# Cleat wedges, tilted cleat, or in shoe wedge?



## tlg (May 11, 2011)

I'm looking to adjust my cleat angle. Any suggestions on which of these might be better than the other?


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

Depends on your problem. Keep in mind that because of the stiff soles nowadays, cleat wedges and a tilted cleat will invert or evert ("tilt") the entire foot. Some peope should have forefoot or rearfoot varus/valgus correction only. For these, tilting the entire foot may not be the best thing to do. They would be better served with in-shoe correction.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

wim said:


> Depends on your problem.


I don't have a problem per se. But I've been noticing my foot/knee rolling outward some when I pedal, It doesn't feel like all the pressure is on the ball of my foot.


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## tylerwal (Jul 28, 2011)

it could also be the q-factor as well; it has an effect on knee-tracking


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

tylerwal said:


> it could also be the q-factor as well; it has an effect on knee-tracking


Thanks. I wasn't even thinking that. I recently got new shoes. I'll have to check my cleat positions.


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## SteveV0983 (Dec 9, 2008)

I had a Specialized 3D fit and they proved to me that I did need wedges. They video tape you from the front while pedaling and at the top of the pedal stroke on my right leg, my knee would crash inward towards the top tube as soon as I started my down stroke. We added 1 wedge and it got better. Then a second and it went away completely.
And that was using Specialized shoes, which already have some wedge built into the sole.
Personally, I like the ones that you put between your shoe and your cleat better than the ones you put inside the shoe because they don't take up room inside the shoe.
So they definitely do work if you need them. If you have a video camera, you could set it up yourself and see if it happens.


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

When pedaling my left knee comes up right next to the top tube, but my right knee points to Siberia. I went to a friend with whom I ride occasionally who is also a podiatrist. He was familiar with my prob & put an orthotic in my right shoe. It cured the knee sticking out problem, but after riding with it for about 100 mi. I developed pain in that knee that was quite significant. I took the orthotic out & the pain disappeared immediately. Sure, my knee still sticks out a little but I found it to be better than the alternative.


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## Peter P. (Dec 30, 2006)

Get the orange, in-shoe wedges. They're easy to insert and remove, without tools and without disturbing the cleat position. They're great for experimenting.


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

Peter P. said:


> They're great for experimenting.


Nothing wrong with experimenting. But it's important to remember that in spite of popular belief, a wobbly knee or a rotating foot is not a certain indicator of a biomechanical issue that reduces power or will lead to injury. As Mr. Versatile's post illustrates, trying to "fix" a non-issue may be something you really don't want to do.

/w


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

first there's not necessarily anything wrong with a none perfect pedal stroke. Maybe your body isn't perfect (like most people) and your stroke is actually perfect for it.

Anyway, I tried those orange ones that go in the shoe and they did have the desired affect on my pedaling but they really hurt the ball of my feet on long hard rides. My shoes are on the tight side and that could be a factor but still I thought those things sucked. I decided to scrap the wedge thing all together but I'd definitely go with the cleat variety if I were to try it again so as not to change the fit of my shoes.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Fixing what ain't broke*



wim said:


> Nothing wrong with experimenting. But it's important to remember that in spite of popular belief, a wobbly knee or a rotating foot is not a certain indicator of a biomechanical issue that reduces power or will lead to injury. As Mr. Versatile's post illustrates, trying to "fix" a non-issue may be something you really don't want to do.


My wife has a wobbly knee. She has been riding with this wobbly knee for over 40 years with no pain and no apparent loss of power. Funny thing is, her brother has the exact same wobbly knee. He's been riding for 40 years with likewise no issues. Even stranger, one of our daughters has the same wobbly knee. You could say it was genetics, but who would believe you?


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

Corrective insoles have been a big help for me.

However, I was suffering from knee pain before I got them. So clearly without those insoles, I did have a problem, unlike some of the above posters who had funny-looking biomechanics and no problem. I don't know if I had funny looking biomechanics at the time. I was mostly riding on my own.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

tylerwal said:


> it could also be the q-factor as well; it has an effect on knee-tracking


That was of it. I adjusted my cleats and it made a big improvement. 
I noticed something else though. I have high arch's and when I stand barefoot, my feet tend to roll a little bit outward. So that could be a little of the cause as well. I may have to try some insoles with arch support.


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## SkiRacer55 (Apr 29, 2005)

*Bingo...*



wim said:


> Depends on your problem. Keep in mind that because of the stiff soles nowadays, cleat wedges and a tilted cleat will invert or evert ("tilt") the entire foot. Some peope should have forefoot or rearfoot varus/valgus correction only. For these, tilting the entire foot may not be the best thing to do. They would be better served with in-shoe correction.


...you need to have an experieced fitter make the call. I just had a BG Body Geometry 3D fit done on my new ride, and it's an incredibly detailed and thorough fit. One of the last things we wound up doing was a slight varus wedge, forefoot only, inside both shoes. I don't think there's any one size fits all, and there are other issues as well. For example, we also wound up moving my cleats out slightly and rotating the right cleat slightly to better align my right foot...


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

tlg - while I don't have abnormally high arches, I do have them, and most cycling shoes ship with an insole without much arch support. Specialized markets theirs as +, ++, and +++, with the +++ being the one with the most arch support. Their higher-end shoes have a stock insole that's equivalent to a +, and some shoes don't even have that. While runners need some movement in their arches to keep everything working right, cyclists don't use our feet that way. So if your arch starts to collapse over the course of a long ride, something that the shoe is really not helping with, it starts to change the way you pedal and your alignment. Definitely get some insoles that actually fit the arches you have.


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## homebrewevolver (Jul 21, 2012)

oh great... another thing for me to wonder if I need it or should be using it... thanks :/


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## Chris Teifke (Aug 11, 2012)

I think really good orthotics tend to be more effective than these for a real solution.


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