Design & Development of a Bicycle Cleat Adapter

Cycling commuters would benefit from a mechanism, which increases pedaling efficiency without the need for specific cycling shoes as currently available with clip-in pedals. The bond between cycling shoes and clip-in pedals results in a more efficient power transfer to the rear wheel and improved control over the bicycle.

Due to the cleat bolted onto a rigid sole, cycling shoes are uncomfortable to walk in and are therefore not widely used by commuters due to their impracticality. A survey conducted during this project confirmed that this drawback stops many cycling commuters from using clip-in pedals and cycling shoes although they are aware of the efficiency gains.

The project focuses on the design, prototyping and testing of a compact device that enables a better pedaling efficiency without the need for specific cycling shoes. The developed solution is an easy to use device consisting of a strapping system that secures a standard cycling cleat to the bottom of any regular shoe that can be removed once the user reaches their destination.

The paper addresses appropriate material selection, detail design and structural considerations, prototype testing, user friendliness from feedback survey and commercial potential of the proposed newly designed adapter for normal shoes as an alternative to standard clip-in shoes for cycling commuters.