Hello All, I intend to convert to clipless pedals eventually and I have a question concerning the term "float". As I understand it, it is the free movement angle the foot has in the pedal e.g. 6 degrees. My question is does this mean 6 degrees total (3 degrees either side of the pedal centerline) or 12 degrees total (6 degrees either side of the centerline)?
Thanks, Kurt Tate
P.S. Right now I'm considering either Crank Brothers Quattros which have 6 deg. float or Speedplay Frogs which advertise "unrestricted" float. That sounds good for the knees but I'm not sure what it means.
If a pedal has 9 degrees float, that will be the total from all the way left to all the way to the right.
I think thing is is that there's no real 'center' to speak of. If having the heel all the way to the left of the float range is '0', and all the way to the right is '9', you can pedal with your foot kept anywhere across that range. In this eg, I probably do all my riding at "position 2 degrees"
My question is does this mean 6 degrees total (3 degrees either side of the pedal centerline) or 12 degrees total (6 degrees either side of the centerline)?
...or does it mean 6 degrees to only one side of the centerline, and 0 degrees to the other side? Since I'm only the slightest bit less ignorant about pedal float than you I'm not sure whether the answer is brand-dependant or not. See below.
Quoted post said:
Right now I'm considering either Crank Brothers Quattros which have 6 deg. float or Speedplay Frogs which advertise "unrestricted" float. That sounds good for the knees but I'm not sure what it means.
Calling Speedplay Frogs "unrestricted" might be a bit misleading. In the first place, they offer *no* float inwards towards the centerline of the bike; all of their float is outwards. And secondly, they really only offer 19 degrees of float, because at 20 degrees from the centerline you clip out! (Not that either of these are necessarily bad, that's just the way the Frogs work.)
Now, whether all other pedal manufacturers mean the same thing when they refer to float I couldn't say, I only have experience with Frogs.
The reason Frogs advertise unrestricted float is because the float doesn't react against a tensioning spring. The retaining mechanism in Frogs are different from other manufacturers which use a spring tension to retain a clip. So the float in those systems are built into the clip design, giving you a bit of lightly tensioned float before you have to react against stronger feel of the tensioning spring to clip out. Frogs have no tensioning spring, hence the pedaling on ice cubes feel. As for the inability to rotate your heel inward, the stop was incorporated to allow mountain bikers to control the rear of the bicycle by picking it up while clipped in and swinging it left or right. Some riders grind the stops off (I did) to allow the float either way. And they are wonderful on the knees!! (I use them on my MTB and Road bike.)
