[CC09]

I hear peopple talking about float when refering to clipless pedals.
What exactly is it?

 

[cmatcan]

float refers to the number of degrees that you can rotate your toe, and therefore the angle of your knee, when clipped in. some pedals have none, some pedals have lots. lots of float options is important especially if you have a history of knee-problems or any conditions like uneven leg length. look pedals typically have good adjustable float (with adjustable float, you can lock in a setting for the amount of lateral movement you want from your pedals.)
so pro: less knee stiffness, good for people with knee problems/older riders
con: you have to work a little harder at your spinning technique to be as efficient, because your legs can wobble around too much. but if you get used to it and you have a good spin, it's a non-issue. i always recommend clipless pedals with some float options.
hope that helps. happy riding!

 

[TurboTurtle]

float refers to the number of degrees that you can rotate your toe, and therefore the angle of your knee, when clipped in. some pedals have none, some pedals have lots. lots of float options is important especially if you have a history of knee-problems or any conditions like uneven leg length. look pedals typically have good adjustable float (with adjustable float, you can lock in a setting for the amount of lateral movement you want from your pedals.)
so pro: less knee stiffness, good for people with knee problems/older riders
con: you have to work a little harder at your spinning technique to be as efficient, because your legs can wobble around too much. but if you get used to it and you have a good spin, it's a non-issue. i always recommend clipless pedals with some float options.
hope that helps. happy riding!

Some pedals (usually MTB) also have 'lateral float' which allows the foot to move from the inside to the outside of the pedal. - TF

 

[fleck]

term - 'float' or 'floating' =adj.

used to describe the action of me zipping past you on an 11% grade and giving an unlabored "nice day for a ride!"

as said afterward...

"man, that guy just floated up the hill!"

term - 'free float'

used to describe the action of me zipping past you down an 11% grade and giving an unlabored "wholy shiiiiiiiiiiiiiittttttt" as i careen off into the ditch.

as said afterward...

"man, that guy just free floated off the road into the ditch!"

 

[MaddSkillz]

Is 4.5 degrees of float sufficient for someone like me who is new to biking and doesn't have any knee problems? I'm looking at getting the Look KEO Classic pedals and I think this is the cleat they come with. I read in the reviews on these pedals that 9 degree's of float works great though.

Thanks!

 

[Mr. Versatile]

I've got Keo's & have no probs with the 4 degrees of float. I can't notice the difference, in that regard from the older style Looks. Look makes 3 different cleats for the Keo pedals. Black has no float, Gray has 4 degrees of float, and Red has 7 degrees of float.

 

[MaddSkillz]

Okay, thanks!

 

[boon]

i don't think there is any rule of thumb or formula about which float suits a person best, as it depends on the biomechanics of our own pedaling technique. i would suggest using the grey cleat that comes with the pedal and if there are knee issues, then check your bike fit first (e.g. saddle height). if there are no issues with bike fit, then try the red and/or black cleat.

my personal experience is that i went from the grey cleat to the red cleat. however, it's hard to say whether that solved my knee problem because i also made changes to my saddle position. so it might have been a combination of adjustments that made the knee problem go away. i tried going back to the grey cleat but it felt weird (i.e. restricted float compared to the red cleat) so i stayed with the red cleat.

boon