cleat and seat position

look up www.sheldonbrown.com , if you can´t find an answer there ......... there are loads of theories about seat hight , saddle advance but it´s all about what´s comfy for you but a lower seat hight is safer than too high , and don´t change two things at the same time or you won´t know what works .
The ball of the foot should be over the axle of the pedal , adjust as required but don´t over tighten untill it´s right .

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by FLETCHER
what is the best cleat position on your shoe?
Is the cleat best positioned under the ball of your foot?
To gain maximum efficiency is there an optimum cleat position?

Also when it comes to position my saddle I am also finding that I have to move the seat as far forward as possible in order that my knee is just behind the ball of my foot when the crank arms are level. I have the saddle height set so that my knees are just bent with the pedal at 6 o'clock .The frame height is right but is the length too long?

Should I just continue to move things around until I get comfortable - or is there a basic formula that I can follow to get the most efficient seat/handlebar/pedal postion

Cleat position is important to your pedaling efficiency. The more educated opinions seem to agree that the cleat should be positioned so that an extension of the pedal shaft passes right through the narrow area between the ball of your foot and the second joint of your third toe. Adjust your cleat position first, and pay attention that your cleats are adjusted so that your knees are aligned properly. I saw someone recently who was riding a TT bike, and his knees were pointed outward like he was riding a tricycle. It sucks being him.

Regarding saddle height, follow the protocol I outlined here:
http://www.cyclingforums.com/t54948.html

Be sure to adjust the saddle so that its seating surface is level (or very close to it). After a recent club ride, a guy riding an expensive carbon Trek (and wearing a USPS jersey) was complaining how badly his ass hurt after a 100km ride. I looked at his bike and the problem was evident. The nose of his seat was pointed directly at the front brake. The saddle is like a perch upon which you balance yourself comfortably. It isn't a reclining chair.

A good starting point for the fore/aft saddle position is adjusting it so that a plumb bob hanging from the bottom of your knee goes right through the pedal shaft with the pedal at the 3 o'clock position. Make adjustments so that the criteria for both saddle height and saddle position are met simultaneously. If you adjust one, you can upset the other.

The positioning of the handlebars (height and stem length) is done for both aerodynamics and comfort (balance). I could go into lengthy details about this, but so long as you get the more critical saddle and pedaling adjustments made, everything else should be adjusted around that.

I'm new to cleats but have been commuting for about 20mo's about 26mi/day. The LBS did a RAD and one shoe feels great.
I've been back 2X for the R foot. Still not right

So I moved the cleat back slightly to the position you suggest.

BUT NOW...at the end of my run, my inner Right hip aches. Feels like I want to turn my hip out slightly at the 2'oclock position.

What gives? Is it better to just go back to REI and sit on the trainer for 40mins and let 'em fix it?

-mild rant---
Annoying to pay for LBS service. It always requires "free" rework-every time regardless of the 5 or 6 local shops. If I did my job this way, I'd be fired.

It seems unusual that one foot would bother you - or rather a thigh bother you as a result of a minor cleat position adjustment. You shouldn't be feeling like you want to turn you knee outward. You should seek some very competent assistance.