Based upon a lot of advice, mainly from internet research, I have always used the yellow Shimano cleats with 6 degrees of float. After all who wants joint damage. But an error on my part and I accidentally ordered the red ones with zero float. I was too lazy to return them so I replaced my worn out yellow cleats with the red ones thinking I was doomed. Well, after my first ride I can honestly say I have never felt more connected to my bike and my pedaling action feels really smooth and efficient. Now after hundred of miles my knees and other joints feel great and I’m never going back unless I’m missing something.
So my question to those in the know is, “Am I crazy for using zero float cleats or is that the norm for most top performing cyclist?”
Based upon a lot of advice, mainly from internet research, I have always used the yellow Shimano cleats with 6 degrees of float. After all who wants joint damage. But an error on my part and I accidentally ordered the red ones with zero float. I was too lazy to return them so I replaced my worn out yellow cleats with the red ones thinking I was doomed. Well, after my first ride I can honestly say I have never felt more connected to my bike and my pedaling action feels really smooth and efficient. Now after hundred of miles my knees and other joints feel great and I’m never going back unless I’m missing something.
So my question to those in the know is, "Am I crazy for using zero float cleats or is that the norm for most top performing cyclist?"It’s working for you, so that’s the bottom line.
I think that less float is more efficient than more float, at least when really riding hard, such as out of the saddle. But not everyone’s joints can handle minimal or no float. I use the yellow and that’s OK. I’ve considered trying blue some day. Red would not work for me.
Worth noting that back in the day, before clipless pedals, cleats didn’t float. The shoes were a little softer which partly compensated for that.
float in cleats is a relatively recent phenomenon. time pedals were the first, in the mid-80s. when i began as a cyclist we nailed our cleats (no float) to the bottom of our shoes. that’s when i developed my understanding of commitment to process and the understanding of consequences to hasty decisions.
if this issue of pedal float, dialing it in, determining an exact start and stop point where float begins and terminates (this is important to me for specific biomechanical needs i have), speedplay is the clear choice.
i do not use speedplay for all my pedal needs; chiefly it’s offroad where i don’t ride speedplay. but if this specific feature animates you there is no other pedal that does what speedplay does (that i know of).