Clipless pedals.

Just wondering if there is some sort of science behind setting up the cleats on SPD shoes or is it just trial and error. I've been using flat pedals since the nineties and have only just chaged to SPD's in the last few weeks and my knees were in pieces after the social spin yesterday. I'm not sure wheter its to do with the angle the cleats are at on the shoes or what. Any advice appreciated.

John - from what I understand it is really important to get this right, particularly that your knees are not twisted at an "un-natural" angle! This might be helpful;
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/bicycles-fa...ection-21.html

Cheers Richard.

Make sure your cleats (presuming they're SPD) have an "M" on them. These are multi release and are far easier to use than the normal ones. The multi release also have allot more float making them easier to set up.

They are actually the Crank Brother one's rather than the Shimano one's. I have Mallets on my 6" bike and eggbeaters on my xc bike.

As a clipless noviceI got these:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/M...?ModelID=10969
and find them great.

Barry

Well the problem is not so much getting out of the pedals or anything like that, I'm probably not 100% comfortable with them yet but I'm getting there, its more that I find my knees are shagged afterwards which was never a problem before with the flats. I think I just need to play around with the angle of the cleats on the shoes. As Richard said you don't want your knees at an un-natural angle, this must be the problem.

As Oz said, there is a lot more float in these, so your foot position isn't as fixed.

I put these on my shoes in a fairly middling position and haven't adjusted them once, so it's something to bear in mind.

Barry

What's the problem sticking with flats..??

IMO - You only really need SPD's if your racing or can't stay on the pedals.. So why change something that obviously worked for you for a long time only to end up worse off..?

Bit of a no brainer for me but if I were you I'd go back to flats...

you might have them on upside down ..and only people with magic powers can use flat pedals !!
******s !!

Nobody told me i had magic powers...thats the feckin job. Who do i talk to about picking one? My career guidance counsellor is due a kicking....

From riding flats you have probably developed a taste for riding with your feet at an odd angle on the pedals. So your not used to riding with your feet straight. You need to have a think about how your knee is being twisted and try and rejig your cleats to replecate how your feet sit on your flats

Yea, you could have a point there, my knees probably aren't used to being so straight which is the way I set up the cleats on the shoes!

Gerry, the reason for changing to Spd's is because I decided after building up the XTC carbon I would be ridiculed into hiding under a rock for the rest of my life for running DMR V8's on a light Xc bike!

does that mean I have magic powers? where do I find them? tell me....

well i'd sure your magic powers are loacted in your hips and your testicilees..considering you've doubled the popultion of laragh since you moved there !!

Just wondering if there is some sort of science behind setting up the cleats on SPD shoes or is it just trial and error. I've been using flat pedals since the nineties and have only just chaged to SPD's in the last few weeks and my knees were in pieces after the social spin yesterday. I'm not sure wheter its to do with the angle the cleats are at on the shoes or what. Any advice appreciated.

John - from what I understand it is really important to get this right, particularly that your knees are not twisted at an "un-natural" angle! This might be helpful;
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/bicycles-fa...ection-21.html

Cheers Richard.

Make sure your cleats (presuming they're SPD) have an "M" on them. These are multi release and are far easier to use than the normal ones. The multi release also have allot more float making them easier to set up.

They are actually the Crank Brother one's rather than the Shimano one's. I have Mallets on my 6" bike and eggbeaters on my xc bike.

As a clipless noviceI got these:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/M...?ModelID=10969
and find them great.

Barry

Well the problem is not so much getting out of the pedals or anything like that, I'm probably not 100% comfortable with them yet but I'm getting there, its more that I find my knees are shagged afterwards which was never a problem before with the flats. I think I just need to play around with the angle of the cleats on the shoes. As Richard said you don't want your knees at an un-natural angle, this must be the problem.

As Oz said, there is a lot more float in these, so your foot position isn't as fixed.

I put these on my shoes in a fairly middling position and haven't adjusted them once, so it's something to bear in mind.

Barry

What's the problem sticking with flats..??

IMO - You only really need SPD's if your racing or can't stay on the pedals.. So why change something that obviously worked for you for a long time only to end up worse off..?

Bit of a no brainer for me but if I were you I'd go back to flats...

you might have them on upside down ..and only people with magic powers can use flat pedals !!
******s !!

Nobody told me i had magic powers...thats the feckin job. Who do i talk to about picking one? My career guidance counsellor is due a kicking....

From riding flats you have probably developed a taste for riding with your feet at an odd angle on the pedals. So your not used to riding with your feet straight. You need to have a think about how your knee is being twisted and try and rejig your cleats to replecate how your feet sit on your flats

Yea, you could have a point there, my knees probably aren't used to being so straight which is the way I set up the cleats on the shoes!

Gerry, the reason for changing to Spd's is because I decided after building up the XTC carbon I would be ridiculed into hiding under a rock for the rest of my life for running DMR V8's on a light Xc bike!

does that mean I have magic powers? where do I find them? tell me....

well i'd sure your magic powers are loacted in your hips and your testicilees..considering you've doubled the popultion of laragh since you moved there !!