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Mid sole cleats, anyone ?
 

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

9/2/13 10:20 PM

Mid sole cleats, anyone ?

I saw a few blogs and links, one example Joe Friel:

http://www.trainingbible.com/joesblog/2007/01/cleat-position.html

I am going to try this. I will try it on the TT bike as it is the only Front Center out of all my bikes that toe overlap will be non issue.

I think I am grasping all the issues, except wondering if less clip out leverage will be an issue with the cleat mid foot?

Discuss?


Other link I found informative...

http://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/bikefit/2011/04/power-to-the-pedal-cleat-position/

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Nick Payne
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 2625
Location: Canberra, Australia

9/3/13 1:45 AM

When I had some achilles tendon problems a few years ago, I moved my cleats as far back as the existing slot in the shoe would allow - that was a change of about 1cm or so, compared to the position I had use for the previous several decades. It put the ball of my foot about the same 1cm distance in front of the pedal spindle. It felt a bit odd for the first couple of rides, but then it felt normal, and I've used that position ever since. But that change is not as far back as the articles you linked to talking about.

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Chris Klaren
Joined: 13 Jan 2004
Posts: 82
Location: Iowa

9/3/13 6:45 AM

A few years ago I moved my cleats back as far as possible, 1-2 cm. Had to lower the saddle a bit to compensate. Less tendon problems, but some occasional toe overlap with the front wheel. Well worth the trade-off.

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Steve B.
Joined: 19 Jan 2004
Posts: 769
Location: Long Island, NY

9/3/13 6:22 PM

My memory from 25 years ago was cleat forward/shoe back to induce "ankle'ing" or something. Essentially trying to reduce the "push over the top" effect and trying to round out the pedal stroke. If you push too hard on the top of the stroke and over to the bottom (if that makes sense), you use the quads. If you can round out the pedal stroke and spin, you save the quads. Helps avoid tendentious where the quads meet the knee and easier to spin with the cleats forward. So went the theory.

Having just this spring moved my SPD-L cleats to the extreme rear travel in the slots, I can say BS. I've had a summer of long mileage and no issues with my quads or associated tendons. I have mostly alleviated the hot foot inflammation that has plagued me for a few years.

Would I re-locate the cleats as shown in the photo ?. No, that's seemingly a bit extreme.

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KerryIrons
Joined: 12 Jan 2004
Posts: 3234
Location: Midland, MI

9/3/13 6:50 PM

Moving back

This mid-sole thing has been around for 20 years or so. IIRC it was first proposed/tried by RAAM guys who were having lots of foot issues (can't imagine why). It's never caught on.

When I first got into cycling as a teenager I got a book on cycling (published in England). It had examples of all kinds of fads that have come around again and again (non-round chain rings, "magic" crank arm designs, etc.) and I learned at a tender age to not drink the Kool-Aid until it had gained reasonably broad and sustained market presence. Experience has taught me that this is a good way to view all the "innovations" that come at us.

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Brian Nystrom
Joined: 26 Jan 2004
Posts: 5096
Location: Nashua, NH

9/5/13 5:25 AM

I moved my cleats back a bit...

...a few seasons ago and it made my feet more stable on the pedals, but we're only talking a few millimeters behind the balls of my feet. I can't see any benefit to going farther back. As for reducing fatigue on the calf muscles, when my legs crap out on a ride, it's never my calf muscles that are the issue.

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