Transferring cleats to new shoes

Brad Marcus

Any tricks or suggestions out there to accurately transfer my cleats from old bike shoes (Pearl Izumi) to my new ones (LG)? Seems like this will be near impossible to do accurately, but you guys are a resourceful bunch, so figured I'd throw it out there. Thanks.

John Withrow

It's nearly impossible to get them exactly same, but here' sweat I do:

First take a sharpee marker and draw around the cleat onto the bottom of the original shoe. This will make an outline right on the sole of the shoe. (This is especially helpful when you are putting a new set of cleats on the same shoe). Then I take a picture of the bottom of each of the shoes so you can see and remember the exact angle of the cleat in relation to the bolts (i.e. All the way forward or back, or twisted in or out slightly). It's really the placement of the bolts in these slots that helps you get the placement similar. Also take not if the left and right are similar or if one has a different angle than the other. Then finally remove the cleat from the old shoe and put it on the new shoe, do one whole shoe before moving to the next. Refer to the outline of the cleat on the old shoe and the picture front he bottom to get it as close as possible. Again, it's the bolts that I have found are the best indicator of placement. You now just have to hope that both shoes have the bolt holes in the same spot in relation to your foot in the shoe. If this is different from one brand to another, well then good luck trying to measure and/or guess...

Joe Matchette

You could also consider having someone take a close-up shot of your foot on the pedal, say at the 6 O-clock position, with your old shoes on. And then you could use that for comparison to see where your foot is in relation to the pedals/crankarms after you do what John describes.

Dino Sarti

Not seem like the guy that is not thrifty, but I usually go with new cleats on new shoes. It's great opportunity to replace something does wear over time....

What pedals are you using? Some easier than others... But, they all have a bit of trail and error.

MattAaronson

If you buy your cleats from a store that does professional fittings then get the best fitter to do this. That's what I've done the past few times. It's well worth the $10 savings from buying the cleats on-line (and I'm a guy who buys a LOT of stuff on line).

To do it yourself, get a sharpie marker and put a mark on the shoe where you can feel the "bump" on the outside of your foot, essentialy just before where your baby toe starts. This should like up with a particular part of the cleat and give you guidance on where to position the new cleat. If you are chanigng pedal systems then all bets are off...honestly if I did that I'd do so in conjunction with a new fitting anyway.

Brad Marcus

Thanks for the thoughts on this topic. I thought about marking the shoes around the existing cleats like John and others have suggested, it just seems that the margin of error is too great there to mess this up - I realize how much a mm can make on this type of thing. My last bike fitting was about 6 months ago, and the fitter went through great lengths to position my cleats correctly at the time - as John surmised, they are angled slightly and one varies a bit from the other. I suppose giving it a try would do no harm since I was going to use new cleats anyway. I use Look Keos.

As Dino and Matt say, probably best for me to have the fitter at my bike shop do the dirty work here. The problem that I've been encountering is that as I become more knowledgable about exactly what I want or need in terms of gear/parts, I've been ordering them myself online and in turn, saving some $$ rather than going to the LBS - who charges top $ for product. I have a sense of uneasiness going to the local shop with product in hand asking for an install in some cases, namely this one where there is clearly not a lot of labor involved. This has both helped me to become more mechanically inclined around my bikes, but also has gotten my in hot water where I end up with my tail between my legs at the local shop. Now I'm straying off topic - This is probably a good topic for another thread!

Will let you know how it all turns out. Thanks for all the advice!

John Withrow

Putting new cleats on new shoes where you still have the old cleats on the old shoes to look at and examine, you should be able to get pretty darn close.

But if it doesn't feel right simply go to the guy you got your fit from. You paid good money to him just 6 months ago for a fit and I'm sure he would help you tweak them if they're not exactly right (even if you didn't buy the shoes or cleats from them).

I buy lots of stuff online and do a lot of my own bike work. But I also still have a great relationship with my LBS. I send a lot of people their way. I also take them a case of beer every once in a while and over Christmas I take them coffee and donuts and sometimes buy them lunch. Call it $100 invested over the yr and they treat me like a friend when I come in. I don't bother with lines or waits there and when they are working on my bike, I am behind the counter in the maintenance area watching closely and chatting it up with the mechanics. Most bike shop guys are great guys who love to talk about bikes and share their craft. And remember, when in doubt, take beer!

Brad Marcus

@John - you motivated me to just try it myself. I basically eyeballed the cleats on the old shoe and installed the new ones while they were side by side. Got a chance to test them out afterwards on my Vo2 workout - probably a smooth and controlled ride would have made more sense, but they felt pretty good so far. Time will tell. Speedy recovery to your wife!

Dino Sarti

It's all about float. If your cleats have a great deal of float, like Speedplay, they are very, very easy. Pedals like Keo, with less float require more precision. I think Keo comes in 0, 6 and 9 degrees of float. The less float is forgiveness in your install. The best way is block some time and spin around the block. If it feels, weird or unnatural or like your leg can't do its thing, just need to experiment with a little more toe in or out. Once you hit that sweet spot you will know it.