Cleat Positioning.

By the ball of the foot, you refer to the First Metatarsel head. Actually, a good starting point is
halfway between a line drawn perpendicularly (across the shoe) through the first metatarsel head
(find the center of the joint or knuckle) and a line drawn perpendicularly through the center of
fifth metatarsel head (the knucke of the small toe). With your shoes on, use a pen to place marks on
the shoes at the appropriate spots, then use a straight edge to mark the sole of the shoe. Split the
difference. Depending on pedal technique, you can move the cleat from there slightly forward or aft
(in small degrees).

Keep in mind that it is normal for your feet to be different lengths and sizes, and it is unlikely
that, if set up correctly, your cleats will be in exactly the same position relative to each other.

If your knees are bothering you, saddle height and fore/aft position may also be a problem.

"asqui" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I bought a new touring bike around 6 weeks ago and got the shop to do the whole fitting shindig,
including cleat alignment. I haven't had any major problems so I guess things must be pretty good.

My question is about the cleat positioning. If I recall correctly the procedure used to mount the
cleats was as follows: I placed my bare feet on a plexiglas platform with a rectangular cut-out,
with my heels against an adjustable backplate. The plate was adjusted such that the balls of my
feet were exactly aligned with the bottom edge of the cut-out. I put on the shoes and placed my
feet once more on the platform, and a

mark

Quoted message said:

was scribed on the bottom of the shoe. (Using the bottom of the cut-out as

a

Quoted message said:

straightedge)

The cleats were later mounted such that the bolts were centred at this

mark.

Quoted message said:

As far as I can tell no rotational adjustment was made at any stage, and

the

Quoted message said:

cleats are simply pointing dead ahead. Fortunately this seems to be just fine with my feet. (I
can't actually see how such adjustment would even be possible -- I'm using Shimano MO37 shoes and
the black cleats that came

with

Quoted message said:

the PD-M515 pedals)

My question is thus, and I'm not really sure why it took this long for me

to

Quoted message said:

realise this: If the backplate was adjusted to have the ball of my (bare) foot at the

edge

Quoted message said:

of the cut-out, then with the shoes on and up against the backplate in the same position, the
balls of my feet would be forward of the edge of the cut-out they were previously aligned with.
(because the backplate was adjusted with my heel directly against the backplate, whereas now there
is the back of the shoe between my heel and the backplate)

I therefore draw the conclusion that the cleats are positioned behind the ball of my foot.

I've been thinking more about this since I got a bit of a sore knee about

a

Quoted message said:

week ago, though I'm pretty confident that it was just the result of going too hard for too long
-- I had a 40mi route planned and set out going

quite

Quoted message said:

hard... by the time I had demonstrated exceptional navigational skills by getting on the B4009 in
the wrong direction and pounding away for about 10 or 15 miles before noticing, the ride became a
65 miler instead. The sore knee went away within a couple of days and only traces of soreness were
apparent after 55miles on Sunday. Apart from that I have had no problems with my knees (or
anything else!) and I've done about 500mi on the bike.

In yesterday's ride I felt like the right cleat was so far back that I thought it might have
actually loosened and slid back to the furthest position. I stopped and inspected the shoe to see
that the cleat was still aligned with the mark, but on closer inspection just now I see that the
right cleat is about 1mm behind the left!

I can't adjust them easily because there is a waterproofing sticker on the inside of the shoe
which is holding the plate in position, so I will have

to

Quoted message said:

sacrifice my waterproofing if/when I start playing with the cleat positioning.

Thanks in advance, asqui.

Having your cleat at exactly at the ball of the foot will give the feeling of more power. However,
in my experience and that of many other riders, you'll develop foot pain and numbness. I recommend
people to place the cleats slightly behind. To feel the ball of the foot, I tell people to stand on
their toes. The fleshy part right behind the toes that feels all the pressure would be a line that
runs through the ball of the foot. Try to place your cleat behind that line, but not too far back
that you will be pushing with you arch.

Andres

I do a lot of fittings for team racers. Here is a technique that we have come up with over the years
to find the right spot on the metatarsal bone for positioning the cleat. We use a very small ball
bearing held in place with a piece of duct tape. You simply feel for the bearing through the shoe
and that is it.

Bruce

"None" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

By the ball of the foot, you refer to the First Metatarsel head.

Actually,

Quoted message said:

a good starting point is halfway between a line drawn perpendicularly (across the shoe) through
the first metatarsel head (find the center of

the

Quoted message said:

joint or knuckle) and a line drawn perpendicularly through the center of fifth metatarsel head
(the knucke of the small toe). With your shoes on, use a pen to place marks on the shoes at the
appropriate spots, then use a straight edge to mark the sole of the shoe. Split the difference.
Depending on pedal technique, you can move the cleat from there slightly forward or aft (in small
degrees).

Keep in mind that it is normal for your feet to be different lengths and sizes, and it is unlikely
that, if set up correctly, your cleats will be

in

Quoted message said:

exactly the same position relative to each other.

If your knees are bothering you, saddle height and fore/aft position may also be a problem.

"asqui" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I bought a new touring bike around 6 weeks ago and got the shop to do

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

whole fitting shindig, including cleat alignment. I haven't had any

major

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

problems so I guess things must be pretty good.

My question is about the cleat positioning. If I recall correctly the procedure used to mount
the cleats was as follows: I placed my bare feet on a plexiglas platform with a rectangular

cut-out,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

with my heels against an adjustable backplate. The plate was adjusted such that the balls of my
feet were exactly

aligned

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

with the bottom edge of the cut-out. I put on the shoes and placed my feet once more on the
platform, and a

mark

Quoted message said:

was scribed on the bottom of the shoe. (Using the bottom of the cut-out

as

Quoted message said:

a

Quoted message said:

straightedge)

The cleats were later mounted such that the bolts were centred at this

mark.

Quoted message said:

As far as I can tell no rotational adjustment was made at any stage, and

the

Quoted message said:

cleats are simply pointing dead ahead. Fortunately this seems to be just fine with my feet. (I
can't actually see how such adjustment would even

be

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

possible -- I'm using Shimano MO37 shoes and the black cleats that came

with

Quoted message said:

the PD-M515 pedals)

My question is thus, and I'm not really sure why it took this long for

me

Quoted message said:

to

Quoted message said:

realise this: If the backplate was adjusted to have the ball of my (bare) foot at the

edge

Quoted message said:

of the cut-out, then with the shoes on and up against the backplate in

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

same position, the balls of my feet would be forward of the edge of the cut-out they were
previously aligned with. (because the backplate was adjusted with my heel directly against the
backplate, whereas now there

is

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the back of the shoe between my heel and the backplate)

I therefore draw the conclusion that the cleats are positioned behind

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

ball of my foot.

I've been thinking more about this since I got a bit of a sore knee

about

Quoted message said:

a

Quoted message said:

week ago, though I'm pretty confident that it was just the result of

going

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

too hard for too long -- I had a 40mi route planned and set out going

quite

Quoted message said:

hard... by the time I had demonstrated exceptional navigational skills

by

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

getting on the B4009 in the wrong direction and pounding away for about

10

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

or 15 miles before noticing, the ride became a 65 miler instead. The

sore

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

knee went away within a couple of days and only traces of soreness were apparent after 55miles
on Sunday. Apart from that I have had no problems with my knees (or anything else!) and I've
done about 500mi on the bike.

In yesterday's ride I felt like the right cleat was so far back that I thought it might have
actually loosened and slid back to the furthest position. I stopped and inspected the shoe to
see that the cleat was

still

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

aligned with the mark, but on closer inspection just now I see that the right cleat is about 1mm
behind the left!

I can't adjust them easily because there is a waterproofing sticker on

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

inside of the shoe which is holding the plate in position, so I will

have

Quoted message said:

to

Quoted message said:

sacrifice my waterproofing if/when I start playing with the cleat positioning.

Thanks in advance, asqui.

I find that when the cleat is further back on the shoe, you engage the quads and glutes more, and
therefore generate more power. A cleat forward position may be better for higher cadence pedaling. I
believe that too many people line up the cleat at "ball of the foot," or first metarsel, and
therefore end up with a cleat too far forward on the shoe. If you split the difference between the
1st and 5th metatarsel heads, you end up with a cleat about 2-3 mms or so behind the ball of the
foot, and thissems to work best for most people.

"AndresMuro" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Having your cleat at exactly at the ball of the foot will give the feeling

of

Quoted message said:

more power. However, in my experience and that of many other riders,

you'll

Quoted message said:

develop foot pain and numbness. I recommend people to place the cleats

slightly

Quoted message said:

behind. To feel the ball of the foot, I tell people to stand on their

toes. The

Quoted message said:

fleshy part right behind the toes that feels all the pressure would be a

line

Quoted message said:

that runs through the ball of the foot. Try to place your cleat behind

that

Quoted message said:

line, but not too far back that you will be pushing with you arch.

Andres

rec.bicycles.tech would be the more appropriate group for your question.
-----------------
Alex __O _-\<,_ (_)/ (_)