clipless 'fun'

Quoted message said:

So, for anyone considering trying them, it really is VERY important to bolt cleats very tight to
the bottom of the shoe.

What I did with mine - once I was certain the cleats were properly positined on the bottim of
the show is put a drop of superglue on the screw thread for the final tightening up. Works a
treat. I can unscrew the cleat if I need to, but it is kept secure enough on a ride that the
cleat stays firm.

Cheers, helen s

--This is an invalid email address to avoid spam-- to get correct one remove dependency on fame &
fortune h*$el*$$e**nd***$o$ts***i*$*$m**m$$o*n**s@$*$a$$o**l.c**$*$om$$ do not post my correct 1 on
*any* public forum - thanks

dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers said:

Quoted message said:

So, for anyone considering trying them, it really is VERY important to bolt cleats very tight to
the bottom of the shoe.

What I did with mine - once I was certain the cleats were properly positined on the bottim of
the show is put a drop of superglue on the screw thread for the final tightening up. Works a
treat. I can unscrew the cleat if I need to, but it is kept secure enough on a ride that the
cleat stays firm.

Cheers, helen s

--This is an invalid email address to avoid spam-- to get correct one remove dependency on fame &
fortune h*$el*$$e**nd***$o$ts***i*$*$m**m$$o*n**s@$*$a$$o**l.c**$*$om$$ do not post my correct 1
on *any* public forum - thanks

Yeah. Like an idiot, I didn't fully tighten them, thinking "oh, that means they'll work round
into the place my foot wants them to be" without considering the consequences of them being able
to do that....

Good idea about the superglue. Will be a while before I do that though, since I'll be back to
normal pedals before I eventually put these ones on for road use... and makes no sense to have the
cleats in the bottom of the shoe if I'm not using the pedals (they're shoes with replaceable cleat
cover things).

Velvet

Velvet said:

Well, it was interesting, albeit indoors (current skill would lead to injury if I used these
outside). Why is it despite reading lots on how important it is to make sure the cleats are REALLY
tight to the shoe, when it comes to it, you don't?

I used over an hour and a whole heap of calories (yay for that bit) learning how to get a shoe off
a cleat, and then how to get a cleat out of the pedal (actually the last is quite easy once you
know how), and performing this process twice, once on each pedal/shoe combo...

Apart from that, loved them. Know they're not for me on the open road yet (and any sort of open
road will be a bit dodgy for a while given cycling's aggravating nerve problem in arm) but made a
huge difference to the cadence I can manage (well, working it out manually, since my bike
computer's done a runner). Knees seem to appreciate them more, too, which wasn't what I was
expecting at all, and leads me to wonder just how much swinging side to side my feet were doing
before (and thus twisting the knee joint).

So, for anyone considering trying them, it really is VERY important to bolt cleats very tight to
the bottom of the shoe. And remember to slacken off the tension in the pedals, too! Had I done
that, possibly the cleats wouldn't have twisted, and I'd have been able to get out without taking
shoes off feet...

Velvet

I remember fondly my first week with SPDs. I'm sure I came close to snapping my ankle-bones such was
the panic applied force whenever I approached traffic lights.

I also remember, with scars, my first 'horizontal track stand'.

Eventually, I could stand it no more and stopped at the next bike shop I passed and said 'this cant
be right, surely?' and they said 'no - this is how you loosen them'

Joy of joys, I could unclip without risking leaving the foot behind.

dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers said:

Quoted message said:

So, for anyone considering trying them, it really is VERY important to bolt cleats very tight to
the bottom of the shoe.

What I did with mine - once I was certain the cleats were properly positined on the bottim of
the show is put a drop of superglue on the screw thread for the final tightening up. Works a
treat. I can unscrew the cleat if I need to, but it is kept secure enough on a ride that the
cleat stays firm.

I'm not sure that's a good idea. Superglue is not strong enough to hold agaist the considerable
forces if screws aren't tight enough anyway, and it's important to grease the threads (superglue
can't have stuck or be doing any good if the threads were lubrictaed).

Screws done up properly tight will not work loose. Greasing screw threads and under-heads will help
enable them to be well tightened and will prevent seizing for future removal. That goes for all
bolts on the bike too. It also helps to use a good tool rather than ordinary allen key or
screwdriver (essential for Looks).

In particular, Look cleats can certainly be done up more than tight enough without the need any
thread lock. The secret is to find a good screwdriver - one that fits the slots well (so won't slip)
and has some kind of 'T' handle (so you can apply more torque). Doesn't have to expensive: I found a
four quid one from Woolworths - short stubby plastic ratchet driver with separate screwdriver bits.
Best screwdriver I've ever used! (Woolies probably no longer stock it unfortuntaley).

Of course there is a danger of over-tightening so don't go beyond the point where it's very
difficult to turn at all.

~PB

Velvet said:

Quoted message said:

What I did with mine - once I was certain the cleats were properly positined on the bottim of
the show is put a drop of superglue on the screw thread for the final tightening up. Works a
treat. I can unscrew the cleat if I need to, but it is kept secure enough on a ride that the
cleat stays firm.

Quoted message said:

Good idea about the superglue.

Superglue is perhaps not a good idea. There's no real need for threadlock in this kind of
application, just do the cleat bolts up properly and they wont shift.

Superglue is likely to become a pain in the [censored] if you want to remove and re-fit the cleats in the
future. If you really want to use threadlock ask in H*lfords (or any auto parts/tool shop) for some
Loctite 243. It's not expensive and is purpose designed for the job, superglueing up the fasteners
on your bike is not a good habit to get into :o)
--

Bob

Email address is munged. To reply directly remove the beverage.

Velvet said:

So, for anyone considering trying them, it really is VERY important to bolt cleats very tight to
the bottom of the shoe. And remember to slacken off the tension in the pedals, too! Had I done
that, possibly the cleats wouldn't have twisted, and I'd have been able to get out without taking
shoes off feet...

What you need, Velvet, is a decent allen key. I learnt this from my experience of not using one. I'm
now unable to remove my cleats as I used a bad key; I'm unable to remove one screw because the
hexagonal hole is more round that six-sided.

James

--
"Sorry mate, I didn't see you" is not a satisfactory excuse.

A more relevant point:

Even locked screws won't necessarily prevent cleats swivelling. It's not the screws coming loose
with Look cleats that tends to cause problems, it's the cleats not being tight enough against shoes
in the first place. Screws being stuck and cleats being loose are two different things. Tightness
and stickiness are two different things.

~PB

Velvet said:

So, for anyone considering trying them, it really is VERY important to bolt cleats very tight to
the bottom of the shoe. And remember to slacken off the tension in the pedals, too! Had I done
that, possibly the cleats wouldn't have twisted, and I'd have been able to get out without taking
shoes off feet...

Top tip:

Put a mearest smidgen, like one drop, of oil on each cleat. This will help the cleats slip in to
position and unclip nicely too.

Tim
--
In space no one can eat ice cream

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

Quoted message said:

What you need, Velvet, is a decent allen key. I learnt this from my experience of not using one.
I'm now unable to remove my cleats as I used a bad key; I'm unable to remove one screw because the
hexagonal hole is more round that six-sided.

A tip from a car maintenance group : use a torx bit. Given a suitable selection you should be able
to push/hammer one in. I have done this on 4mm allen screws (which are probably what you've got) and
it worked.

cheers, clive

James Hodson said:

Velvet said:

So, for anyone considering trying them, it really is VERY important to bolt cleats very tight to
the bottom of the shoe. And remember to slacken off the tension in the pedals, too! Had I done
that, possibly the cleats wouldn't have twisted, and I'd have been able to get out without taking
shoes off feet...

What you need, Velvet, is a decent allen key. I learnt this from my experience of not using one.
I'm now unable to remove my cleats as I used a bad key; I'm unable to remove one screw because the
hexagonal hole is more round that six-sided.

James

Nono, I have an excellent allen key. The problem was with the wielder of said allen key failing to
appreciate (despite having read and understood this previously) the need for them to be tightly
tight, not vaguely tight...

Velvet

On Sat, 25 Oct 2003 19:55:29 +0100, "Clive George"

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

What you need, Velvet, is a decent allen key. I learnt this from my experience of not using one.
I'm now unable to remove my cleats as I used a bad key; I'm unable to remove one screw because
the hexagonal hole is more round that six-sided.

A tip from a car maintenance group : use a torx bit. Given a suitable selection you should be able
to push/hammer one in. I have done this on 4mm allen screws (which are probably what you've got)
and it worked.

Bugger. Why didn't you tell me two weeks ago. I had to drill the heads off some knackered allen
screws in the bottom of my old shoes. Very hard work. And me with a collection of torx bits in my
garage too.

Tim
--
In space no one can eat ice cream

Velvet said:

Well, it was interesting, albeit indoors (current skill would lead to injury if I used these
outside). Why is it despite reading lots on how important it is to make sure the cleats are REALLY
tight to the shoe, when it comes to it, you don't?

I used over an hour and a whole heap of calories (yay for that bit) learning how to get a shoe off
a cleat, and then how to get a cleat out of the pedal (actually the last is quite easy once you
know how), and performing this process twice, once on each pedal/shoe combo...

Apart from that, loved them. Know they're not for me on the open road yet (and any sort of open
road will be a bit dodgy for a while given cycling's aggravating nerve problem in arm) but made a
huge difference to the cadence I can manage (well, working it out manually, since my bike
computer's done a runner). Knees seem to appreciate them more, too, which wasn't what I was
expecting at all, and leads me to wonder just how much swinging side to side my feet were doing
before (and thus twisting the knee joint).

So, for anyone considering trying them, it really is VERY important to bolt cleats very tight to
the bottom of the shoe. And remember to slacken off the tension in the pedals, too! Had I done
that, possibly the cleats wouldn't have twisted, and I'd have been able to get out without taking
shoes off feet...

The bolts are a bit small for the job really, and don't encourage you to really get them tight. I do
ride with maximum tension though.

marc said:

Quoted message said:

Cycling is develkoping my leg muscles a treat, however, my upper body strength is *naff* to put
it bluntly. I *can't* do up the cleat screw tight enough just relying on my own muscle power.

Then let Archimedes(1) help you and use an extension on the allen key

Look cleats don't and can't use allen bolts.

~PB

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Then let Archimedes(1) help you and use an extension on the allen key

Look cleats don't and can't use allen bolts.

...well they could I s'pose but the heads would have to be very shallow so would be liable to round.

~PB

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Cycling is develkoping my leg muscles a treat, however, my upper body strength is *naff* to put
it bluntly. I *can't* do up the cleat screw tight enough just relying on my own muscle power.

Then let Archimedes(1) help you and use an extension on the allen key

Look cleats don't and can't use allen bolts.

I was thinking about SPD cleats, but the same applies to screwdrivers us a longer screw driver shaft
or a Tbar with an extension

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Look cleats don't and can't use allen bolts.

...well they could I s'pose but the heads would have to be very shallow so would be liable
to round.

Why? it reguires the same torque to do them up , and they would have the more edges to drive on than
a crosshead screw.

marc said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Then let Archimedes(1) help you and use an extension on the allen key

Look cleats don't and can't use allen bolts.

I was thinking about SPD cleats, but the same applies to screwdrivers us a longer screw driver
shaft or a Tbar with an extension

I agree about the Tbar and mentioned using a screwdriver with a t-handle in a previous reply
already. Keep up at the back! :-)

~PB

marc said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Look cleats don't and can't use allen bolts.

...well they could I s'pose but the heads would have to be very shallow so would be liable
to round.

Why? it reguires the same torque to do them up , and they would have the more edges to drive on
than a crosshead screw.

They're flat blade heads, not crossheads. Length of faces and the type of potential damage are
factors, too.

There simply isn't room for medium depth let alone deep allen socket heads in Look cleats (unless
thinner washers would help enough and could be used?) as deeper ones would stick out below the level
of the cleat. Shallow sockets, particularly small ones, get rounded off too easily at high torque
because not enough of the key contacts the faces.*

Look use 5mm diameter flat blade screw heads (crossheads would be no good in this application &
size). The slots are long enough not to get mashed if a well-fitting screwdriver is used carefully.
They can be tightened enough (very) without damaging the screw heads - in fact so tight that the
3mm-thick steel washers buckle!... not that I'm recommending that.

By the way Look users, some Look cleat copies use different screws from the genuine ones - these may
or may not suit your screwdriver so well.

* The worst example I know is on Kool Stop Dura brake shoes - the little screw that locks the pad
refill in place. It's true that only a small amount of torque is required to do them up but it
only takes a tiny weeny amount to completely ruin them. (Plyers can then be used, fortunatley).

~PB

Pete Biggs said:

I agree about the Tbar and mentioned using a screwdriver with a t-handle in a previous reply
already. Keep up at the back! :-)

A T bar makes a great little minimalist mutlitool for carrying on the bike, it's what i use.

A small (good quality) 1/4 drive sliding T Bar, 75mm extension and a bit holder socket. Coupled with
a few hex bits and a phillips and flathead bit and I can tackle almost anything on the bike in an
emergency.

Smaller and more reliable than any of the packaged multitools I've seen too.
--

Bob

Email address is munged. To reply directly remove the beverage.