some questions about pedals/cleats from a total JONG

So I am loving the Ventana I bought from Blood Sweat Steel. The guys at the shop here (who "think" they might have sold the most Ventanas in the US this year) are like "you paid how much for that?!?! Don't tell anyone around here, we'll never sell any of our used bikes". (BTW, I paid $400 + shipping :yourock: )

Anyways, I bought some new shoes and some cleats, and I am trying to figure out what is wrong. The first pedals I am trying came off my wife's road bike and are flats on one side (a good thing for me, being a total mountain bike jong who has already had two major wrecks in 3 rides). I have tightened them all the way and my shoes still wiggle side to side in a big way. Is this how it is supposed to be? It feels like I will unclip and die if I get any sort of speed going. BTW, these are Shimano cleats and I know they are the right ones for the pedals.

Second question: so I decided to try some other pedals my wife has that have never been out of the box. They are Shimano, but they don't have a place to wrench them. The stem (?) is sort of fluted...how the hell do you tighten them properly? A vice grips just seems wrong.

side to side as in heel moving side to side is normal
its called float
side to side as slop in the cleat\pedal interface not so much normal.
mine are never 100% rigid, but theres a little slop, not much.
maybe something that feels like an 1/8" at MOST?

you probably crashed cause you suck ;)

re torquing those pedals, may look at the end of the spindle, theres probably a socket for a hex key

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pechelman

you probably crashed cause you suck ;)

re torquing those pedals, may look at the end of the spindle, theres probably a socket for a hex key

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Clearly, I suck. There is no question about that. :rolleyes2

I am getting way more than 1/8" of float....like 3/4 or more. That's why I want to try the other pedals, but I can't figure out how to torque them. Here are some pics...nothing on the spindle, and the obvious spot to wrench on spins freely with the pedal.

http://static.flickr.com/110/2687733...4862e1.jpg?v=0


http://static.flickr.com/90/26877331...0064ff.jpg?v=0

If they're the pedals I'm thinking of they're kind of cheap-o. You may never be able to get rid of that slop between the cleat and the cage. Sometimes those allen bolts break as well, making tightening them impossible

That's actually one of the things that go me using time pedals (crankbrothers are similar).

Some nicer shimano pedals should do the trick.....or just go to a different system.


If I judged my ability by how many times I crashed, I'd be the worst rider ever :biggrin:


Edit: those pedals you just posted a pic of should work well........they're newer ones. The tension screws are on the fore/aft sides (front and back if your foot is on them). Should be like a 2-3mm allen head.

ok float is angular movement, ie youd notice it only at the heel

slop in this case is linear displacement at the pedal\cleat interface

in your BOTTOM picture.
Pick up the pedal
look at the END of the threads
see how theres a socket
see how its shaped like a hex key

lube up the theads and start the pedal by hand into the crank
insert the hex key and turn it.

Oh no shit...kind of like the whole reach around. Thanks man, now I get it.

edit: normally, I am actually sort of mechanically inclined. The whole bike thing is taxing my brain, though. ;)