the middle, rode around some, and then adjusted for a better feel.
[quote=halbritt][quote=GRHebard]Halbritt, your feet may be going numb because your feet swell slightly after running/riding/whatever for a decent amount of time.
Try adjusting your shoes after half of your ride, make them less tight. See if that helps[/quote]
I realize this, but I cinch both sides down just the same and only the right side goes numb. Good advice though. I’m going to move the cleats back a bit and see if that helps.[/quote]
I have the same issue, mostly with my left foot. While most quality pairs of shoes are symmetrical, most pairs of feet aren’t. One side might need to be looser/tighter on different straps, especially while breaking in new shoes.
[quote=halbritt][quote=GRHebard]Halbritt, your feet may be going numb because your feet swell slightly after running/riding/whatever for a decent amount of time.
Try adjusting your shoes after half of your ride, make them less tight. See if that helps[/quote]
I realize this, but I cinch both sides down just the same and only the right side goes numb. Good advice though. I’m going to move the cleats back a bit and see if that helps.[/quote]
i moved a cleat back because after a while of that problem (and occasional knee pain) i realized that my right foot had the cleat much farther forward (in relation to the ball of the foot) than my left. taking off my shoes and looking closely at my feet i realized my right foot is smaller than my left. not uncommon, but i’d never noticed the extent of the difference before. you may want to look at your feet and see if your right is slightly smaller and the cleat is positioned differently in relation to your foot than in your left one. if that’s the case, than the numbness may simply be due to putting pressure on the wrong part of your foot as you pedal through the downstroke.
I’ve been having the same problem Halbritt. Anything over 30 mi and my right toes go numb. I haven’t wanted to change my cleats because the right foot actually feels a lot more comfortable than the left until the numbness hits in. I just don’t know how to adjust them and am beginning to realize all the kids on the cycling team don’t know shit about bikes and instead just go to the shop for any problem.
As mentioned in another thread somewhere I get nasty hot spots at around 50 miles. Occasionally I get hot spots around 20 so something had to give. Last week I moved my cleats all the way aft with the plan being to adjust accordingly from there. I felt no difference in power, but my feet feel so much better. Granted, the longest ride I’ve done since is about 18 miles or so, but hopefully tomorrow I’m going to go on a longer ride and I’ll be able to report.
With that said, how many people here have both cleats in the exact same position? I found before that my left cleat would be a little forward of my right.
Also, I just put gears on the XCheck and went fro 172.5 to 175. Do you think that will have any impact?
i rode 113 miles on sunday my knees were a little sore yesterday raised my saddle a tiny bit yesterday on ride home and it helped. i think my saddle was a bit low i had just changed saddles and adjusted height. i still haven’t got my cleats dialed in since changing to keos. i was thinking they need to move back some. will try now.