Road bike Pedals and cleats | Float or no Float?

Road bike Pedals and cleats | Float or no Float?

Road bike Pedals have cleats that offer no movement when clipped in up to 15 degrees of movement of your feet while riding without disengaging from the pedals.

A cleat that has float allows you to move  your heel from side to side, while your shoe is clipped into the pedal.  Zero float means when you clip in, that  ability to move your heel, is not there; your shoe stays in a static position.

For example, the cleats in the image above are cleats for Look Keo pedals.  The black cleat is a zero float, the red is a 9 degree float and the grey cleat is 4 1/2 degree float.

Shimano SPD-SL cleats have different cleat options.  The red cleat has zero float, the blue cleat has 2 degrees of  float and the yellow cleat has 6 degrees of float.

The Speedplay Zero pedal system has 15 degree float, allowing you to adjust the float from wide open (15 degrees), down to a fixed position which is the equivalent of  zero float). Speedplay requires more specific setup and does take a bit more time than the other systems to get dialed in.

In  summary, with or without float, you need to properly setup your pedal system so that your knees are allowed to track in their natural position, with no pulling of ligaments or the joint itself by the pedal. Any discomfort or pain felt in the knee must be addressed with out delay, even if you have to seek the help of a professional fitter. You cannot undo damage to your knees easily, so do not allow them to be affected by the thousands of pedal strokes we inflict upon them.