Get A Grip Tip: Foot Stability & Stance Width

We often encounter knee tracking issues that stem from the
placement of the cleat on the shoe and the overall width of the pedals on the bike.

When the knee tends to flair away from the top tube over the top of the pedal stroke, one culprit could be stance width. In order to keep that knee over the foot, stance width must be widened. This can be accomplished by moving the cleats inboard on the shoe, giving a few more mm’s of width. When that is not enough, we can add a spacer between the pedal and crank arm, but this must be done with care, as we do not want to damage the threads of the crank with not having the pedal threads fully engaged.

A better solution is to use the Speedplay Zero Pedal System. In extreme cases, these pedals can be ordered with different axle lengths to perfectly accommodate different stance widths. At the Fulton Fit Studio (601 W. Fulton St.), we have a complete set of demo pedals in all spindle lengths to allow the rider to nail down the perfect fit.

The cleats themselves offer quite a bit of lateral adjustment to accommodate more narrow or wide stances. As we have been dialing in fits using the Dartfish Motion Capture, it’s easy to see how the foot tracks under the riders’ hips, which makes the necessary adjustments a snap.

More on the Get A Grip Cycles fitting process HERE! If this post was right on, great. If it left you confused, we can help.