When I walk, my right foot naturally is toe out a bit.
When I bike, it seems to want to toe in. It will naturally go as inward as the look cleat’s float will allow.
Is that normal? Should I set it the way I walk? Or set it the way it wants to go when I bike?
Im interested as well. I tend to toe-in with my left foot when cycling and my left knee often will hit the top-tube, my right knee seems to track perfectly. My right leg is shorter than my left, which kind of puzzles me as to why my left is acting so weird.
Hopefully someone with a good knowledge of shims can chime in here.
Jack, N-1, but…
I was in a brace till age three (hip) and my right foot angles about 15 degrees out as I walk. I’ve been on bikes now for over thirtyfive years and set my cleats dead straight - have never had an issue. “Back in the day” we didn’t have float, so I would often set new cleats a bit loose on that foot to see where they would end up before I cranked them down - always straight.
If you have no issues with your knee, I wouldn’t dick with a good thing.
Kai
I’ve toyed with this as well…
I have broken both of my ankles (weird accidents… motorcycle and football), so I have some structural/biomechanical issues and I too seat my cleats so that both shoes are straight. I align my feet/shoes so they are parallel to the frame.
When changing cleats or shoes, I’ve had some twinges of knee pain, but it resolves as I eventually get the cleats aligned so that my shoes are straight on the pedals.
Good luck.
The amount of toe in or toe out that you ride with is surprisingly a function of your hip angle. Sit on the edge of a table with your feet dangling, knees and hip at 90 degrees. Relax your legs and bend forward from the hip. Watch what your feet do. You should try and replicate what your feet actually do at approximately the same hip angle, this is tough to do by yourself though.
Damn Jon, there you go. Were I to do that, I’d be off the bike in 10 miles with a knee the size of a basketball.
Let’s be a bit careful what we tell folks here; Its fine, I think, to speak in generalities, or of specific individual cases, but passing an absolute off as you just did can hurt folks.
Kai
Damn Jon, there you go. Were I to do that, I’d be off the bike in 10 miles with a knee the size of a basketball.
Let’s be a bit careful what we tell folks here; Its fine, I think, to speak in generalities, or of specific individual cases, but passing an absolute off as you just did can hurt folks.
Kai
Why are you so touchy? It seemed clear to me that Jon WAS “speak in generalities”.
Another approach is to simply walk up a flight of stairs 2 steps at a time and watch your foot position. A similar foot position on the pedals is a good starting point.
Im interested as well. I tend to toe-in with my left foot when cycling and my left knee often will hit the top-tube, my right knee seems to track perfectly. My right leg is shorter than my left, which kind of puzzles me as to why my left is acting so weird.
Hopefully someone with a good knowledge of shims can chime in here.
I have a similar situation. My left femur is a little shorter, because of a multiple compound fracture over 25 years ago, and the right foot wants to toe in just a bit more than the cleat adjustment will allow. It’s not drastic, I’ve trained for and finished an IM like that, but I can usually feel the right foot wanting to turn in against the limit of the float.
Edit to fix some bad editing. 
I’m touchy because its cold and I don’t want to go swim. I’m touchy because I generally distrust information given out on the web without reference (i.e. Spluge, et al, 1998). I’m touchy because an honest question was asked and an answer was given which could actually hurt the guy who asked.
I can’t find a study, but I’ll wager a smoked pork belly that a large percentage of riders run straighter cleats than would be suggested by the tricks mentioned in this thread. I can guarantee I’m one.
Now you’ve got me upset and i have to go whine in the pool all alone…Kai
The method I’ve described is not something I’ve made up or would claim to. It was first described to me by Paul Levine and it’s also used by Dr. Andy Pruitt. I recommend you pick up his book and see what it says to do in there.
An honest question was asked and an honest answer was provided, there was no such trickery or deceipt as you’ve implied.
Jon, I would never imply trickery or deceipt. My statement should have been easy enough to understand.
I do, however, appreciate the source. In an attempt to be fair, I just sat up on the kitchen Island and noted that my right foot dangled a good 15 degrees or more out (as it has for the past 56 years). Were I to set my cleat to match that, I can assure you that I wouldn’t last one ride before my knee blew up. I’ll double my original wager to a slab of real bacon and a fresh pastrami.
best, Kai
Kai, getting in a cold pool on a winter morning makes me grumpy too!
I concede your point that individual people require individual adjustments. Consider though, that the test Jon mentioned has you positioned in a position where the knee is necessarily neutral. The foot position then, as weird as it seems in your case should (if it were possible to recreate on your pedal) result in a neutral knee position while cycling. I’m not sure your guess of knee-doom would necessarily occur.
Did you bend forward from the hip to see the impact on your toe out?
You’re talking to a vegetarian, so your waigers aren’t all that tempting!
Yep, I did indeed…and the farking banana slipped out of my tortilla (w/jelly all over it) and made a mess on my nice tights (is there a double here)…
Despite all, I ain’t messing with a thing as I’ve never had knee troubles on the bike.
Wager is still valid for the meat eaters out there, but for Jon, I’ll up it to fresh goodies from the garden this summer (overnighted to address of choice). I was a veggie for over a decade, but eat a fair amount of meat now. How could I give up that first BLT in the summer with a piece of my own home smoked bacon.