Road Cycling - Where my cleats go?

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parakeethouse
01-06-04, 11:51 AM
Hey cyclists,
Just got me some new Nike Altea road shoes and was wondering what is the criteria for putting the spd cleats.... more up? Back? inside? outside?

or is it just a comfort thing?

your help is appreciated!
thanks

a2psyklnut
01-06-04, 11:53 AM
Generally you start with the cleat in a position so the pedal axle is directly below the ball of your foot. Then play around with it's position to find the optimum spot!

L8R
Jonny B
01-06-04, 02:41 PM
Ideally you'd leave the bolts slightly loose so the cleat can move around a bit as you ride, so it settles into place, but of course they'd move when you tried to clip out. Unfortunately it really is just trial and error.

travis200
01-06-04, 03:32 PM
Trial and error is the key. You want it to be under the ball of your foot.
Stubacca
01-06-04, 03:48 PM
Pedal axle under the ball of your foot is right for the front-back positioning - this may take a few goes to get right. Some people feel more comfortable with the ball of the foot slightly behind the pedal axle.

Something else to consider to help save your knees, and perhaps stop you clipping out accidentally: make a note beforehand of the direction your feet point naturally when riding without cleats. Try to duplicate this arrangement by positioning the cleat. i.e. if you normally pedal a little bit pigeon-toed, you'd want to angle the cleat slightly inward at the top to keep your foot/ankle in the same position.