| Title: | Bicycling |
| Notice: | Bicycling for Fun |
| Moderator: | JAMIN::WASSER |
| Created: | Mon Apr 14 1986 |
| Last Modified: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 3214 |
| Total number of notes: | 31946 |
Note 362 was all about Look pedals (and some on recumbents), but did not discuss cleat adjustment! I have been riding in sneakers, toe-clips and loose straps (no pulling on the pedals for hill climbing or "scrape mud off the sole"!) and have logged 2300 miles this year without any problems, so my two-stroke engine is in great shape. I decided to increase my pedalling efficiency "instantly" by getting into the cleated world, with Look pedals and Look-compatible Duegi 303 shoes. Like others, I figured the convenience of being able to get out of the pedals without using my hands (in a panic stop situation, what the hell is the hand doing unstrapping the foot? It should be on the brake lever!) was well worth the price. Since the distance of the top of the sole of my sneaker to the old pedal axis was more than that in the Look-Duegi setup, I lowered my saddle height by 5mm. Advice I have seen for adjusting conventional cleated shoes is to keep the bolt snug, go for a ride while your foot gets into the position it is used to, and have a friend tighten the bolt while you are still on your bike after your ride. The Look pedals don't allow access to all 3 screws anchoring the cleat, so I used a trial-and-error method, which has met with little success so far. The feedback I get from my foot is inconsistent. For instance, on a 15 mile ride with the cleat adjustment being FIXED, the same foot tells me the adjustment is perfect, and then that it should be angled outwards, and finally, that it should be angled inwards! Sometimes, the knee/leg that was complaining a moment ago feels just great, and the other leg starts complaining! Shucks! They are so hard to please! Do I have a " wandering foot" problem? What gives? Any advice much appreciated!
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 368.1 | Again, the Fit Kit | DEBIT::FISHER | P-B-P qualified | Tue Jun 30 1987 09:54 | 3 |
Go to any bike dealer who has the fit kit and get RAD'ed. He should
have the needed stuff in his fit kit. Some shoes are not compatible
with the fit-kit tools for radding looks but that's another matter.
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| 368.2 | LOOK maintenance? | IAMOK::WESTER | Mon May 15 1989 19:35 | 19 | |
I have a question for any LOOKers out there. What, if any, maintenance
is needed to keep them working in top condition?
I'm now into my 3rd season with LOOK Sport's. The black piece at
the rear of the pedal is starting to loosen up, making it difficult
to disengage from the pedal, and a bit of side to side play when
I'm locked in. The only adjustment I see on the pedal is for
increasing or decreasing the tension release.
Adjusting the tension doesn't make any difference, it seems to require
about the same force to click in or out. My main concern is that
the pieces of the pedal are starting to loosen up. As a result,
my foot can vary its angle, and eventually I may end up with knee
troubles. But then again, isn't that what the TIME system does?
Allow your foot some side to side play?
Anyway, is there any way to tighten, adjust the pedal itself?
Dave
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| 368.3 | Shimano/Look Pedal | ODIXIE::RRODRIGUEZ | Sign Here X__________ | Fri Sep 24 1993 13:36 | 6 |
| 368.4 | WMOIS::GIROUARD_C | Fri Sep 24 1993 14:21 | 3 | ||
The axel is supposed to intersect the ball of your foot.
Chip
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| 368.5 | ODIXIE::RRODRIGUEZ | Sign Here X__________ | Fri Sep 24 1993 14:27 | 6 | |
| 368.6 | NOVA::FISHER | US Patent 5225833 | Sun Sep 26 1993 07:15 | 7 | |
Bill Farrell explained it as "forward of the ball for sprinters,
behind for mashers" THose of us well balanced fold put the ball over
the axle. Another description he used was that forward of the ball
of the foot put more strain on the calves and back put more strain
on the quads.
ed
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| 368.7 | GAUSS::ROTH | Geometry is the real life! | Sun Sep 26 1993 22:06 | 11 | |
Re .-1 Something I notice (since I have trouble with my knees, especially my right one) is that if I have a cleat adjusted behind the ball of my foot it makes my knee hurt. It feels more comfortable to be on or in front of the ball of my foot. The same is true of going up or down stairs - it's easier on my knee to put weight on the ball of my foot mainly, and not my heels. - Jim | |||||
| 368.8 | for pain in ball of foot move feet forward on pedals | LASSIE::ZIELONKO | Wed Sep 29 1993 14:41 | 7 | |
i recall reading that lon haldeman found that setting his feet more forward (that is, the axle coming farther *behind* the ball of his foot) helped relieve chronic pain in the ball of his foot. i have had problems with this and now have myself set up with a position like this. i haven't had the foot pain (which had gotten really bad BTW) in quite a few years. however i don't know if that's due to the stiffer shoes they make nowadays, fewer miles on my part or the new position. perhaps it's all three. | |||||