Put the cleats as far back as they go. This is a really old theory. When you are walking the maximum pressure point in your foot wil be the head of the second metatarsal bone, and it's been wrongly thought that that should be the point where the axle of the pedal should be. That's wrong. In Cycling the foot has to be considered as a lever, and it's not such a great lever. If you put the cleats that far forward you are going to cause fatigue to you calf, and the foot won't be stable. You have to set your cleats (generally) as far back as they go, cause that is a much stronger area compared to the front foot. It's a elementary biomechanical notion, as a podiatrist I can't see how this theory has still been shown. Sorry for the English, greetings from Italy.
The Cleat Key evolved because we needed a practical way to quantify cleat rotation, and we thought it might be useful to others. Cleat rotation is one of five cleat degrees of freedom that we discuss in our FAQ at www.cleat-key.com. We think it's the most important aspect of cleat fitting, and it is something that is otherwise not easy to quantify. In the video, we show one way to set the cleat fore-aft based on a mid-metarsal line. You can choose to set it where you like, and there is certainly a trend towards further aft positions. There are a few disadvantages to a full-aft position for some riders, namely more toe-wheel overlap, which may be an issue for small cyclists, and a biomechanical disadvantage in hard out-of-the-saddle sprints or climbing. For steady-state athletes like time trialists and triathletes, there is a lot of evidence that a more aft position is beneficial. It really depends on the athlete. We can agree that the old "spindle under the ball of the foot" is essentially obsolete. Keep in mind also that some shoes have cleat anchor bolt holes mounted much more forward than others. Italian shoes like Sidi and Fizik have cleat holes much more forward than those on say Shimano and Specialized shoes.
@Charles Man I with you too on this.If you can afford the price tag then why not pay abit more and get a bike fit done.I purchased a cheaper alternative called Ergon (£20) and it's perfect for me 👌
Really depends on riding style. We set up a lot of triathletes with the cleats as far back as possible. However, road cyclists who like to sprint or climb out of the saddle might find they're at a biomechanical disadvantage with this. In the video, we used the mid-met position as a compromise that will work for most people, but feel free to experiment. Also, keep in mind that different brands arbitrarily have cleat holes that are much more forward or aft than average. We've found that Italian brands for example, have cleat bolt holes a lot further forward on the shoe than do Shimano and US brands, for equivalent sizes. One thing is for sure, the old "spindle over the ball of the foot" or 1st met concept for everyone, is obsolete.
Yes I’ve been seeing a lot of new info recommending just pushing the cleat as far back as possible especially for endurance riders. No need to be on the metatarsals anymore with our new stiffer shoes. It’s been a game changer for me.
I couldn’t agree more. With the current cleats on the market as far back in the ball of the foot is the best considering they don’t go back that far anyway.
Just got mine today. I had tried to do the cleat angle myself using some protractors and thought I got it right, but when this tool showed up, it turns out I was 3° off on each foot. Even though this is a very specific tool, I hate uncertainty when it comes to cycling measurements and this is another niche tool that gets the job done and takes uncertainty out of the equation
Thanks so much for this feedback @lombremic4840. That's exactly why we developed the Cleat Key. Without it, you have no way of making sure you're getting the full benefit of the float provided by the cleat.
Un vídeo excelente. Con esta técnica puedes cuantificar los grados de rotación. Mi duda es la siguiente.....con 4⁰ grados de rotación en el mayoría de bicicletas la zapatilla toca contra la biela, o el tirante trasero de la rueda. Que hacer en este caso? Poner un extensor entre el pedal y la biela? Ninguna zapatilla creo que soporte 4⁰ grados de giro sin chocar.... En mi caso calzo un 44 de pié.... Saludos desde España!
Thank you for your feedback! You have a great point. You have 2 options: (1) limit the toe out angle to around 4-5° and see how it works for you over time, or perhaps better, (2) use spacers or a crank system that gives you a better Q-factor (that is, more distance between the pedals). We discuss this in our FAQ at www.cleat-key.com. En español: ¡Gracias por sus comentarios! Haces un buen punto. Tiene 2 opciones: (1) limitar el ángulo de convergencia a alrededor de 4-5° y ver cómo funciona con el tiempo, o quizás mejor, (2) usar espaciadores o un sistema de manivela que le brinde un mejor factor Q (es decir, más distancia entre los pedales). Discutimos esto en nuestras preguntas frecuentes en www.cleat-key.com.
several professional bike fitters (such as the guy from Francis's 'Bike Fit Tuesdays') actually suggest putting the cleats as far back on the shoe as possible
There's pros and cons to that, and it can certainly work for a lot of people. We discuss that in our FAQ, and will do our own video on that shortly. www.cleat-key.com/pages/faq
Great question! In the fitting studio we use motion capture to observe knee motion, but the idea is simply to get the knee laterally over the pedal. Generally people with a wider hip structure will want to set the cleats inboard for a wider stance, and people with narrow hips will want to set the cleats outboard for a more narrow stance. However, keep in mind that Shimano and Look cleats only allow for a tiny amount of lateral adjustment, just a few mm! A better way for a wide-hip rider to get the knee under their pedals might be to center the cleat laterally and use a longer pedal spindle, like the Shimano +4mm pedals, or Favero powermeter pedals. More on this at our FAQ at www.cleat-key.com.
It really depends. With the digital motion capture system we use for fittings, we can quantify how much people actually float when unrestricted, and that is typically around 4-6 degrees (we've observed that in around 95% of the population, or 2 standard deviations). For people who naturally float more than that, an 8-9 deg float cleat (like the Look red cleat) may make sense.
Don't forget to divide you foot splay angle by 3 to determine your cleat angle! If after doing this, your heel still hits the rear stay, you many need to bias the cleat position a bit. The Cleat Key can help you fine tune that. We discuss exactly that in our FAQ here: www.cleat-key.com
We just concluded a Kickstarter campaign. You can't get it there anymore, but it'll be available directly from our website in a few days. www.cleat-key.com
@@DezoLitty Many bike shops have bike fitting services, and a bike fitter can certainly do this for you. We’ve sold Cleat Keys to hundreds of superior bike shops around the world.
Hi Brads, we just finished a succesful Kickstarter campaign. In a few days (early June 2022) you'll be able to purchase it directly from the Cleat Key website www.cleat-key.com
Great question. The human body has an amazing way of straightening itself out when a load is applied. The “divide by 3” factor was determined by observing and measuring hundreds of riders at all levels to determine a correlation between the angle of the foot in a simple jump test, and the neutral position of the foot on a bike when power is applied around the pedal stroke (we measured using both a goniometer and digital motion capture). The method has been tested on hundreds of customers, from beginner to elite. The reason we didn't pre-correct the angle readings on the tool is because we realize some cyclists might want to know the actual, uncorrected angle their cleat is set at, or they may want to try a different correction factor. That said, the "divide by 3" factor will work for nearly everyone.
im sorry i still dont understand why people need to state them that way for? sorry only just started on road riding but I've always worn stds on MTB so I kind of just use them the same. i use look in the red so I have full movement in them for cornering etc etc but when riding then it just shapes as it does Automaticaly?? sorry curious. oh as for starting started firthust back furt bad so then fushed them furthest to the front then back one notch and kept at that since????
Cleat float and cleat rotation are two different things. If your neutral foot stance (while pedalling) is not centred on your cleat, you may not be getting the full float provided by your cleat. The Cleat Key is used to quantify your cleat rotation angle.
@@cleat-key not to be rude...but i have always wondered why time and campagnolo. have always left to last..on the back burner// has shimano bought out everyone? sort of ole payola..in the music industry..of years ago..time has been around as long or a little longer than shimano pedals..i worked in a shop back then.. look was first out the door... then time shortly after..
@@randellgribben9772 First mover advantage I guess. I got my first pair of clipless pedals in 1986. The Look system first appeared in 1984. Rightly or wrongly, it has stood the test of time and Look/Shimano are by far the market leaders for road pedals today. That's not necessary a bad thing as it has forced road shoe companies to make (nearly) all their shoes compatible with the Look/Shimano 3-bolt cleat pattern. We sell all 3 brands at the Bike Energy Lab, they're all good, but Time just hasn't got the same level of market adoption at this point.
We totally agree. Our video shows one way to install your cleats. That said, the Cleat Key is a useful tool, for both a new cyclist, or an experienced bike fitter, to quantify the cleat rotation angle, regardless of what method of installation is used.
We're very sure you wouldn't learn much about nuclear physics in 4 minutes, which is the amount of time you need to watch the video to figure out how to set up your cleats properly 😆
I have spent so much time on watching setup cleat video. This is the best and clearest video. GOOD JOB!!!!!!
Wow, this is the clearest video I've seen about the set up! Good job.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Finally i have found the most clearest tutorial, subscribed!
I saved it on my favorites to watch every time I need it! Good job!
Never seen any where like this clearly in any video. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Best video and tool on youtube, and trust me I have seen a lot 🙂👍
Put the cleats as far back as they go.
This is a really old theory. When you are walking the maximum pressure point in your foot wil be the head of the second metatarsal bone, and it's been wrongly thought that that should be the point where the axle of the pedal should be.
That's wrong.
In Cycling the foot has to be considered as a lever, and it's not such a great lever.
If you put the cleats that far forward you are going to cause fatigue to you calf, and the foot won't be stable.
You have to set your cleats (generally) as far back as they go, cause that is a much stronger area compared to the front foot.
It's a elementary biomechanical notion, as a podiatrist I can't see how this theory has still been shown.
Sorry for the English, greetings from Italy.
This! Listen to this man. He speaks the Truth.
Best to put your cleat on the heal
The Cleat Key evolved because we needed a practical way to quantify cleat rotation, and we thought it might be useful to others. Cleat rotation is one of five cleat degrees of freedom that we discuss in our FAQ at www.cleat-key.com. We think it's the most important aspect of cleat fitting, and it is something that is otherwise not easy to quantify.
In the video, we show one way to set the cleat fore-aft based on a mid-metarsal line. You can choose to set it where you like, and there is certainly a trend towards further aft positions. There are a few disadvantages to a full-aft position for some riders, namely more toe-wheel overlap, which may be an issue for small cyclists, and a biomechanical disadvantage in hard out-of-the-saddle sprints or climbing. For steady-state athletes like time trialists and triathletes, there is a lot of evidence that a more aft position is beneficial. It really depends on the athlete. We can agree that the old "spindle under the ball of the foot" is essentially obsolete.
Keep in mind also that some shoes have cleat anchor bolt holes mounted much more forward than others. Italian shoes like Sidi and Fizik have cleat holes much more forward than those on say Shimano and Specialized shoes.
@Charles Man I with you too on this.If you can afford the price tag then why not pay abit more and get a bike fit done.I purchased a cheaper alternative called Ergon (£20) and it's perfect for me 👌
I suggest everyone set the cleats as far back as they will go. Forget all the metatarsal bs.
Really depends on riding style. We set up a lot of triathletes with the cleats as far back as possible. However, road cyclists who like to sprint or climb out of the saddle might find they're at a biomechanical disadvantage with this. In the video, we used the mid-met position as a compromise that will work for most people, but feel free to experiment. Also, keep in mind that different brands arbitrarily have cleat holes that are much more forward or aft than average. We've found that Italian brands for example, have cleat bolt holes a lot further forward on the shoe than do Shimano and US brands, for equivalent sizes.
One thing is for sure, the old "spindle over the ball of the foot" or 1st met concept for everyone, is obsolete.
They are still using this old theory that came from walking.
In cycling the foot has to be considered as a lever, the cleats have to go far back.
Yes I’ve been seeing a lot of new info recommending just pushing the cleat as far back as possible especially for endurance riders. No need to be on the metatarsals anymore with our new stiffer shoes. It’s been a game changer for me.
Explain please.
I couldn’t agree more. With the current cleats on the market as far back in the ball of the foot is the best considering they don’t go back that far anyway.
Just got mine today. I had tried to do the cleat angle myself using some protractors and thought I got it right, but when this tool showed up, it turns out I was 3° off on each foot. Even though this is a very specific tool, I hate uncertainty when it comes to cycling measurements and this is another niche tool that gets the job done and takes uncertainty out of the equation
Thanks so much for this feedback @lombremic4840. That's exactly why we developed the Cleat Key. Without it, you have no way of making sure you're getting the full benefit of the float provided by the cleat.
This for amazing video! Very helpful!
Un vídeo excelente. Con esta técnica puedes cuantificar los grados de rotación.
Mi duda es la siguiente.....con 4⁰ grados de rotación en el mayoría de bicicletas la zapatilla toca contra la biela, o el tirante trasero de la rueda. Que hacer en este caso? Poner un extensor entre el pedal y la biela? Ninguna zapatilla creo que soporte 4⁰ grados de giro sin chocar.... En mi caso calzo un 44 de pié.... Saludos desde España!
Thank you for your feedback! You have a great point. You have 2 options: (1) limit the toe out angle to around 4-5° and see how it works for you over time, or perhaps better, (2) use spacers or a crank system that gives you a better Q-factor (that is, more distance between the pedals). We discuss this in our FAQ at www.cleat-key.com.
En español:
¡Gracias por sus comentarios! Haces un buen punto. Tiene 2 opciones: (1) limitar el ángulo de convergencia a alrededor de 4-5° y ver cómo funciona con el tiempo, o quizás mejor, (2) usar espaciadores o un sistema de manivela que le brinde un mejor factor Q (es decir, más distancia entre los pedales). Discutimos esto en nuestras preguntas frecuentes en www.cleat-key.com.
several professional bike fitters (such as the guy from Francis's 'Bike Fit Tuesdays') actually suggest putting the cleats as far back on the shoe as possible
There's pros and cons to that, and it can certainly work for a lot of people. We discuss that in our FAQ, and will do our own video on that shortly.
www.cleat-key.com/pages/faq
Wow, yes, thats so important !
Very informative, thanks
Hi, can you help me please 🙏
I need instrument 2:47, but I don’t know name. Can you say pls where I can buy this instrument ?
It's a Cleat Key: www.cleat-key.com
@ thank you so much)
Pitbull bike pedals do not have fore-and-aft adjustment. But they are the easiest to engaged
Thanks! How do you determine the lateral position/stance width?
Great question! In the fitting studio we use motion capture to observe knee motion, but the idea is simply to get the knee laterally over the pedal.
Generally people with a wider hip structure will want to set the cleats inboard for a wider stance, and people with narrow hips will want to set the cleats outboard for a more narrow stance. However, keep in mind that Shimano and Look cleats only allow for a tiny amount of lateral adjustment, just a few mm! A better way for a wide-hip rider to get the knee under their pedals might be to center the cleat laterally and use a longer pedal spindle, like the Shimano +4mm pedals, or Favero powermeter pedals.
More on this at our FAQ at www.cleat-key.com.
@@cleat-key thanks! I was hoping for some other method 😀
Muchas gracias! 🤘
VERY EASY.. THANK YOU
My left foot face inwards when I am pedaling but is faces forward when walking. Why is this? How can I correct it?
Great video. How much float do you recommend? Is 9 degrees of float too much?
It really depends. With the digital motion capture system we use for fittings, we can quantify how much people actually float when unrestricted, and that is typically around 4-6 degrees (we've observed that in around 95% of the population, or 2 standard deviations). For people who naturally float more than that, an 8-9 deg float cleat (like the Look red cleat) may make sense.
Where can I find it?
Available now online, ships worldwide.
www.cleat-key.com
I tried adjusting my cleat position, my foot now rubs against the crank arm. What did i do wrong?
Don't forget to divide you foot splay angle by 3 to determine your cleat angle! If after doing this, your heel still hits the rear stay, you many need to bias the cleat position a bit. The Cleat Key can help you fine tune that.
We discuss exactly that in our FAQ here: www.cleat-key.com
I’m having hard time adjusting my cleats, where to buy this protractor?
www.cleat-key.com
Where can by the cleat key?I can not find it on Amazon.😉
We just concluded a Kickstarter campaign. You can't get it there anymore, but it'll be available directly from our website in a few days. www.cleat-key.com
Is there any companies that you can pay them to install for you
@@DezoLitty Many bike shops have bike fitting services, and a bike fitter can certainly do this for you. We’ve sold Cleat Keys to hundreds of superior bike shops around the world.
Shimano Shoes with look cleats on look pedals work?
Yes absolutely. Made for Look Keo or Shimano SPD-SL road cleats and pedals, and compatible ones.
Where can I buy this tool?
Available worldwide. Have a look at www.cleat-key.com. Thanks!
Where can this device be purchased?
Hi Brads, we just finished a succesful Kickstarter campaign. In a few days (early June 2022) you'll be able to purchase it directly from the Cleat Key website www.cleat-key.com
what is the reason of dividing by 3?
Great question.
The human body has an amazing way of straightening itself out when a load is applied. The “divide by 3” factor was determined by observing and measuring hundreds of riders at all levels to determine a correlation between the angle of the foot in a simple jump test, and the neutral position of the foot on a bike when power is applied around the pedal stroke (we measured using both a goniometer and digital motion capture). The method has been tested on hundreds of customers, from beginner to elite.
The reason we didn't pre-correct the angle readings on the tool is because we realize some cyclists might want to know the actual, uncorrected angle their cleat is set at, or they may want to try a different correction factor. That said, the "divide by 3" factor will work for nearly everyone.
Anything on q factor?
Have a look at our FAQ at www.cleat-key.com
im sorry i still dont understand why people need to state them that way for? sorry only just started on road riding but I've always worn stds on MTB so I kind of just use them the same. i use look in the red so I have full movement in them for cornering etc etc but when riding then it just shapes as it does Automaticaly?? sorry curious. oh as for starting started firthust back furt bad so then fushed them furthest to the front then back one notch and kept at that since????
Cleat float and cleat rotation are two different things. If your neutral foot stance (while pedalling) is not centred on your cleat, you may not be getting the full float provided by your cleat. The Cleat Key is used to quantify your cleat rotation angle.
@@cleat-key im sorry ive only been ridding for now 20 years guess I still need to learn
all these tools are for look. shimano pedals... i ride time road pedals
Yes, Look and Shimano only at this point. We're working on a version that is specific to Time, which has a larger, different cleat design.
@@cleat-key not to be rude...but i have always wondered why time and campagnolo. have always left to last..on the back burner// has shimano bought out everyone? sort of ole payola..in the music industry..of years ago..time has been around as long or a little longer than shimano pedals..i worked in a shop back then.. look was first out the door... then time shortly after..
@@randellgribben9772 First mover advantage I guess. I got my first pair of clipless pedals in 1986. The Look system first appeared in 1984. Rightly or wrongly, it has stood the test of time and Look/Shimano are by far the market leaders for road pedals today. That's not necessary a bad thing as it has forced road shoe companies to make (nearly) all their shoes compatible with the Look/Shimano 3-bolt cleat pattern. We sell all 3 brands at the Bike Energy Lab, they're all good, but Time just hasn't got the same level of market adoption at this point.
Yassss
There are as many opinions on how to set up cleats, as there are stars in the universe... Everyone tells another story 😴
We totally agree. Our video shows one way to install your cleats. That said, the Cleat Key is a useful tool, for both a new cyclist, or an experienced bike fitter, to quantify the cleat rotation angle, regardless of what method of installation is used.
why are you wearing sox when referencing foot structure? it is because cyclists are the worst at explaining anything from cleat mounting to descents.
Oh my @Ken. Cyclists wear socks for a reason! Rule 27. If you want to see bare feet go to a swimming meet. 🏊😄
It’s easier to learn nuclear physics than to follow this tutorial
We're very sure you wouldn't learn much about nuclear physics in 4 minutes, which is the amount of time you need to watch the video to figure out how to set up your cleats properly 😆