# homebrew cleat shims??



## Ibashii (Oct 23, 2002)

Anybody done it?

For years I shimmed the cleats on my SIDI MTB shoes (Shimano SPD) to compensate for a knee rotation problem with two broken, 1-cm lengths of paper clip jammed between the cleat and the bottom of the shoe. A bit of a PITA to install, but other than that no problem. One day about 3 years ago, while getting new shoes, I decided I had healed myself and didn't redo the shimjob. It was fine and I was smugly happy, but I'm training more now and the pain is back and I need to reshim. I can't find the actual professional SPD-shimming product anywhere here in France, and I was wondering if anyone knows of a better idea than busted paper clip pieces for shimming SPDs about 1-1.5 mm on the inside of the shoe.

Hmmm, maybe I think I'm too bourgeois for paper clips now. Fact is they worked fine for 1000s of miles...still, there must be a better solution.

PS don't flame me for using MTB pedals on my road bikes...no one's come up with a good reason for me to switch yet.


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## C-40 (Feb 4, 2004)

*info...*

I can't imagine that you can't find the Lemond wedges somewhere in France. I found them in the UK and many places in the USA with no problem, using a google search.

http://www.cyclefit.co.uk/lemond.html

I have used epoxy putty to change the angle of the cleat mounting surface, but it's not all that simple or precise. I'd keep looking for the wedges.


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## Ibashii (Oct 23, 2002)

I've looked and looked, both on the not-too-developed French retail internet and in all the local shops, and nothing. The LBS guys look at me like I'm nuts and then talk to me like I've never been on a bike before--questions like "do you know that seat height is important, and that cleats need to be screwed in very tight or they move?"--and the only British store with which I've had luck delivering things to France, chainreactioncycles.com, doesn't carry them. My last option is to buy them from an amazon-related company, but delivery can be really dicey here from the US, especially where I live.

Maybe I'll try that and go back to the paper clip for now.


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## Kuma601 (Jan 22, 2004)

Machine tool suppliers and the larger ones would have shim stock for various metal types, phenolic and plastic available. If you know the thickness you want, might take a few phone calls. Some good utility scissors and such, you'll be set.


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## BuenosAires (Apr 3, 2004)

I have a 6mm leg length discrepancy and made a shim for my mountain bike shoes out of UHMW. It comes in many different thicknesses and is easy to work with.


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

I made shim out of Low Density Polyethylene and it works well. Shux, you could probably use plastic milk jugs cut and stacked to size.


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## pdxtim (Nov 15, 2004)

*thin washers???*

Maybe some really thin washers would work?


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## capt_phun (Jun 14, 2004)

velodog said:


> I made shim out of Low Density Polyethylene and it works well. Shux, you could probably use plastic milk jugs cut and stacked to size.


I actually found a plastic laundry detergent jug that is angled just like the lemond wedges. The thickest part is 1.5mm & it tapers to .75mm at the thin edge. I cut two wedges, thick side towards the inside of the shoe, went to Lowes & got longer metric loose bolts, $.89 for my wedges, versus $25.


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## kermit (Dec 7, 2004)

*+1 on washers*

I have a leg length discrepancy from a broken hip. I found some thin washers that fit under the cleat. You might need a longer cleat screw but the cool thing is you can adjust as needed. Three was too many for me and two washers is perfect. Just a suggestion.


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## Peter P. (Dec 30, 2006)

Are you trying to shim for a leg length discrepancy or for foot tilt (varus or valgus)?

For leg length discrepancy, you can pick up some Neolite material at any shoe repair shop. I used a piece of Lexan from the hardware store. It's 3mm thick. I cut it to fit and milled out slots for the cleat with a Dremel tool. See below. You will need longer cleat mounting screws, of course.

For foot tilt, I don't recommend the LeMond wedges. They were a pain, and shifted around and compressed a lot. The one benefit of the Wedges kit is it comes with two sizes of longer screws! Instead, get Specialized Body Geometry insoles. They come with shims to place inside the shoe for tilt.

Follow this link: http://www.specialized.com/bc/microsite/bodygeometry/main.html?x=y

Go to Shoes and Footbeds. Mouse over C, the footbeds, and D, the shims. The shims come with the footbeds.

Also, get a copy of Andy Pruitt's book, Andy Pruitt's Complete Medical Guide For Cyclists. It has helpful information on how to analyze foot position and how to shim for leg length discrepancy and tilt.


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## zoikz (Sep 5, 2003)

*polyurathane*

I was lucky enough to have Bill Peterson do my orthotics and correct some long standing problems I was not even aware I had. When he figured out I needed 6mm of shim, he took out a piece of plastic, traced the outline of my cleat and cut it with a pair of shears then drilled the hole with a hand drill. I think that would work well for you as well.


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## Guest (Feb 24, 2009)

http://www.bikefit.com/index.php


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## Ibashii (Oct 23, 2002)

Peter P. said:


> Are you trying to shim for a leg length discrepancy or for foot tilt (varus or valgus)?
> 
> For leg length discrepancy, you can pick up some Neolite material at any shoe repair shop. I used a piece of Lexan from the hardware store. It's 3mm thick. I cut it to fit and milled out slots for the cleat with a Dremel tool. See below. You will need longer cleat mounting screws, of course.
> 
> ...


I've got a small leg-length difference (3mm) and a good amount of inward knee rotation due to foot tilt. Hadn't thought of insoles, but I'll take a look: thanks! also, I'll pick up the Pruitt book next time I'm in the states; it comes up every time I search a bio-mechanical issue on this site.



capt_phun said:


> I actually found a plastic laundry detergent jug that is angled just like the lemond wedges. The thickest part is 1.5mm & it tapers to .75mm at the thin edge. I cut two wedges, thick side towards the inside of the shoe, went to Lowes & got longer metric loose bolts, $.89 for my wedges, versus $25.


Now that's my kind of solution! That's how I always felt about the paper clip, but your solution sounds less likely to catastrophically fail.


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## Dinosaur (Jan 29, 2004)

*Similar to Specialized*



kytyree said:


> http://www.bikefit.com/index.php


In shoe wedges go underneath the footbed. I've been using Specialized shims for a couple of years. a lot easier than putting a wedge under you cleats.


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## Guest (Feb 24, 2009)

Dinosaur said:


> In shoe wedges go underneath the footbed. I've been using Specialized shims for a couple of years. a lot easier than putting a wedge under you cleats.


They have both kinds there. The in shoe "wedges" help especially if you have one foot smaller than the other or a little extra room in a shoe for any reason. On things like shimano MTB cleats the in shoe wedges don't create any interference between the cleat and pedal. I use a combination of both on my spd cleats but my road shoes are made a little different and with keo cleats I just use a shim and wedge under the cleat on one side.


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## Guest (Feb 24, 2009)

I cut up one of my old credit cards and shaped it to fit my right cleat. A dremel tool and some sissors created a great shim. I've been using it for over two years now. Worked great for me....


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## Ibashii (Oct 23, 2002)

slyjackson said:


> I cut up one of my old credit cards and shaped it to fit my right cleat. A dremel tool and some sissors created a great shim. I've been using it for over two years now. Worked great for me....


Another great idea...unfortunately for the environment, plastic is forever; might as well put it to some sort of use.


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## oily666 (Apr 7, 2007)

Ibashii said:


> Another great idea...unfortunately for the environment, plastic is forever; might as well put it to some sort of use.


Words to live by.

I shape sections from the lids of cottage cheese or margarine containers to comply with the shape of my cleat or cut them for a shim. 


*﻿Yes, madam, I am drunk. But in the morning I will be sober and you will still be ugly. -- Winston Churchill*


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