Universal Mountain Adapter Plate

This plate allows you to correctly position any cleat utilizing the Shimano™ SPD 14 mm center-to-center standard. This adapter was developed to handle the multitude of SPD style cleats that have been developed over the years. The Universal Mountain Adapter Plate mounts inside the Universal Road Adapter Plate. If you do not need the Universal Road Adapter, you can purchase a stand-alone plate (see bottom of the page).

Cleat alignment with this adapter takes several steps. It is easiest to have the rider mount the bicycle on a trainer, then drop one foot back at a time and rest it on the trainer. Take out the regular screws that are holding the SPD style cleat and replace them with the two brass posts. Put a dab of grease on the threads to insure easy removal. Do not tighten down the threads all the way so that you can adjust the cleat when needed. Do this for both shoes.

Now have the cyclist ride 5 minutes on the trainer with light tension. This gives the rider time to warm up and fall into his or her natural gait. Now remove all tension from the trainer and begin to watch the red and white determinant bars. The red bar on the bottom shows movement of the tibia. If the red bar is moving forward of the white bar during the pedal stroke, the rider's toes are turned in. Ask the cyclist to stop. Take the small bar that comes with your RAD Kit™ and insert it between the spindle and the RAD Move the rider's heel out away from the bike just a little to account for their gait. Repeat this process till the determinant bars are lined up throughout the pedal stroke.

If the rider has toes turned out, the white determinant bar will be behind the white bar (towards the rear of the bicycle). In this case, move the heel towards the bicycle but make sure it does not strike the chain stay during the pedal stroke. If the rider's heel hits the chain stay, you will need to add a spacer for their pedal.

If the determinant bars never settle down completely, the rider needs a cleat with some float. Make sure the variation in the white determinant bar is centered on red bar.

NOTE: Your determinant bars may be installed with the red bar on top and the white bar on the bottom. Please take that into account when you follow these instructions.

Once you are satisfied with the cleat position, tighten down one of the brass posts to hold the cleat and remove the other. Put a dab of grease on the cleat screw and tighten it down snug. Then remove the other brass post and do the same. Do this for both shoes.

When you are done with rotational adjustment of the SPD cleat, there is one last adjustment that needs to be made. Mount a cleat to the Tension Adjustment Device™. Then measure and adjust the pedal's release tension and equalize it on both sides of the pedal.