Road Cycling - Shoe Cleat Position

I have had a problem with one of my feet going to sleep while riding (big toe and the two closest toes).

I talked to my Dr. about this and he suggested moving the cleat on my shoes. I checked where my cleats currently are, and they are all of the way forward in the shoe.

What are the effects (performance wise) of moving the cleat back on the shoe, or for that matter, keeping it where it is at? Can someone give me a quick tutorial on this? I did a Google search, but didn't really find anything worthwhile.

Thanks in advance!

The usual rule-of-thumb is to place the cleat such that the ball of your foot is directly over the pedal spindle. You also might want to use a padded insert in your cycling shoe to relieve some pressure.

Would concur with the last post. The cleat should be positioned right on the ball of the foot for optimum efficiency. I use Look and have them smack bang in the middle of my shoe. Feels right to me. Suppose it's a case of trial and error with cleat position.

What are the effects (performance wise) of moving the cleat back on the shoe, or for that matter, keeping it where it is at? Can someone give me a quick tutorial on this? I did a Google search, but didn't really find anything worthwhile.

Thanks in advance!

When you have the cleats more toward your toes in respect to the ball of your foot, you have a better mechanical advantage because you have more leverage. However, this can be tough on your Achilles tendon and calf muscles.

Not sure what you ride...but Look has a mark on the side of the cleat, that ought to bisect the bone right below your big toe, which ought to match up with the spindle on your pedal. You really need someone to look at this for you..better done sitting on a trainer to check it.
Ironically enough, I just had mine refitted last night and noticed that somehow the shim under the cleat got reversed, with the thicker side to the outside when it should be on the inside..must have fallen off on one of my changes and I accidentally flipped it over...so when it was remounted it made a big difference.

I suggest you see if your LBS has a fitter and see if they do cleat fittings. Most riders seem to mount their's straight across the shoe when they do not walk that way. You pedal like you walk..supinate or pronate thus the need to not only get the angle right but the "flatness" across the bottom of your bike shoe. You want to be able to deliver all of your foot to the pedal..not like when you walk and you wear out one side of your shoe first...you may push more to the outside or inside when you pedal, only getting maybe 60% drive..the shim (LeMond LeWedge is very good) corrects that.

I ride CX-6 Look pedals because I like the right foot angled slightly outward (heel toward the chain stay) and I occasionally will hit my heel on the stay. I adjust the "Q Factor" on the CX-6's 4mm further out (normal pedals come with about 50 mm from the center of the pedal to the end of the attaching nut) so mine are set at 54mm and my cleat is adjusted accordingly to keep my lower leg over the pedal to deliver the push without moving my knee in and out. Most pedals do not offer that feature, but it is possible to get a good alignment.

Mine were off about an eight of an inch and about a sixteenth across the bottom. You might not think that's much...but if you ride for three hours at 85rpms...that's 15,300 revolutions and a heckuva lot of repetitive motion that if the cleats are not right can hurt you. Numb toes are one sign of a misaligned cleat.

At our place, the fitter charges about $30 for a cleat fitting. It's well worth it. Many of the better area racers get theirs checked regularly. Our guy worked with a pretty good cat II racer who was having problems and made several minor adjustments...picked up 2 MPH right out of the box. That's how critical this can be.

i like the wider platform of the look's and also the shimano shoe line (wider shoe allows for better toe comfort)

all my troubles went away after switching shoes. but thats just me.

"booyah" actually answered the very same question for me....

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=43367

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.




:)