HOW TO ADJUST MY SHOE CLEATS?
A good cycling position starts with the correct positioning of the feet on the pedals and it is therefore extremely important that the cleats are properly adjusted so that the feet can move around the pedals in the most natural, efficient and comfortable way. When purchasing new shoes or replacing your cleats, it is therefore very important that the cleats are properly adjusted so that your foot is not too far forward or back on the pedal and your foot is not forced into an unnatural position while cycling. Adjusting your cleats yourself can be a tricky and complicated job, so if in doubt, visit your local bikefitting.com dealer for expert advice. Given that this will not always be easy under the current Corona measures, we explain here in 4 steps how you can best adjust your cleats yourself.
Step 1
The Pedal Axle should be placed between the joints of the large and small toe (metatarsal I and V). In order to correctly adjust the shoe cleats, put on your shoes and palpate (=feel) the ball of the foot near the large toe on the inside of the foot. Do the same for the small toe on the outside of the foot and mark both spots with a marker or some tape if you don’t want to mark directly on your new shoes.
Step 2
The next step is to place the shoe cleat exactly in the middle of the two location which you have marked. Most cleat types have a mark for the location of the pedal axle. This is your reference point. With SPD cleats you use the center of the bolts with which you attach the cleats.
Step 3
The third step is to make sure that the fore-aft position (distance from the most rearward part of the shoes to the shoe cleat) is exactly the same for left and right. Your starting position will be to place the cleat exactly in the middle of the shoe sole. You can move the cleat more to the left or to the right based on the alignment of your knees: The center of the knee should be exactly above the center of the foot.
Step 4
Cleat rotation should be set up to accommodate the natural position of the feet while riding the bike. The starting position is always exactly straight, and from there on you can rotate the cleat if you have the feeling that the position of your feet is not natural. You may want to ride with more endorotated feet (heels outside) or exorotated (heels inside). Most people will prefer a few degrees of exorotation.
The above steps are a great start to adjusting your shoe cleats correctly. In case you continue to have specific complaints, questions or experiences however, your nearest bikefitting.com dealer will be able to assist and advise you accordingly.
