[mrconners]

Im currently having a bit of a nightmare getting my look keos in the correct alignment.
The result is pain in the outside of my left ankle. Its not unbearable but as my weekly mileage increases i don't want to cause any lasting damage. Does anyone know if a god; cheapish device for helping to correctly fit cheats? I have trailed YouTube and the web for advice and followed lots of different ideas but pain still continues.
Any advice (before i pay for some bike fitting) would be appreciated.
Cheers.

[mrconners]

Apologies for the spelling. Its the fookin predictive text on the phone.

[bigd942]

If you can get a turbo trainer and a friend that cycles to help - try different alignment of the cleat and have your friend check out your foot/heel position from the rear. Pedal setup can be hard to get right but it may be the case that this type/brand of pedals just don't suit you. It took me a while to settle on Time pedals but they cause me no pain, I move my heel on my right foot a little and that constant movement against a sprung retainer like Look and Shimano caused tingling in my knee.


You may be too high/low with the saddle also - try a few small adjustments to see if it makes a difference.

[twoshoes]

What pedals and shoes are you on? I get this sometimes and wonder if it happens because there's not a lot of support from the pedal (and, in my case, shoe - I use relatively flexible Shimano DXs) - esp. when compared to flat pedals. Regarding cleat position, I run my cleats very close to the inside of the shoe in order to keep my feet quite wide and I think this exacerbates the problem.

So maybe check how central your cleats are?

Failing that, stretch a bit more. Or do what I do: ignore it and hope it goes away. It usually does.

EDIT: Ignore everything I wrote. I've re-read your post and seen that you're talking roadie pedals and shoes, so most of what I said is probably irrelevant bollocks. Sorry. Except maybe the stuff about stretching, ignoring and cleat in/out position. Maybe have a look at how far back your cleats are - if they're set fairly far forwards, you'll be asking your ankle to do more work, which might cause irritation.

[mrconners]

Thanks for the pointers.

Will have a mess about with them tonight.

[mikester]

A couple of other things to consider...

Do you know if your cleats have 'float' i.e. a bit of lateral movement when you're clipped in? Float is generally considered to be good for the knees.

Saddle height can have  big influence on knees as well; too high or too low both cause problems.

[crimp]

 

I agree with all the above, especially using floating cleats.

Also with look pedals (the best in my opinion), try adjusting the cleat position bit by bit on the shoe itself.

And don't tinker just with saddle height. Check fore and aft position on saddle rails. Affects knee and ankles.

[webbo]

Not wanting to teach you to suck eggs, but have you done the thing of sitting on a table with your legs dangling to get the neutral postion of your feet. i.e. do they face straight ahead, go out to the side or point in etc.

[mrconners]

My feet angle heels in toes out, i have the saddle set slightly back (post just forward of centre point) and the cheats have 9° of float.
Its a fettling nightmare but as its just started lashing down and i have had to stop flagging the back garden it will give me something to do.

[crimp]

It's pretty much trial and error.

When i had finally got everything right, i used to mark position of seat post height, saddle rails, cleat position on shoes, etc, anything adjustable, with a blade notch. Makes setting up so much easier when doing maintenance, replacements, upgrades and such.

[fatkid2000]

If you're Sheffield based and want it done professionally try la bicicleta on Greystones Road. Alex can do you a compete bike fitting or look at problem areas - I know fatdoc used his services a few years ago to sort out his weak ankle.

No idea on cost - and you may end up changing the whole bike set up if you're not careful or leaving with a new bike!

[Dolly]

as others have asked, do you have red (float) or black cleats ?


makes a big diff IME

[mrconners]

Red look keo cleats with 9° of float.
I have had a look at adjustments and positioned my heels in a little to try and alleviate the niggles.
Will see how it goes .

But i have managed to lose my front light so i want go out. Its gone missing in the bloody house.
Im losing it im sure of it.

[webbo]

Presumably you have your pedal axle in line with your big toe joint.