Cleat position question

Donald Specker said:

How much flexibility is there in setting fore/aft position? I know
that you're supposed to have the ball of your foot over the pedal
spindle, but on my size 13 feet, the ball area is fairly large, and
the cleat adjustment pretty small. The way that feels best is back
pretty far - on Speedplays potentially as far back as possible. Is
that to be avoided?

Nope.

Bill "mine keep moving back, too" S.

Quoted message said:

How much flexibility is there in setting fore/aft position? I know that
you're supposed to have the ball of your foot over the pedal spindle, but

on

Quoted message said:

my size 13 feet, the ball area is fairly large, and the cleat adjustment
pretty small. The way that feels best is back pretty far - on Speedplays
potentially as far back as possible. Is that to be avoided?

Absolutely not! I've found rearward cleat positioning to be of great help
in alleviating knee issues many of my customers have had. There's a
theoretical difference in the amount of power you can develop (more leverage
with the cleat further forward), but I haven't noticed this in the real
world. Keep those cleat back and you'll possibly have happier knees.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

In article <[email hidden]>,

Mike Jacoubowsky said:

Quoted message said:

How much flexibility is there in setting fore/aft position? I know that
you're supposed to have the ball of your foot over the pedal spindle, but

on

Quoted message said:

my size 13 feet, the ball area is fairly large, and the cleat adjustment
pretty small. The way that feels best is back pretty far - on Speedplays
potentially as far back as possible. Is that to be avoided?

Absolutely not! I've found rearward cleat positioning to be of great help
in alleviating knee issues many of my customers have had. There's a
theoretical difference in the amount of power you can develop (more leverage
with the cleat further forward), but I haven't noticed this in the real
world. Keep those cleat back and you'll possibly have happier knees.

I agree with Mike. I had good luck relieving some knee and tendon issues
with rearward cleat placement. The leverage idea that Mike suggests
might affect sprinting power, but almost all of your regular power
output on a bike comes from your lungs and the big muscles on your
thighs and butt.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email hidden] http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine/wiredcola/
President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club