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Cleat position - cause and effect

theBlob

Bokeh master
Sep 28, 2011
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I have a problem wiht my right knee, well it is really soft tissue related, the tendon that connects the calf to the back of the knee. I have been really trying to feel what is going on there and have noticed that my ankle is not restricting my foot movement at the bottom of my stroke when I am in power mode.

This might be due to the fact that I have severely compromised ligaments in that ankle. Two loose bits of bone connected to free floating ligament, A relic of rugby/skiing/ falling down a set of stairs in my youth. I never considered my ankle injury as effecting anything but now I am not so sure.

Anyway after talking with a friend he suggested I move my cleat position back on the foot to more centralize the power transfer. So I moved it back about 5-6mm. I also brought my seat a bit forward and lowered it a bit to compensate, because it seemed to shorten my hip to pedal distance a little. Will take it and my tools for a longer test ride tomorrow up Arakawa see how things go...:bike:

Anyone have any thoughts on all this, particularly with how the cleat position effects things like power transfer etc... front/back, in/out???

Thanks for any info...
 
I think changing many parameters at the same time will complicate the troubleshooting. Also, 5-6mm seems like a change too big to make at one time unless your current setting is already too far from "rule of thumb" - ball of the foot on the pedal shaft.
I'd start with 1-2mm for cleats, leave the saddle position unchanged and see if it will change for the better or the worse.
Cleat angle and Q-factor might need adjusting too (depending on what type of pedals you use).

I won't say Good Luck to you, because I believe it's not about luck. Just be patient and careful, then you'll find the answer!!:thumb:

Eugen
 
Bird is spot on - when it comes to adjusting these kind of things you want to adjust 1-1.5mm at a time as the effects further up the leg are multiplied - 1mm change at the cleat can put your position out further up the leg by 2-3-4 mm.

Also it really does seem like you are stabbing in the dark on this - I would suggest going to see a Pro before getting back on the bike - you're not doing yourself any favors hammering away on a bum knee.
 
Also it really does seem like you are stabbing in the dark on this - I would suggest going to see a Pro before getting back on the bike - you're not doing yourself any favors hammering away on a bum knee.

Yep I am... Guess I will return things to close to where they were and get into a shop asap.
 
Interesting reading, thanks!

Has anyone tried the mid foot cleat position before?
 
Prorace mechanic is back. I'd recommend having him dial ths in. He has all the tools and the knowledge to tackle these tough fits.
 
Tim, I already mentioned Chuck in the other thread that "TheBlob" posted on the topic. Unfortunately he's not setup at home yet to do fittings - Although Nagano is a bit far for a fitting and I highly suggest Chuck gets mobile ;)
 

I was also feeling some minor .."discomfort" in my right knee. After reading the above suggested sources, I thought "what the hell, let's just notch the cleat position back a little".

...Wow. Honestly, I don't think I moved the thing more than.. 4mm? or thereabouts, but the difference... :eek::eek::eek:

When I get out of the saddle, I feel I can put SOO much more power into pedaling! Before that, I felt like mostly fighting with the bike, but now it's awesome!

Now.. time to fiddle with the height/position of the saddle :rolleyes::D
 
I'm sorry for bringing up this thread again, but I have something to ask, regarding which I wish to draw upon the almost infinite wisdom of the fellow TCCers.

Recently, I noticed that a muscle ... "bulge" has formed just over my knees and towards the inside of my thighs. This is definitely a muscle, which just wasn't there before. However, it feels quite.. unnatural. Nothing to balance it from the outer side of the thigh. It's not aching or anything but, it feels quite stiff.

Is this normal? Or the position of the cleats is wrong, thus forcing me to use unusual muscles more? I'm worried that this might be the beginning of some sort of injury, any insights?

If necessary, I can provide pic. Cheers!
 
Is it equal on both sides? If so, and there's no pain, then stop worrying.

If you include a proper set of stretches in your post ride routine, you will keep your muscles and tendons long and lithe and get more years of use out of them.
 
hairy leg incoming!

So.. here are the pics. Well, there doesn't seem to be any support for spoiler tag as far as I could tell, hope you're prepared for a hairy leg!

If there's any insight I'd be glad to hear it! (This... is all kinds of awful, a bit ashamed honestly, but eh, I'll post it anyway :eek:)
 
This guy seems to suffer from the same thing....only in a more advanced state.

Don't worry about it. If it is the same on both legs it is probably just some added healthy muscle mass.

:confused::eek: Yeah, it's the same on both legs.. I was just.. so surprised by the "sudden" appearance of muscles whose existence I didn't even notice!

Thanks! :warau:
 
Looks fine (well, you need to get those legs shaved and tanned...)

You are just getting some muscles!
 
erm no - its either shaved and lycra or hair and shy shorts. You can never, NEVER mix the two!
 
The first time you do it, it feels weird. You soon get used to it though.

...and the same can be said about shaving your legs.

ithankyou.
 
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