How to adjust the coves of your road shoes easily

The coves are the link between your feet and the pedals. Through the pedals your energy is transferred to the bicycle to be able to move. That is why it is essential that in case of using automatic pedals the coves are correctly adjusted to your pedaling posture. If not, several problems will arise. The first of these is that a part of that energy that you print to the bicycle will not be used efficiently. Secondly, and perhaps more important, you will excessively force muscles and joints on feet and knees causing discomfort and even injuries. Especially it is very important to make a good adjustment of the coves to practice road cycling. A modality in which to have an effective pedaling position and cadence is essential for performance. The adjustment we are going to show you is very simple and effective. You will only need a sheet of paper, a pen or marker, adhesive tape, one meter and an Allen key (usually of number 4, although it will depend on the type of screw that the coves carry).

➡️ Are automatic pedals essential?

Step 1: Draw the contour of your foot

Put yourself barefoot on a wall, with the heels playing the latter. Put the sheet of paper under the left foot and with the pen or marker draws the contour of the plant. Then make two brands (left and right side) at the height of the base superior of the metatarsal, the set of bones located next to the fingers.

Step 2: Locate the Cala axis

The contour and the brands drawn on the paper sheet will serve as a template to locate the cove axis and make the adjustment. Place the left shoes on the drawn contour. Paste an adhesive tape strip around the shoe, matching the left and right brand of the metatarsal. Thus we will mark the line on which we must place the axis of the cove. To mark this line you can also use an elastic rubber.

Step 3: Cente the Cala

As a general rule, the centered cove, in line with the vertical axis of the sole, trying to leave the same space both to the left and right side. Many shoes have horizontal and vertical lines as a guide, which can help you. However, and in coves with little angle of rotation or freedom of movement of the foot (such as the blue or red of Shimano), the centered will have to be refined more. To do this, the flotation distance must be taken into account, that is, the distance from the center of the heel to the connecting rod. This measure can be taken by anchoring the pedal shoe, we turn around and, with a tape measure, measures from the outer edge of the connecting rod to the center of the heel. Then, you must consult what flotation distance of the cove recommended by the brand and move to the left or right shoe and cove to match this recommended flotation measure. This Global Cycling Network video on the adjustment of the coves includes how to perform the operation correctly, as well as the recommended flotation distances of the Shimano and coves. Look:

Step 4: Final tightening and adjustment

Once you have the cove in distance (vertical axis) and flotation (horizontal axis), it is only fixed by the three binding screws with an Allen key in a schedule. Drive them firmly, but without spending, with a tightening torque between 4 and 6 nm. The operation is repeated with the right foot shoe. The process can be expedited by measuring the distance (length between the lower part of the cove and the tip of the shoe) and the flotation (from the side to the center of the cove). Then, place and adjust the cove taking these measures as a reference.

Discomfort for wearing bad coves

Knowing adequate distance and flotation is essential for a correct adjustment of the coves in the shoes and thus avoid the appearance of muscle pains. If when you feel any of these discomforts, you must readjust the position of your coves:

Advanced Cala: If you wear the cove very close to the toe, the pedaling will be done on tiptoe. This can cause overload in twins and pain on the sole of the foot.
Delayed cove: The opposite case, wearing the most delayed cove, can cause overload of the hamstrings and tingling on the sole of the foot, in addition to the consequent loss of pedaling power.
Short flotation: If you carry your foot very close to the connecting rod, the overload will occur in the quadriceps and it is possible that they appear discomfort in the internal part of the knee.
Long flotation: If, on the contrary, you have very separate foot from the connecting rod, the inconvenience will move to the outer face of the knee, in addition to overloading the twin when it comes to climbing slopes. https://tuvalum.com/blog/tipos-pedales-bictico/

Take a few minutes to adjust the coves to the physiognomy of your foot is a simple way to improve your pedaling efficiency and, incidentally, avoid discomfort and injuries to your feet and legs. At the time of the adjustment we recommend you consult the characteristics of your coves of coves (there are manuals available on the web pages of the brands), what an angle of rotation offers or what tightening torque must be given to the screws. You can also wear a specific straight line adjusting; A kind of calibrated cardboard template with which you can further refine the position.