Wow! This has been a revelation! I have now modified most of my shoes and only ridden modified ones since I started. Today I went for my first ride on my good bike with its Delta Look cleats. Moved my seat up 1/8" or half the cleat thickness. I have been getting used to sitting straight on my bikes for the first time ever. Today was the first time I ever both sat straight and had the seat correct. (Next move is to up the seat that 1/8" on my other 4 bikes.)

I cut out shims in 3 patterns, SPD, LOOK and for Exustar track cleats that use 2 bolts of the LOOK pattern. 1/4" 6061 aluminum plate. The shape of the shim is roughly to extend under the cleat, around the bolt holes and around 1 to 1 1/2" in front of the cleat. Each plate is then drilled for that shoe and bent to fit the sole. Pretty easy to do once I figured out how to bend the plate. Not hard. I put the cleat in a bench vise that is well bolted down and bend with a good sized pipe wrench with a pipe over the handle. My wrench is probably 15" and the pipe 5'. 3' would work. A 5 lb sledge is the right tool for the final finessing. I put 0.01" aluminum sheet over the wench jaws to minimize scarring of the plate. I clean the shim edges and add tapers at the front with a disc grinder and file. Nothing fancy. Once the shoe is walked on, aluminum takes a very beat up look! Effort to make show pieces is a little like polishing turds. Cleats are then mounted with bolts 5mm longer than stock.

This sounds micky mouse, but the end result feels solid and right. I expect these shoes to last as long or longer than their partners. No drawback to riding at all. Only issues are off the bike with the SPD cleats that are now entirely exposed beyond the lugged soles instead of clicking slightly on hard floors. Now they walk like the worst of the bad cleats of decades ago.

And riding a bike where I can look down exactly through the plane of the frame and wheels. Ever time. Fun!

Ben