# Speedplay zero cleat setup



## TallCoolOne (Jan 18, 2010)

I am putting zeros on my first clipless set up of my life. I am 6' 7" with size 49 shoes. I am a beginning road cyclist who is mainly going to be doing training rides for fitness, some fast and some recreational group rides, and some long one day bike tours/rides (charity/summer festivals/fall rides, etc.). 

Would I be best served setting my cleat position as far back as possible? If not, where should they be as a starting point?


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

*Some thoughts.*

The traditional way to position a cycling shoe cleat is so that it puts the ball of the foot directly over the pedal spindle, with "ball of the foot" meaning the "first metatarsal joint" (aka the large bump at the bottom of the big toe). I would start with that setting and see how you feel during a ride. If you sense that it's "just not right", move the cleat back (towards the heel) and go for another ride. If that doesn't do it either for you, move it forward and go for yet another ride. After some time, you'll know where you want the cleat. In spite of all sorts of pronouncements about cleat placement in relation to "power generation" and "ability to spin," it really is more about what works for you in terms of comfort and staying injury-free. 

There is an on-going discussion about moving the cleat back radically, even to the to the point where you pedal with your arches. If you google "arch cleats", "Steve Hogg arch" or "Goetz Heine shoes", you'll have a lot reading material on that for a rainy day. If you feel that you want a more rearward position than the standard Speedplay base plate can give you, you can purchase the Speedplay Aluminum Fore-Aft Extender Base Plate Kit (Part# 13330) to allow you to do that. Keep in mind that with your shoe size, moving the cleat back a lot (which moves the shoe forward) could result in an amount of toe-overlap (toe hitting front wheel during low-speed, sharp turns) which you can't live with.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

For initial setup I'd keep it simple and straightforward. Check out #3:
http://www.jimlangley.net/crank/bikefit.html


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