Have We Been Getting Cleat Position All Wrong?

Have we been mounting our cleats in the wrong place all along? In this video, we challenge the traditional cycling wisdom of positioning cleats under the ball of the foot and investigate the potential benefits of the mid-foot cleat position. Joined by bike-fitting legends Phil Burt and Colby Pearce, Si analyzes how sliding your cleats back—especially when combined with shorter cranks—can increase pedaling efficiency and reduce calf fatigue. We put the theory to the test on the trainer and out on the road to see if this setup lives up to the hype.

Chapters ⏱️
00:00 - Have we been mounting our cleats wrong?
00:28 - Traditional wisdom vs. Mid-foot position
01:54 - Phil Burt: Power transfer and biomechanics
03:53 - The Tin Can Analogy for force production
04:29 - The Test: 175mm cranks & normal position
06:23 - Analyzing muscle activation (Calf vs. Glute)
07:52 - Setup: How to adjust for a mid-foot position
09:15 - Switching to 160mm cranks
11:13 - Si road tests the mid-foot position
13:28 - Colby Pearce: Bio-individuality & load sharing
18:09 - Si's Conclusion: Snap, power, and comfort
21:05 - When should you make the switch?

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Where do you currently position your cleats? Are you strictly 'ball of the foot' or have you experimented with sliding them back? Let us know your bike fitting experiences and if you've ever tried shorter cranks! 👇

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