9.3 pedals

Cleat Installation (Clipless Pedals)

Cleat Installation (Clipless Pedals). Step-by-step procedure for bike maintenance — tools, time, and what to watch out for.

Difficulty ★☆☆ easy
Time ~15 min
Applies to Bikes with clipless pedals (Road, Gravel, MTB)

Tools

  • 3 or 4mm hex (varies — Shimano SPD uses 4mm, Look Keo uses 4mm, Speedplay uses 3mm, Crankbrothers uses 4mm)
  • torque wrench
  • grease for cleat bolts

Procedure

  1. Determine cleat position on shoe

    Most cleat plates allow fore/aft and lateral movement.

    • Fore/aft: the pedal spindle should sit roughly under the ball of your foot, or slightly behind for endurance/MTB applications.
    • Lateral: matches your foot's natural Q-angle (most start centered).
    • Rotation: matches your foot's natural toe angle (usually slight toe-out).

  2. Place the cleat on the shoe sole

    with the bolts through the holes.

  3. Apply a small amount of grease

    to the cleat bolt threads.

  4. Hand-thread bolts

    into the shoe's threaded plate.

  5. Tighten in alternating sequence

    to spec (typically 5–6 Nm for SPD, check shoe manual).

  6. Test by clipping in and out

    several times. Adjust position based on knee comfort during a short ride.