Cleat position: a step-by-step setup guide

Cleats are the one adjustment that changes two things at once: where your foot sits on the pedal and, through that, the effective length of your leg in the pedaling chain. That is why they deserve a methodical setup — and why every cleat change gets verified at the knee afterwards. The guide below follows the same working logic as the app: clear references, small steps, one change at a time.

0. Before anything: mark your current position

Trace the cleat outline on the sole with a permanent marker (or photograph the sole up close, straight on). This is your safety net: any experiment becomes reversible in 30 seconds. Without a return reference, a failed adjustment means hours of hunting for the old position.

1. Fore-aft: the metatarsal reference

The classic reference: the ball of the foot — the bony knuckle at the base of the big toe — over the pedal spindle. Find it by palpation with the shoe on: press the side of the shoe until you feel the knuckle, then mark the spot with a thin strip of tape.

For long-distance and endurance riding, many fitters recommend a position 5–10 mm further back from this reference (cleat closer to the heel): it stabilizes the ankle, reduces calf load, and is more forgiving at the end of long events. For sprinting and explosive efforts, the classic reference remains the starting point.

2. Angle: start neutral, follow the foot

Mount the cleat aligned with the sole's axis — the neutral position. Then observe while pedaling on the trainer: if your toes feel forced inward or outward, adjust the angle in very small steps, following your foot's natural direction. The foot dictates the angle, not the other way around.

3. Float: keep the play until the position is validated

Float is the rotational play the system allows your clipped-in foot. Until your whole position is dialed and validated, use cleats with moderate float (in common road systems, the degree-marked ones — e.g. yellow for Shimano SPD-SL, grey for Look). Zero-float (fixed) cleats are for positions already proven over time — locking in a wrong position transfers the stress straight into the knee.

4. The golden rule: after cleats, check the knee

Any cleat change — fore-aft, angle, or even replacing worn cleats — effectively alters leg length while pedaling. Concretely: a cleat moved toward the heel "shortens" the leg; moved toward the toe, it "lengthens" it. After any adjustment, re-check your knee angle (saddle height) — the app's video analysis is exactly the tool for that.

5. Method: 1–2 mm steps, one change at a time

Cleat steps are measured in 1–2 mm and a few degrees. Change one parameter, ride for a few dozen minutes, evaluate, then decide the next step. Two simultaneous changes mean you no longer know which one produced the effect.

Quick checklist

• Current position marked on the sole (marker outline or photo)
• Fore-aft: ball of the foot over the spindle, or 5–10 mm back for endurance
• Angle: neutral at install, adjusted in small steps following the foot's natural direction
• Moderate float until the position is fully validated
• After any change: knee angle re-checked in the app
• 1–2 mm steps, one change at a time

General, indicative guide — it does not replace professional installation. It does not cover pain or medical issues: for those, see a specialist (professional fitter, sports physician, or physiotherapist).