Hi there:

I have a two part problem/frustration:

First – with two bolt-on shoes, once I did the initial range and tightened the cleats, they dig little “divots” into the sole. I can’t seem to make any micro-adjustments to slightly vary the placement and angle of the cleats after this first tightening.

Second – with shoes with carbon soles (I have lacs) the manufacturer says they should be used with a shield between the cleats and the sole of the shoe. It’s quite frustrating that they don’t seem to supply, manufacture or recommend an accessory to meet this need. I bought the only metal shields from the crank brothers and I guess they work. They are deformed by the “teeth” of the cleat and still prevent any small alignment or cleat adjustments.

I can’t be the only person facing these problems?

I became determined this year to really sort out the right shoes and roster despite there not being a single store in my relatively small town that had a variety of shoes to try on (hence the lakes).

Very open to recommendations!

Thanks Steve.




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Agreed. It’s boring. SPDs have been around forever, but they’re not perfect. In addition to the cleat digging into the MTB shoe, as the cleats themselves wear down inside the pedal, they seem to index in a certain place. Micro-adjustments aren’t really a possibility. Using Crankbrothers shields creates space between the pedal and the shoe platform. They hurt my knees and make me move too much. Barely ideal.