Originally Posted by
IthaDan
What?
I take it you've never had a loose SPD cleat. Not as much as a three bolt road cleat if you're crazy pidgeon toed or something, I guess, but plenty in my experience for just about everyone. Back in the days of shoe anchors with just two threaded holes (nowadays, it's 4) you could get damn near 45 degrees in both directions there was so much slop. I had an old pair of specialized shoes where the cleat just wouldn't bite as soon as a drop of water got on them, so I'd have to wrench my foot to a crazy angle to get out.
There is also a side to side adjustment on two bolt cleats (crank brothers' cheaper cleats are a notable exception), it's just that this movement is the first thing to gum up.
I think you are interpreting slop in the pedal system as float.
All of the MTB pedal systems that I've used (SPD, TIME, Eggbeaters) have only one angle (or lack thereof) with no float. There was play in them. But that play was a return-to-center type of spring action. So, if you are pigeon-toed you'd have to push against that return-to-center cleat to have your feet (and ultimately your knee) where it wants to be.
By the way, I currently ride Shimano SPD-SL zero-float cleats. My feet are in the right position and are fixed. I believe that float is for people who don't know where their foot should be
