This is called a wedge, and whilst there are many variations, cleat wedges are often the most popular in the industry.
Have you ever noticed that one knee comes in closer to the top tube than the other? Or do you suffer from numb points/hot spots on your feet?
Wedges are really effective at bringing the foot back into it's natural position, which is often ignored during some bike fits, especially the measurement style fits that some fitters offer that don't necessarily look at the rider on the bike.
The method of fitting wedges includes the use of a forefoot measuring tool, which determines the number of wedges required to correct the tilt. You simply hook the end piece over the heel of the foot and read off the number the arrow on the device is pointing to.
A good fitter will know what these numbers mean, and the correct style/number of wedges to use.
Cleat wedges fit under the cleat, and insole wedges under the insole (not surprisingly) and act in slightly different ways.. Whilst I won't bore you with the details, in most cases I use insole wedges, as they encourage the foot back into the natural position, which most modern cycling shoes force it out of, which is when things like numb toes start to appear.
When combined with correct cleat positioning, wedges are a great tool for any cyclist, and are well worth their relatively low cost!
Cleat wedge use comes as standard on my advanced and pro fit services, full details of which can be found on www.yorkshirebikefitting.co.uk
No comments:
Post a Comment