Thinking about clipless

[wheres_my_beard]

I haven't had a full-blown clipless moment, so on that basis, I can unconditionally recommend clipless pedals to everyone. I have some nerve-jarringly close moments, but I try and forget about them.

I remember my first proper clipless ride (on my fixed wheel bike), and pulling up on the crank whilst pushing down, and feeling like I had an extra pair of legs propelling me along, it seemed like I had endless acceleration and power, which was massively exhilarating and oddly scary at the same time. Well worth experiencing, even if you have to borrow some kit from someone else for a ride to try it.

 

[Sca1ey]

No it doesn't

Famous last words

 

[Mushroomgodmat]

Quick question - looking at the LOOK KEO Classic Pedals (which come with cleats). Am I correct in assuming the cleats are designed to fit road bike shoes as default?

 

[Zakalwe]

Look KeO = 3 triangular hole bolt pattern on sole, standard on many road shoes and all high end. Some shoes will have both the 3 holes with 2 mountain bike style bolt holes in the centre and will, as you would imagine, take both types.

 

[MacB]

You can potentially use the full 360 degrees of motion in the cranks to apply power to the drivetrain, which is where the improved efficiency comes from, but figures and percentages are nonsense. You'll feel connected and that you're being more efficient which is nice. Your feet don't slip so you will be confident in giving it the beans whenever you like. You'll be able to wear specific cycling shoes which really are worth every penny due to comfort and stiffness in the sole. You might fall over when getting used to clipping in and out. You'll learn how to do it quickly. You'll never want to ride on flat pedals again once you do.

Warning the above post may contain nuts innaccuracies and the entire thread will be peppered with 'factoids' that aren't.

 

[Zakalwe]

Are you calling BS there MacB? Which part in particular do you disagree with, or are you quoting it all just for some sort of comedic effect?

 

[guitarpete247]

In, almost, 3 years of being clipless, my only moment was when I lost a bolt from left (2 bolt) cleat and ended up rolling onto a grass bank. Check the tightness of bolts regularly, more so on 2 bolt type. I also a thread lock on the bolts of all my cleats once I'm sure they are positioned right.

 

[MacB]

You can potentially use the full 360 degrees of motion in the cranks to apply power to the drivetrain, which is where the improved efficiency comes from, but figures and percentages are nonsense. You'll feel connected and that you're being more efficient which is nice. Your feet don't slip so you will be confident in giving it the beans whenever you like. You'll be able to wear specific cycling shoes which really are worth every penny due to comfort and stiffness in the sole. You might fall over when getting used to clipping in and out. You'll learn how to do it quickly. You'll never want to ride on flat pedals again once you do.

Okie dokie:-

first sentence I agree with
second sentence - not necessarily
third sentence - possibly but no guarantees
4th sentence - begins with statement of fact, as in you can wear cycling specific shoes - then descends into subjective central
5th sentence - true
6th sentence - not necessarily
final sentence - possibly but demonstrably untrue for a fair number of cyclists

but glad you appreciated my comedic efforts

 

[Zakalwe]

Well there we are, some comparisons of opinion that may be beneficial to the person who posed the question. I can't claim to be any sort of expert on what passes for comedy but I am glad you were able offer something of value to the discussion.

 

[Mushroomgodmat]

Another question for you knolagable lot!

I have one foot one size smaller than the other (size 9 and size 10 - Lucky me born with a club foot). Typicaly I buy size 10 shoes, but in this case cleats have to be installed correctly against the foot. I assume there is a bit of room for adjustment of the cleat on the shoe?

If there's not Ill just have to buy two sets of shoes (oh joy!)

 

[vickster]

Could you not just buy an inner sole for the smaller foot - there are special ones for cycle shoes? Cycling shoes often come up small, so best to try them on for size in a shop The cleats fit in the same spot on shoes typically, you can adjust them, angle etc

 

[Zakalwe]

Hmm, tricky one. There's a bit of movement possible on the cleats but I can't say it would be enough with any certainty. With SPD SL pedals you could slide one as far forward and the other as far back as possible and probably get a good size apart at least but the fit would concern me. I'm actually a shoemaker so I know a thing or two, how do you get on with shoes generally? Do you wear any sort of insert or orthotic for the smaller foot?

 

[Mushroomgodmat]

Hmm, tricky one. There's a bit of movement possible on the cleats but I can't say it would be enough with any certainty. With SPD SL pedals you could slide one as far forward and the other as far back as possible and probably get a good size apart at least but the fit would concern me. I'm actually a shoemaker so I know a thing or two, how do you get on with shoes generally? Do you wear any sort of insert or orthotic for the smaller foot?

Cool! A shoe maker

When I was a kid Clarks used to sell combinations of shoe sizes, when I grew out of that I just bought DM style boots that laced up my ancle. Iv never considered any type of insert. Recently iv gone back to trainers, for the most part that's been fine, but my smaller foot is always a quite short for a size 10. The toe of the shoe on my smaller foot always looses shape/form as there is no foot to fill the space. I would estimate my smaller foot is an inch shorter.

Regarding an insert though - while that might make the shoe fit my foot better, it's not going to change the position of the ball of my foot (or is it), which (I think) is what the cleat has to be aligned too?

I think a trip to the bike shop tomorrow might be in order

 

[Zakalwe]

You spot on about inserts, it'll hold your foot in a larger shoe more securely but by holding your foot back against the heel, and only if the lacing of the shoe isn't sufficient to that itself. Another option is to build up the inside of the heel cup to throw your foot further forward but I can't think of any satisfactory way to do this with a regular cycling shoe - especially with a difference of an inch or so. More important than overall length difference is the length from your heel to the big toe joint. Beyond that, the issues you've had with crumpled toe boxes due to your foot not reaching the end and holding the shoe down aren't a concern in a road cycling shoe - the soles are stiff and you generally won't bend them.

Really high end road shoes are now heat mouldable, I've no experience with them myself but perhaps it would be possible to manipulate the heel stiffeners a bit to make up for the difference, along with a bit of careful cleat positioning. Speedplay pedals have the biggest range of positioning as far as I know, and there's a bike fitter called Steve Hogg who has a good few articles online regarding this sort of thing.

I should add also that cycling shoes are not my area of work, modern shoes are made from all sorts of wild and exotic materials which I don't work with - my stuff hasn't been cutting edge since about 1890

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I'm 100 miles in on my spd pedals and shoes now, the only slight issue I'm having is that the stiff sole is hurting the bridge of my foot, in much the same way ice skates do.

Would gel inserts be worth a pop?