Look pedals

I just got my first Look pedals, PP247, and PI Vagabond (size 11) road shoes. The problem is the inside of my shoes rub against the crank arm (Ultegra). Only by using max "heel out" can I clear the arm and that feels unnatural. I've tried adjusting the cleat. The bike shop said they have never heard of the problem. Am I missing something or are Look pedals designed for small feet? Thanks for any ideas!

 

I'm pretty sure this is a measure called "Q-factor", and some pedals have an adjustable thingy to add distance between the pedal and crankarm.

The only thing I could suggest is that you try putting a metal washer or two in between the thread of the pedal and the crank ... though that might make it easier for the pedal to come loose maybe?

 

At what point of the pedalling circle do your shoes rub? Think of the cranks as the hands of a clock. Do your shoes rub when the cranks are at 6 o'clock? Or 02.40?? or 04.50???

The reason I ask is this will help determine whether your cleats are misaligned or if the shoe drillings are out. LOOK designs the pedals to be correct across all shoe sizes. The adjustment factors built in to the cleat means that with properly aligned cleats, there should be clearance for your shoes. However, not all shoe manufacturers follow the LOOK specifications for hole/thread placement on the sole.

Tell me what position the cranks are in when the shoes rub. Also, on your walking shoes, do the heels wear on the outside or the inside? I'll try and work out what's going on. It may be that you need to re-align the cleat. It may be that the design of the shoe means you'll get some rub, which is for some foot shapes, unavoidable.

Neil, London, UK
www.billato.com

 

Thanks, all. The shoes rub at 6:00, i.e., at the bottom of the stroke when the shoes are able to contact the arm. The soles don't rub, its the part of the upper that is to the inside of the ball of my foot, and it feels like it would soon rub a hole. My walking shoes wear on the outside of the heel. I haven't tried another brand of shoes.

 

Hi plodder,

The info you give about your pronation/suination (your foot naturally rolls to the outside) and the position at which your foot comes into contact with the crank are quite normal. Ultegra cranks have a slight oval section which is most noticable on the outer face. My ultegra cranks have a 2mm deep groove at about 1cm down from the spindle, after a couple of seasons use.

However, you could still try to improve on the current situation. I'm assuming that you've got the correct positioning with regard to the ball of your foot over the centre of the spindle. (If not, make a start there).
LOOK cleats have about 3mm of lateral play built into the cleat, meaning that you can back the fixing screws off half a turn and slide the cleat to the inside; this'll move your foot further from the crank. It may be that you've ridden the pedals with the cleats slightly loose and this has twisted the cleats inward, meaning your toes will be pointing outward. Check this hasn't happened.
The correct placement has the front centre of the cleat in line with the front centre of the sole. If your foot wants to twist outward or inward uring pedalling the Free Arc built into the cleat allows for this.

Failing that, search locally for a specialist shop who does either 'Bio-Racer/Bikefitting.com' or 'Fit Kit' positioning services. Both these have a shoe/cleat alignment service that is very good at determining fore/aft and lateral cleat placement. It'll cost you around $20 but well worth it.

Try these first and if you're still having problems, get back to me. There's one last thing you could try and that's using the 'dynamic positioner' that comes with the pedals. This is a bit complicated so best left as a last resort.

 

Thanks for the help. I'll get to work on it.