Cleats
Used cleats on Cranxs come from private sellers across the UK, usually as part-worn pairs or unused spares from a multipack. Cleats are a consumable that wears at the edges every time you walk in them, so a cheap second set is worth having in the drawer before the pair on your shoes starts slipping.
Which cleats fit my pedals?
Cleats are pedal-specific and not interchangeable between brands. Look Keo cleats only fit Look Keo pedals, Shimano SPD-SL only fits SPD-SL, and Time, Speedplay and Wahoo each use their own shape. Look Keo and SPD-SL are both three-bolt road patterns; mountain and gravel SPD uses a smaller two-bolt metal cleat; Speedplay bolts to a four-hole pattern with an adaptor plate for three-bolt soles. Match the pedal brand and model in the listing before you look at anything else.
How much float do I want?
Float is the amount of rotation the cleat allows before it releases. Shimano SPD-SL colour-codes it: yellow gives 6 degrees, blue 2 degrees and red 0 degrees for a fixed position. Look Keo runs grey at 4.5 degrees, black at 0 degrees and red at 9 degrees. More float suits riders with knee niggles or an unsettled foot angle; less float suits sprinting and a position already dialled in through a bike fit.
What should I check buying used?
Road cleats wear from walking rather than riding, so look closely at the front and rear contact edges and at any moulded wear indicator. A cleat that releases early under load is finished, however good the middle of it looks. Confirm you are getting a full pair with bolts and washers, and check whether SPD cleats are single-release or multi-release, as the two look almost identical in photos.
Will they fit my shoes?
Check the drilling on your sole rather than the price bracket of the shoe. Most road cycling shoes and triathlon shoes carry the three-bolt pattern, touring and commuting shoes are often two-bolt, and a few soles are drilled for both. Speedplay needs the four-hole pattern or the supplied adaptor plate.
How should I set them up?
Before you unbolt the old pair, draw round them on the sole with a marker so you have a reference to return to. Start with the ball of your foot over the pedal axle, set the angle to match how your foot naturally sits, and move things a couple of millimetres at a time between rides. Cleat covers are worth the small outlay, as walking across a car park in bare road cleats does more damage than a month of riding.