[Closed] new spd user.. default cleat position..?

Right bang in the middle of the ball of your foot.

And don't forget to back the tension right off on the pedals.

Put the cleats on the shoes.
Push them both as far 'inwards' as they will go on the shoes, ie towards the midline.
Find the joint where your big toe meets your foot; set the midline of the cleat on the same line.
Set the cleat so a line drawn through your foot from front to back will bisect the cleat.

Try 'em out.

I set my right cleat to I can point a bit toe out on that foot.

STW in conflicting setup shocker.

I'd say put your foot on the pedal where it would feel comfortable to you and try to replicate the position with the cleat.

Ok, slap some wet runny mut on your pedals, jump on your bike and see where the mud marks the sole of your shoes, use that as a starting point, plus what Binner said, slacken those screws off 😉

Right bang in the middle of the ball of your foot.

Works for me!

plus what Binner said, slacken those screws off

... depending on the type of pedal of course

clip ins suc :roll:....dreadfull experience for me....much prefur flatties lol...but then thats me ...

Put a dab of paint / tipex / something on the ball of your foot. Step in your shoes. Where that dot is on your insole is a good starting point for the fore / aft position of the cleat. I always start with it central (left/right) and go from there.

thanks guys.. got it sussed now..

I have to say though, on the scale of bizarre things that humans decide to do to themselves, riding through a muddy rooty forest, firmly attached by the feet to a spinning, whirling machine of steel has got to rank pretty highly..

A couple of very sketchy low speed moments, and a fair bit of fear but I've taken the first tentative steps..
After an hour riding around some fairly unfamiliar trails, it's surprising to notice how much I would lift off, dab or even come to a complete stop on flats, and adjusting foot position is an almost constant thing.. it does feel weirdly secure being attached to the bike though (in a totally pervy way)..

Boggy wooded singletrack..? OK for now, but serious technical challenges seem a very long way off yet.. 😕

You just wait for your first raffic lights 🙂

What you will realise, over time, is that you actually move about just as much with SPDs, just that your shoes stay attached to the pedals until you want to get them off.

I think people assume that they are locked in from the knee down by SPDs, but you have a huge range of movement in your feet and ankles, and even in your shoes.

Try some very low speed stuff on grass; because you can't dab quite as easily, you develop the ability to balance the bike at slow speeds or even when stopped; not saying clips = track stands, but you can use the ability to trackstand more with clips.

When I first started with SPD I adjusted them all to the loosest setting, but forgot to do one side of one of the pedals. I figured it out when I realised my repeated failing to unclip and toppling sideways was always on the same side.

you develop the ability to balance the bike at slow speeds or even when stopped

I could feel that I was getting a bit more of a core workout than I might usually get on flats.. and as for trackstands..?
Well.. I'm going to give myself a bit more practice at getting smoothly unclipped first..
I predict trackstanding clipped in could very quickly turn into quite spectacular faceplanting, possibly with somersault action, cos trackstands call for moving between balanced and over-balanced very swiftly, and for me the line between over-balanced and off is often very very thin..

SPD's are an interesting experiment for sure, and one that unfortunately I probably can't avoid.. I'm looking forward to a proper ride on my usual trails next week..