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Old 04-30-09, 04:28 PM
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BigBlueToe
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Central Coast, CA
Posts: 3,392

Bikes: Surly LHT, Specialized Rockhopper, Nashbar Touring (old), Specialized Stumpjumper (older), Nishiki Tourer (model unknown)

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Heel Touching Crankset

I've been noticing my right heel touching my crankset on my Allez as my right foot goes down in the pedal stroke. I don't think it's good, partly because it's annoying, and partly because I must be rubbing off a little bit of my power (don't snicker) each time this happens.

Right now I'm using touring pedals (no clips), a 105 triple crankset, and I wear running shoes. I've been toying with the idea of going clipless on my Allez for a long time. Now I might have some reasons:
  • I'm thinking road shoes have narrower heels than my running shoes, which would be less likely to rub on the crankset.
  • I'm also thinking the clips will keep my feet pointed where they belong and will lessen their likelihood of "wandering" into the crankset.
  • I'd also just like to give clipless a try. I rejected toeclips years ago (after giving them several tries) and I'm not backsliding on that, but I think clipless might be a little easier to get in and out of.
I'm leaning towards Look Keos, and I think the Sprints are about in my price range. I have size 14 feet. My LBS has some Specialized road shoes - 48's I think - that seem really comfortable but with stiff soles.

I'm wondering about the float. I'm thinking I'll start with the normal cleats. I understand they have a certain degree of float but not as much as others. I'm thinking that the ones with more float might make my feet more likely to rub the crankset. I'm thinking the ones with no float would prevent this, but might cause me soreness, especially since I'm not used to clipless.

Any thoughts on any of this? Are Keo's suitable for large feet? (They're not overly wide, just really big and long.) I've read that Ultegras are wider, but I've also read that they're harder to unclip from, even when the tension is dialed all the way down.
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