What is the difference between floating and fixed cleats

Though it may be very slight, you should be nodding your head yes. What you feel is your tendons and ligaments in an unnatural position and are now being stretched in such a way that is not natural for your feet alignment.

Again, it may be slight, but it is very significant down the road pun intended. The problem is that you are out of this correct position twice as much as you are in, when you are pedaling. Furthermore, it is a power loss because when you are out of your natural bio-mechanical position, you are de-activating certain muscle groups, while transferring the workload to fewer muscles.

Anytime you disengage muscles, you lose power. If that were not enough, you also need to realize that this slight tight feeling is not something that you will easily notice when cycling. All of the sudden, it is bothering me. Think of it like someone going to the doctor today and being diagnosed with cancer. The severity of the symptoms is what drives them to the doctor for a testing, and then they get the results.

The same scenario is true with this tightness in the knees. It has just taken a long time to finally get bad enough that you actually notice it.

Or, better put, every pedal stroke you take using cleats with float, you are allowing this type scenario to occur — and to build up over time. Then, you will find yourself saying about those same words as others. Oh, I forgot to mention that every time someone has said that to me and I have done a fitting for them, percent of the time they were using cleats with float. And, after switching them to zero float cleats, along with making other fitting corrections, their problem was eliminated.

Bold statement, but if you really understood the principles of bio-mechanics, then you would realize that that statement is not really that bold. In 17 years of doing bio-mechanical bike fittings, I can count those times on just one hand. Two more topics I want to share with you on cleats before we end. Second, as rare as me having to use a cleat with float, is about the same number of people who are aware of cleat markings, that allow you to properly adjust your ball position 1 above to the center of the pedal spindle.

However, my approach is bio-mechanical. A loss of leverage or power. And, you are paying them. Without this knowledge, there is no way, unless they get a really lucky guess, they could ever correctly install cleats. If nothing else, I hope this topic has caused you to pause and take inventory of your knowledge about cleats with and without float, what perspective you embrace and why.

Do your due diligence on the correct cleat and on correct mounting. Finally, use the the three criteria I mentioned above, to determine if your cleats were mounted correctly. As I mentioned from the start, this is one topic that is sure to drum up countless perspectives and individual preferences. Now, you have to decide which perspective is right for you. If you have any questions on this topic, feel free to contact me, as I LOVE to hear your comments and feedback.

An all-encompassing look into how group rides should function and real-life examples why most fail. Often times, others in the group will then start to share all kinds of riding advice to the offender.

The information Coach Robert shares in this eBook, came from a collaboration with current and former professional UCI racing team members, former USA continental professional racers, and of course, from the hundreds of thousands of miles he has personally ridden all across the United States.

Robert, Thanks for your interesting article on pedal float. I am a 86 yr old cyclist with knee replacements both left and right and have been using Speedplay floating pedals for 20 years. Should I consider non floating and if so do I need to change cleats and pedals or just cleats? Thanks for your comment Dave. At 86, YOU are an inspiration to me…. When I first started using them, I set the float to maximum, and rode this way for several years, with no knee problems. I did find myself learning to control my foot positions, and found myself using different foot positions when pedaling in different settings: uphill; flats; downhill; against the wind, each seemed to benefit from different foot position.

Using different foot positions also required strengthening the appropriate muscles and actively controlling foot position — all of which became instinctive with time. All my best to everyone.

Does not the float in the pedals allow the foot to assume its natural position? This would seem to me to be reasonable. I found that my heels would move around, especially when I got out of the saddle. As you might expect, it was worse when I was tired. I forgot to mention that cleat position makes a big difference. I found that moving my cleats back by just 3mm improved foot stability noticeably with floating pedals, particularly Speedplay, because the pivot point is centered on the cleat.

Thanks, Brian. I will keep this in mind. Pursuant to your comment about cleat position, I will say that I have moved the cleats as far rear-ward as possible on my shoes as I find this minimizes Achilles tendon discomfort and calf cramps.

I figured this out on a century ride when I had to unclip both feet and ride with the pedals under my arch. Because if you pressure the cleat against the locking jaws of the pedal you will get float out of the sprung jaws. You can actually ride with a fixed cleat and hold your feet at an angle other than they are fixed at.

Yes, the cleat is not really floating, but you are essentially moving your foot into the position you need it. Hey Steve, Thanks for your comment. Yes, at some split-second spot, each foot will be in that position, but you cannot statically hold it there.

My article lays the groundwork for why I use the center of metatarsal bone to position over pedal spinal. I switched to Speedplay Zero pedals nearly a decade ago, went immediately to zero float, and liked it better. The range of motion of pedaling is more than one spot. An easy way to check your biomechanics is to track your knee as you pedal, you knee should not move laterally through the range of motion.

Most of us do not have perfect biomechanics which results in slight foot movement through the range of motion so your knee tracks correctly.

You will have more power if your knee tracks correctly and this offsets slight movement in the foot. The closer your cleat is to your toes the more power you lose because you have to stabilize the lever with your calf muscles. From a power perspective, you want to be closer to the joint so calf muscles are not required. Obviously, that may create handling issues and front wheel overlap. But, the question remains — do you need float?

By using fixed cleats, your hips and feet are locked in position. The kinetic chain is disrupted. The knee joint absorbs all the pressure to stabilize the pedal strokes and this unwarranted pressure can cause knee pain and injuries.

Be aware, though, the complications of the knees can also be caused by excessive float. Different riders have different levels of knee, foot, and hip stability, so it is critical you know the amount of float that works for you. Select only the pedal or cleat design that matches accordingly to the dynamics of your feet.

Every rider is unique and the amount of float in your pedals should reflect it. Figuring the ideal amount of float is just one aspect of choosing the perfect cleats. It should not by a large margin be the deciding factor when it comes to deciding pedals. This will eradicate all the guesswork and the painful experimentation involved in the process.

Float is defined as the degree of freedom to twist the foot when you are clipped into your cycling-specific shoes. Pivoting our foot on the pedal through the cleat. Float depends on what type of pedal and cleats you have. The Italian returns to Astana for , but hasn't yet figured out whether it will be his swansong. Highly puncture resistance but still reasonably fast rolling, could these be the perfect training tyre?

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