SPD Setup tips...?

No doubt this has been discussed over and over but as a newcomer to SPDs I'd appreciate some input.

I seem to remember reading yonks ago that setting-up SPDs incorrectly can be uncomfortable at best,
and do knee damage at worst. It just seems incredible to me how hit-and-miss the fitting is for the
plate in the shoe (I'm talking recessed here) and with no guidance provided for the plates position,
i.e. front/back, left/right, toe in/out.

I'd appreciate any help or even somewher else I can look on the web for more info.

Thanks.

PS. Appreciate you replying also to [email protected]

 

Clive Wilson wrote:
> I seem to remember reading yonks ago that setting-up SPDs incorrectly can be uncomfortable at
> best, and do knee damage at worst. It just seems incredible to me how hit-and-miss the fitting is
> for the plate in the shoe (I'm talking recessed here) and with no guidance provided for the plates
> position, i.e. front/back, left/right, toe in/out.

Hi Clive, It is very indeed hit-and-miss but I reckon that's the way it's got to be.

Guidance on the shoes would be less than useless because cleats need to be positioned for YOU. Not
every human being has their feet pointing the same way when in a natural position, and different
cyclists have different preferences and theories when it comes to fore & aft, etc.

Experiement until find a position that FEELS right. If they feel comfortable to pedal with, your
knees will probably be all right. I know this can be a long and frustrating process but it is worth
it. (This is what I found with SPD's; although Looks were much easier to setup because of their
larger size).

Here's my rough guide to use as a starting point:

Lateral: First try centred, making sure there's enough clearance between shoe and crank.

Fore & aft: Lined up with ball of foot or a bit further down (towards heel) if prefered.

Rotational angle: There will be some float (free rotation), so setup so feet point in a natural
direction when relaxed at centre of the float. Pay attention to how far you can "twist" feet: you
might or might not like to be able to rotate so far that ankle rubs the crank bolt when at the
limit; also the point at which the cleat disengages from the pedal is important.

> I'd appreciate any help or even somewher else I can look on the web for more info.

http://www.chainreaction.com/pedalfaq.htm

http://www.myra-simon.com/bike/clipless.html

~PB

 

On Fri, 18 Apr 2003 12:06:22 +0100, "Clive Wilson" <[email protected]> wrote:

>No doubt this has been discussed over and over but as a newcomer to SPDs I'd appreciate some input.
>

Clive

Have a peek at <http://www.google.com/groups?q=cleat+group:uk.rec.cycling+insubject:fore/aft&hl=en&-
lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&selm=MPG.160800159c65cac09896b7%40news-central.giganews.com&rnum=1>

Sadly, this is the only message remaining from an interesting thread, or so I seem to recall.

You could try an Advanced Google Groups search <http://www.google.com/advanced_group_search?hl=en>
for Callas (a former u.r.c contributor) and something along the lines of SPD, cleat etc.

James

--
"Watch the kite, not where you're going!"