Drilling out the soles of SPD shoes

[Twilkes]

I can't find a thread on this, but does anyone have any experience of drilling out the soles of cycling shoes to move the cleats further back?

I have Shimano ME2 shoes and based on my platform pedal position (not quite mid-foot but it's not far off) I need the cleats another 15-20mm further back.

Not sure whether drilling a single hole for the new position or extending the current slots would be the best move - the soles seem very strong but 20mm might be a lot of extra material to take out, leaving the narrow strip of sole behind.

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

Why would you want to move the cleats further back?
Your foot will be in the wrong position in regard to the pedals, worsening your pedalling dynamics. Plus there is an increased risk of toe overlap to front wheel/mudguard.

 

[Twilkes]

It's not really what the thread's about, but it's to do with the balance of muscle use,I.e. less calf and more upper leg. If you sprint you need to be on the ball of your foot to get that 'snap', otherwise it's not really necessary. There's no right or wrong foot position, mid-foot cleat is a recognised thing, a lot of top triathletes use it.

 

[fossyant]

Triathletes do everything wrong/different.

You'll need some replacement pads that you screw the cleat bolts into, but I suspect your sole won't accept them - the moulding probably won't let you move them further back.

I'd also say your foot will be in the wrong position - ball of foot needs to be over the axel, plus or minus a few mm to suit. I know when I've had a cleat slightly too far back I've ended up with 'hot foot' and numbness. - My ball was slightly to the rear of the axel. There is a reason for not moving cleats back that far.

 

[vickster]

Pro sprinters seem manage on SPD-SL. Maybe switch system if you’re wanting to race?

 

[Twilkes]

https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.co...leat position is when,drawn on the foot below.

The above reflects the position I've settled on after years of cycling on flats; I used to be a toe pointer and got calf cramps but dropping my saddle and moving my feet further forward on the pedals increased my endurance a lot as it uses more of the big muscles and less of the calf.

Just looking to see if anyone has experience of drilling out cycling shoes.

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

How long have bikes been around?
How long have guys been racing bikes?
How long have bike companies been making bike gear?
How many (in millions) of cyclists have used existing bike gear?
How many companies would dearly love to get the edge on the competition by finding a new way of transferring leg power onto the road?

The present positioning of feet is the result of over a century of practical experience along with the expenditure of countless millions of £€$.

Why should the system be suddenly all wrong?

 

[matticus]

Triathletes do everything wrong/different.

Unlike Greg Lemond (TDF winner, for the youngsters - google him!).

Triantelopes are usually wrong - but by throwing up enough stupid ideas, some good stuff does creep out occasionally. I'm certainly far from being a mid-foot cleat sceptic.

 

[Twilkes]

For similar reasons that everyone used to think that narrower tyres were faster? In addition you're talking about racing, which is different to the needs of 99% of cyclists and where mid-foot wouldn't really be appropriate. A lot of the fastest Ride Across America riders use mid-foot cleat, if there's a prejudice against triathletes; it's not 'wrong'.

Just looking to see if anyone has experience of drilling out cycling shoes.

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

Well if you are worried about power transfer then just ask Chris Hoy or Gregory Bauge how to do it.

 

[Twilkes]

Well if you are worried about power transfer then just ask Chris Hoy or Gregory Bauge how to do it.

Chris Hoy doesn't seem to have competed over a distance greater than 1000 metres so is a terrible model for the vast majority of cyclists. No idea why you have such a problem with this.

 

[Randomnerd]

http://www.trainingbible.com/joesblog/2009/12/how-to-modify-shoes-for-midsole-cleat.html

Here's all the info for you after a three second internet search. maybe you've heard of it? Or are you determined to tell people youre different and spark a debate about some shoes. Drill some holes where you want your cleats and get on with it. Please then report back and tell us your findings. Most of us, I suspect, just go with the flow and dont bother about increasing our power output. I for one am far too busy looking at the view

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

No idea why you have such a problem with this.

Oh look. Everyone is out of step except our Johnny.

 

[Twilkes]

Oh look. Everyone is out of step except our Johnny.

I'm not saying other people's position is wrong, you're saying mid-foot is wrong.

Was looking for other experiences, if there aren't any then fine, have a good weekend.

 

[matticus]

i don;t think Darius has any experience of re-drilling cleat holes to share with you. HTH!