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While you can use your regular shoes to cycle, it is more efficient to use dedicated footwear. The footwear is regarded as cycling shoes. Cycling shoes provide you with more comfort, improve performance, and safer cycling. There are different types of cycling shoes, each with their specific type of compatibility with the pedals, which also varies – they are the platform pedals and clipless pedals. Clipless pedals have proven to be more innovative than the platform pedals because they allow you to fix a cleat on the bottom of your shoe attached to the pedals. However, cleats do not come with shoes (cycling shoes, as the case, maybe now). In essence, you could obtain a regular shoe and try to switch it into a cycling shoe by fixing the cleats beneath the shoe. It will be important to fix the cleats on the shoes properly to give you maximum comfortability and performance when going for your next cycling.
For this purpose, this article is all you need to know on how to put cleats on cycling shoes. Let’s dive in!
What are Cycling Shoes?
Before we go into the big question of the day, we would like to bring your attention to what cycling shoes are. You should know this is because a regular shoe can be used as cycling shoes when the cleats are fixed beneath them. Also, shoes used for cycling purposes must have some characteristics. So, what are cycling shoes?!
Cycling shoes use clasp less or clasp in innovation; with a projection called a “cleat” on the lower part of the shoe that you clasp into the pedals. This feature gives you a favorable position so you can have a more liquid exertion on the pedals. Other characteristics to look for in all cycling shoes include the stiffer and more slender soles, clasps, straps, and laces. The stiffer and more slender soles allow you to flex less as you pedal. Converting into better force, move through the pedals; the clips, straps, and laces allow you to lash your feet immovably in position. This will keep you away from awkward slipping and erratic movements that you may experience in other games’ shoes. Most importantly, all these cycling shoes’ features explicitly provide more efficiency and comfort than ordinary games shoes.
This will move us to the next section of this guide, what are the right shoes for cycling?
What are the right shoes for cycling?
It is paramount that you have the right pair for cycling. It will also allow you to know which kind of cleats best fit your shoes. To find out what your right shoes are for cycling, follow these simple steps!
- Know the pedal system of your bikes
There are different types of pedal frameworks on cycling bikes. The pedal must be compatible with the kind of cleats you will be using. In most cases, the Shimano SPD cleats are compatible with most pedals. However, pedals can be compatible with either two-bolt cleats or three-bolt cleats
- Get a shoe that fit you well
There are different types of cycling shoes out there, depending on where you want to specialize. There are MTB shoes, road shoes, and universal mount shoes. Know what you want to specialize in to determine the best shoe for you. For instance, if you are a mountain biker, your best pick could be the Shimano SPD-compatible mountain biking (MTB) shoes.
- Get the right cleat to attach to your cycling shoes
Next is the get the right cleat for your cycling shoes. The right cleat must be compatible with the pedal. This will propel us to the next section of the guide. Read further to know more!
How to put cleats on cycling shoes?
If you are new to the universe of cycling, you must know that your cycling shoes are not complete without the cleats. If this isn’t your first time cycling, you will agree that you need to change the cleats once in a while for efficiency. With this in mind, you need to fix and adjust the cleats on your cycling shoes.
One way through which the cleats work is through the clipless pedals. The clipless pedals allow you to put the cleat beneath your shoes so that they can be clipped into the pedals. There are also two types of cleats – the two-bolt cleats and the three-bolt cleats. Let’s take a look!
Two-bolts cleat
Attaching a two-bolt cleat on the shoe requires a high level of alignment between the cleats with the two holes on the sole, ensuring that the blunt end is toward the heel. Once you have aligned them, insert the bolt, tighten it by hand, and then use a wrench to tighten the bolts until they feel tight securely.
Three-bolts cleat
These cleats are suitable for the road cyclist. To attach this, you also need to align the three holes on your cycling shoes’ bottom. Position the cleats well and then tighten the bolt until they feel snug.
Fitting of Cleats on your Cycling Shoes
Perhaps you have a shoe you wish to switch into a cycling shoe. Here is how you could do so!
- Find the ball of your foot
This is done by putting on the shoe. The ball of the foot is found just below the first metatarsal and also the back of the fifth metatarsal. Finding this point will prevent injury, improve your performance, and so on. After finding this, mark the points on the shoes
- Connect the two-point
Now, take your shoe off and connect the point with a ruler and a pencil and find the midpoint by aligning the cleat on the line you have drawn. This will allow a good power transfer when pedaling.
- Tighten up
Tighten up the bolt by screwing it tightly as much as possible. They should fit tight on the sole and must not shift or rotate while attached.
Conclusion
When you put cleats on your shoes, it must feel snug and tight against the sole. Determine the kind of cleats that will be compatible with your pedal. When you go cycling, you should have your cleats on your shoes to improve performance, comfortability, and prevent injury. Happy cycling!