- Pro cyclists ride tens of thousand of kilometres each
and every year.
So it's vital that their cleats are set up correctly
to insure no injuries or any problems with knees whatsoever.
But, what's talked about less and less is actually
the choice of cleats by the riders and how tight
their pedals are when it comes to disengaging.
So let's ask some of the riders what they use
and how tight their pedals are.
Come on.
(upbeat music)
- I use red cleats fixed so I've been fixed my whole career.
It's more for the sprint, it's more obviously
any amateur I wouldn't recommend being fixed cleats.
You know, it's a bigger risk of kind of injury
but in a sprint the amount of, you wanna be,
you know fixed.
I've always wanted to feel kind of one with the bike.
I'm from the track, when you track you want to be
part of the bike
and fixed cleats are the best way to do that.
- So for your mechanic, Kenny
you've got one of the best in
business there, when he's got to change your cleats
that's quite an important job.
- I do it myself, I've always done my cleats meself
that's something your touching.
You can measure it as much
as you want but even shoes kind of change over time.
Cleats, they wear down, you know everytime
you clip in clip out they wear so it's important
to kind of measure to about the same.
I always draw around them and measure them, and put them on
and then you still have to micro adjust
so my first couple of rides I always take
a 4mm allen key with me and adjust them there so.
- Now Bram, I've just noticed you're using yellow cleats.
With a bit of black, is that just to match the kit
or is that because they're suitable for you?
- (mumbles), yeah
you see that?
- This guy can stretch can't he?
(laughter)
- Yeah only this side though, that side is done, you know.
- So why have you gone for yellow cleats?
- They are more, they look a bit more like
you can move them a little bit.
So, I think for the most of us, you know when you crash
or a little, you know, to the left side of the bike
or to the right side?
- Yeah
- Still you can move your feet so it's better for injuries.
- Yep
- And I want to have a little bit comfort.
- Yeah
- Have you ever tried the other colours?
- That's really a long time ago, I think I tried them once
and then I got a knee problem.
- Ah Yeah
- But that was, that was thirty years ago or something.
- Thirty years ago, he doesn't look 30 does he?
(laughter)
- And then only, I'm 32 now.
(laughter)
- He started young, what can we say?
(laughter)
- So Toms, I've just had a look, you're using yellow cleats
on your Shimano pedals.
Why have you gone for yellow?
- I like the float on the yellow ones
sometimes, especially it's a little bit of pain
to get them precisely.
So if you have the reds you have no float and it's a little
bit more risk of getting knee injury or something so if you
have the yellows you have some leeway and your knee feels
better, at least for me.
- Cool, and you've never tried the other ones just to see
about that totally fixed position?
- I have, yeah, I have tried the red ones
and didn't love them.
(upbeat music)
- For me the best is the blue one because for me the yellow
it moves too much for me and the red one is not so good
because you need to put really really perfect.
For me the best option is the blue one.
- Okay, and have you used blue for a long time or have you
ever used the yellow or red?
Have you trialled with them?
- I try, I try in the beginning with the red but the red is
impossible for me and then the yellow I feel my power is not
so good in the pedal so I prefer definite,
I prefer the blue one.
- Okay, and how about the tension of the pedals?
Are they quite tight or loose or in the middle?
- Much as possible, not in the top,
but much is possible,
I feel better now with the,
I don't have afraid to pull out
when I make the spins.
- Why have you gone for blue and not yellow or red
is it your favourite colour or is there some science?
- It's the favourite colour of my son.
(laughter)
- No.
- It's just we made some
research with the bike positioning guys and they
suggested me to change.
Before I was always with red, so the fixed one
and now I have some clearance,
not too much but some opportunity to
choose the position.
The body can choose the position he wants so.
- And how about the tension on your pedals?
Do you have it quite high for the sprints or do you keep
it in the middle?
- I have it really high, almost as high as you can.
(upbeat music)
- So Nathan, I've just had a look.
You're using blue cleats, why have you gone for blue?
- Because yellows are too soft and I've tried the red ones
before and they gave me really sore muscles everywhere.
They didn't really fits me very well so I think it depends
from rider to rider for which cleats you use.
- I'm using the black ones from Look.
- They give me just the best hold
and as a sprinter that's very important.
- Have you ever used grey or red or have you always used
the black ones?
- I've used grey but for my feeling it's not really
you know, I prefer to have less comfort and more hold
in the cleats than the other way around.
- Now I've just looked at your pedals.
I can't see how many newton metres the release is on them.
Do you know what it is?
Is it quite a strong hold?
- These ones should be around
22 or 25, I'm not sure anymore but yeah.
- That's important for a guy like you
kicking out a lot of watts.
- Exactly
(upbeat music)
- So Elia, first of all Happy Birthday and I notice you're
using yellow shoe cleats.
Why do you use yellow and not blue or red?
- I become pro in 2010 and from that year,
for 8 years I use Speedplay.
Speedplay if you know, also if put all
if you try to close as much as possible you have
a little bit of small movement.
So for that, after 8 years, I always tried with a little
bit of movement
the only way
go back to normal pedal
from Speedplay is to use the yellow cleat.
So maybe now I can step to the blue one next year
and but the first step from Speedplay to Shimano is
the only way for me is use the yellow cleats with a little
bit of move so it's the move I don't feel on the sprint.
- And when you want to take your foot out of the pedal,
is it quite tight or do you have it medium or loose?
- I have medium, so on the freeline of the pedal I put on
medium you don't go out with the pedal during the sprint,
for example but it's always a good one if you need to
take off the shoes quickly you can do so.
Yeah (mumbles) is my choice.
- [Interviewer] So Bert let's have a look at your shoes.
You're using black cleats, Why have you gone for that one?
- It's very stiff and you don't have movement when you touch
the pedals so it's good for me.
- Have you ever used any of
the other colours to try them out?
- Yeah 4 years ago I used the grey ones
but black ones I prefer.
- And do you have quite a lot of tension on the pedals
as well to keep you in there?
- Yeah, I think just normal but it's good because when you
crash you don't have a lot of tension
because otherwise you stay on the bike and it's
- Not good.
- No
(upbeat music)
- So Alex, What cleats are you using mate?
- The Look grey ones
- Why have you gone for grey and not black or red?
- I sort of swap between black and grey.
It doesn't really, the float, I don't ever use the float
actually because I actually ride with my heel pressed in
so I pedal like a duck so for me
it's about having my heels
as close to the crank as possible
without touching the crank.
- Cool, and would you ever be tempted to go to the black
ones then because you do don't use the float so it's quite
interesting that you don't.
- I have used the black ones but it's whatever, I've got
some at home, to be honest.
That doesn't sound very professional but it doesn't make
a blind bit of difference whether they're grey or black.
It really like,
I could use the red
and it wouldn't make a difference either.
- So you're just fixed in that position really aren't you?
So Julien, I've seen you on the front of a peloton
for I don't know how many hours, I dread to think.
But what I don't know about you is what cleats you use.
Which one's are you using?
- I'm using the blue ones, the blue Shimanos.
You can rotate them a little bit so I feel a little bit
more comfortable with them because otherwise I have also
the other ones that are really fixed.
But then I need to get used to the knees and all that
because then it has to be perfect and I prefer to have
a little bit of tension for the joints and all that
they're just a little better.
- Have you ever used the totally fixed ones or not?
- Maybe a long time ago I did but then I was still riding
Look and now I feel comfortable with these ones
and I know when you get older for the messes and all that
it's
- He's not that old.
- Not yet but I'm riding already
a while with these type of shoes.
But I'm good with them and I always give them to my brother
to fix them.
He puts the cleats on that and so I'm fine and I'm relaxed.
- Cool, so your brother, he's the guy who sets them up for
you, he does all the measuring?
- Yeah he does the bike fitting and the measuring
of the cleats so it's really important because I don't
like to change a lot because it's always milimeters
and your body is used to it because your riding hours
and hours on the bike and if there's a little bit
of difference you feel it straightaway.
So it's really important that it's doing quite well
and it's easy that I've got my brother now.
(laughter)
He does it now so I don't have to go far for that.
I trust him 100%.
- Cool, So there we are, brotherly love.
Love that.
(upbeat music)
- What colour cleats do you use?
- Yellow on the Shimano pedals.
- Okay and why have you gone for yellow and not red
or blue, it's not just because you like the colour is it?
(laughter)
- No.
It's because I can still can move my feet a little
bit during training and races.
Because if it's forced,
your legs into a not a good position for like 6 hours long
maybe then I think it's not so good.
So now I still can move it but
I put my pedals on the
most firm stance and then
so it's not too loose but it's firm and I can still move it.
- What's your reason for choosing those?
- Black just fits me the best.
- And have you ever used any of the different options to
see about some extra float or are you just happy
with the black ones?
- Well see Mano was using the one with three degrees.
- Yeah
- I think like the the middle version but with Look here
like the mid option is even more a float
and here I find the black one better
which for me I would call it a one degree.
- Okay there we are, a one degree float.
- Why are you using the blue ones?
- If gives a little bit of range and a bit of movement,
but it's still fixed and yeah I think we don't have to talk
much about it, it's like, it is the best pedal out there.
And the best system.
And I prefer blue ones, if you have a little bit of float,
go to yellow and then there's still red.
So I go in the middle and I've never had any issue.
- There we are Middle of road.
But he's certainly not in the middle of the road rider.
So here at the Divide Tour the most popular pedal types
we have seen in the peloton are from Look and Shimano.
So let's go and take a look at the pedal cleats
as well as the tension release systems.
Come on.
(upbeat music)
So riders who are using Look's pedals
either go for the blade model or the Keo classic really.
Now the blade doesn't use a traditional spring to maintain
pressure on a riders cleat.
Instead it uses a blade of carbon.
So how does that work?
Well the blade is inserted into the bottom of the pedal.
And that essentially keeps the cleat in tension.
So basically there's two separate tensions,
either 12 or 16 newton metre, that comes as standard,
however there is a 20 newton metre additional piece
that you can purchase.
So that determines really, how much force is required
to enter as well as exit the pedal.
Whereas the Look Keo pedals, they actually use a spring
to maintain the tension of the cleat,
both entering and releasing from the pedal and it's adjusted
by our hex wrench here on the back plate.
Now the tensions that you can adjust are between 8 and 12
newton metres.
(upbeat music)
And the most popular models of Shimano pedals that we see
are the spd-sl and in particular the Dura-Ace 9100 model.
How do they work?
Well they are very similar to that of the standard look KEO,
in that the tension is adjusted with an allen key
to increase or decrease the tension required
to either enter or exit the pedal.
How much torque is required though?
I don't know.
As Shimano don't actually list that that on their website.
(upbeat music)
So now for the actual cleats.
Look offer three different types of cleat.
But what does that really mean?
Well with Look it means you have a certain amount of degrees
of heel movement or float per cleat.
So in turn that really allows you to move your knees
a small amount.
So let's start actually with the black cleat.
That actually has zero float so you are going to get totally
locked into position there.
So that's the sort of cleat you'd expect a sprinter to use
for instance.
And then with the grey cleat
they give 4 1/2 degrees of float at the heel.
And the red cleat finally, that give 9 degrees of movement,
which is quite a lot.
The Shimano they offer three cleat options too.
Firstly the Shimano red cleat their totally into position
and with no heel movement whatsoever.
Then we have a blue option which they offer
2 degrees of float in the heel and that is something
that actually professional riders requested.
So that comes as standard with the R9100 pedals
that we were looking at.
Yellow cleats, they allow some lateral movement and
the pivot point of these cleats is actually in the centre
of the cleat.
They do this by having a narrower front section of the cleat
where it engages into the pedal.
The amount of float in those cleats is 6 degrees
so that allows you basically to have some movement
in front of the shoe, as well as the rear.
So they we are.
Some interesting choices by the riders there.
And I never knew that Mark Cavendish, fitted
and replaced his own cleats.
Learn something new every day.
Let me know though, what cleats you use and why down there
in the comments below.
And also I want to know how tight
you have your releases set.
And remember as well to like and this video
with your friends and for a video
on why pro riders don't slam their stems.
Click down here.