Look Keo grey 4.5 vs red 9 degree "Q Factor"

Triathlon Forum
1

I just wore through a pair of grey “4.5” degree float Keo cleats and could not find any grey ones in stock so I got the 9 degree float red cleats.

I position my cleats “as wide as possible” but it seems that with the red ones, I’m around 2 mm (or more) further inward. Is there any diff in the Q factor between the two or is the feeling due to cleat wear (the outside of the old cleats tend to wear more than inside due to how I walk).

Input?

2

Does not make any sense. They are the same size right? The only difference is the amount of float, no?

How can you tell it is 2mm off?

3

I thought the only way to change the Q factor was by buying those special washers that they advertise and placing them on the spindle. I could be wrong though. As the other poster stated, the color cleat should only change the amount of float.

4

I know the amount of float is supposed to change (which is a pain in the ass anyway…i can’t imagine needing 9 degrees of float WITHIN a pedal stroke), but my feet just seem closer together and just eyeballing the space between my shoe and the crank, there is less space. My only thought is that the slot that the bolt goes in is “slightly” narrower"…or it could just be cleat wear between the old ones and new ones, but stil confused how cleat wear would cause this to occur.

5

I guess that they slots where the bolts go could be slightly different. Seems unlikely that they would redesign the mold though. The only way wear makes sense is if the slots are wearing as if the screws were loose, has anyone ever asked you if you had a screw loose? Likely not in your shoes anyhow :wink:

6

I don’t know about any issues with Q-factor, but I have noticed that while you can always find the red and black cleats, sometimes it can be difficult to find the grey cleats in stock.

I looked and I see that Tri-Zone, Excel Sports, WCP, and BikeTiresDirect (and probably some others) currently say that they have them in stock.

http://www.tri-zone.com/Details.html?cat=69&item=LKKCL

http://www.excelsports.com/main.asp?page=8&description=Cleats+Keo+Bi-material&vendorCode=LOOK&major=5&minor=6

http://www.worldcycling.com/LOOK-Keo-Keo-Grip-Replacement-Cleat/productinfo/PDLMKCLEAT/

http://www.biketiresdirect.com/product/look-keo-replacement-cleats

7

Are you getting fooled re: Q factor by the additional float in the cleat? In other words, is your foot really in the same place on the pedal or were you in fact against the stops with the grey cleats and now rotating the foot more with the red? This can be hard to sense on your own, a perceptive set of eyes on your foot orientation in the pedal (in particular, looking from behind/below at the bottom of the shoe) can help figure this out.

Also when you say you position the cleats “as wide as possible”, does that mean with the cleats at the outside of the shoe, to bring your feet closer together? Or do you mean you try to get your feet as wide as possible, by pushing the cleats inward?

In any case, I’ve never noticed a difference in stance width from one cleat color to the next. Surprised you could not find grey in stock, they are the most common sold, blacks are usually the tough ones to find (shameless plug, I always stock all 3 :wink: ).

Cheers,