Someone ask me about basic cleat setup, i presume he meant fore and aft position and angle of cleat, I'll go over these basics but if needed there is alot more that can be done with the shoe/foot using wedges, shims and footbeds, remember the pedal and shoe are the contact point where your transfer your power through, getting this right could increase your power (together with with the rest of your bike position) and reduce the chance of injury. Beware setting your cleats up wrong, as it may cause injury. If unsure, seek someone out to help and the adjustments below are done at your own risk, so be sure you know what you are doing.
Fore and aft. I find most people will stand on the floor in their cycling shoes and mark the ball of the foot (1st metatarsal)on the shoe, but who pedals with the foot at that angle, with the heel lower than the ball of the foot? the best way is put your bike on the turbo and pedal for a little while, then slow down over a couple of revolutions and with cranks horizontal and without dropping you heel get someone to mark where the ball of the foot and also mark where the pedal spindle is. Normally i aim for the ball of the foot (1st metatarsal) to be between 5-10mm in front of the pedal spindle, but this depend on shoe size, this is normally halfway between the 1st and 5th metatarsal. To find the distance between your 1st and 5th metatarsal, in bare feet draw round your foot, mark the 1st and 5th metatarsal, then draw 2 lines through these across the the foot, normally the distance between the 2 will be about 1.5 to 2.5cm.
Cleat angle. Before starting this mark a round the cleat, i use an eraser pen. With most people using floated cleats, my method is to find a neutral position so you have float both ways and not all the float one way and non the other. With the bike still on the turbo pedal for a little while, then slow down over a couple of revs and without dropping your heal stop on one side at the bottom of the stroke, then gently turn the heal in to see if you have any float, then pedal again doing the same as above but this time when you stop at the bottom gently turn the heel out, repeat the above a few times making sure you relax the foot each time you start pedaling. If you feel you have no float one side or more one side than the other, take your shoe off and adjust cleat to allow the shoe to have more float. Once adjusted climb back on the bike and see how it feels, you may have to go through the above a few times before you find the right position. Remember a little adjustment at the cleat is bigger at the heel. If you are using Speedplay you can go through the above, but when you stop at the bottom at the stroke don't move your foot, hold it in position and get someone else to screw out some or all of the float, that someone will have to get on there hands and knees for this, taking the screws in or out one at at a time.
These are the basics!! It's easier doing it than writing about it! As i said at the start, there are adjustment you can make using wedges, shims and footbeds, but you are best seeing someone about this.
As with previous post do all this during a rest week.
