Look as developed a new guage that fastens to your pedal and allows you to measure your ideal cleat angle. The only place I can find any info is on the Look website. Has anyone used this system? Do any bike stores out there have it? How much does it cost?
PM bikescott or Chas@Look for more info, but when I last spoke with Scott, he said it was due out sometime in the near future. I think it’s going to be fairly expensive - from a consumer perspective - but not from a shop perspective. I don’t think they intend you (the individual) to buy one, rather you will visit a shop that has one. Now, if you represent a shop, my understanding is that it’s not something that will be priced to be “unobtanium.”
Thanks, Jordan. I have a tri club in Ottawa, SW may have mentioned it at some point as his sis is a member and he visited us once.
I’m starting to do more and more fits for members and find cleat adjustment is very challenging. In fact, I shy away for the most part, recommending the member do micro-adjustments on their own trainer at home. Compared to most other aspects of bike fitting which mostly have metrics, it seems that cleats have so far been left up to pure feel and experimentation. For that reason, this Look device seems long overdue.
I’ve searched the site but can’t find anything Dan has written on the subject of cleat placement/adjustment. Maybe I’m missing something?
Thanks, Jordan. I have a tri club in Ottawa, SW may have mentioned it at some point as his sis is a member and he visited us once.
I’m starting to do more and more fits for members and find cleat adjustment is very challenging. In fact, I shy away for the most part, recommending the member do micro-adjustments on their own trainer at home. Compared to most other aspects of bike fitting which mostly have metrics, it seems that cleats have so far been left up to pure feel and experimentation. For that reason, this Look device seems long overdue.
I’ve searched the site but can’t find anything Dan has written on the subject of cleat placement/adjustment. Maybe I’m missing something?
We don’t cover the subject. Paul Swift - one of the gurus of the subject - teaches an optional third day seminar at the FIST workshops (not all of them). We’re pretty much agnostic on the subject. Personally, I think your cleats should be symmetric and as far back as possible (unless you are a sprinter) on normal shoes (no arch mount cleats, just back on the forefoot).
Personally, I think your cleats should be symmetric and as far back as possible (unless you are a sprinter) on normal shoes (no arch mount cleats, just back on the forefoot).
Why, may I ask? Running off the bike?
Coming to multisport from cycling, I’ve always set mine (and recommended it for others) to be ‘neutral’ to the forefoot.
Look had protos at Eurobike 07. From what they told me at the time I came to the conclusion that it is one of those tools that makes a fit seem more scientific but doesn’t actually add any benefit in terms of comfort or performance. Anyone who can’t help someone get the cleats positioned in the middle of the angular RoM shouldn’t be doing fits, that is all the Keo fit system appeared to do. Perhaps in the intervening year and a half they’ve added to it…
Personally, I think your cleats should be symmetric and as far back as possible (unless you are a sprinter) on normal shoes (no arch mount cleats, just back on the forefoot).
Why, may I ask? Running off the bike?
Coming to multisport from cycling, I’ve always set mine (and recommended it for others) to be ‘neutral’ to the forefoot.
personally, i have bought shoes (dmt) whose cleat mounts are farther back on the shoe than most other shoes, and i have the cleats as far back as possible. it feels like the cleat position i can achieve allows me to get my leg mechanics “right” during the pedal stroke.
shimano shoes, for example, don’t allow me to get the cleats far enough rearward.
note that this comment is based on feel alone and not some rigorous testing protocol.
Personally, I think your cleats should be symmetric and as far back as possible (unless you are a sprinter) on normal shoes (no arch mount cleats, just back on the forefoot).
Why, may I ask? Running off the bike?
Coming to multisport from cycling, I’ve always set mine (and recommended it for others) to be ‘neutral’ to the forefoot.
It seems to reduce the ROM through which you use your lower leg muscles. So, yes, I think it helps with running. But I actually had a friend who worked with the High Road team who said the trend among GC guys & climbers (sustained power riders) was to move the cleats back. They felt it helped with prolonged, even power. I would say it reduced my calf usage, which I think is good (n=1, though).
I think this is one of those things that is best done on your bike riding around. I had a guy position my cleats for optimum performance as part of a rather expensive fit and I tried to stick with it for a while. Then I loosened them, rode a little, tried again, rode a little and then didn’t think about it again until the next time I changed cleats. Amazingly enough, they ended up back where the original trial and error method positioned them.
I think cleats with float actually made it a little easier, because there is an optimum range and you don’t have to be quite so exact. However, having gone from an 8 degree float model to a 4 degree model, I’ve decided I like less float better and will probably go back to fixed next.
Chad