Official P&b Cycling Thread

[flyingscot]

I did 30 miles on Sat. There is a 'your speed' sign which I was clocked on going up the hill out of Lochwinnoch towards Kilmacolm at an epic 6mph

Have to say the road between Lochwinnoch and Kilmacolm is hellishly bumpy.

[monkeyblair]

Jesus christ that was tough today!!

77.33 miles in 5hrs 4mins averaging at 15.2mph.

Pishing of rain all the way - did SQ to Dunbar / North Berwick and back in a loop including some tought hills.

Stopped once for a snack break and legs were pretty sore at the end but pleased to have got in 3/4 of the PFS distance which I am hoping will be easier riding as I will tag along in some of the groups.

[Busta Nut]

I did 30 miles on Sat. There is a 'your speed' sign which I was clocked on going up the hill out of Lochwinnoch towards Kilmacolm at an epic 6mph

Have to say the road between Lochwinnoch and Kilmacolm is hellishly bumpy.

There is one of them on the route I frequent and I was also laughing that It even clocked me. Motors all bursting passed it was dhowing "41" "39" and It suddenly popped up with "11" i near shat myself and fell of my bike laughing, I have never noticed those things picking me up before.

Put in 32 miles today, It was pissing of rain and was out with mate. good times. My mate is fit as f**k though and I was blowing oot ma arse at the few wee hills at the end.

[fanny paddery]

Using my road bike last night and the crank arm came loose and fell off. To get it home I had to try and use it and now the crank arm is shagged. Guy in the bike shop said I could have avoided the problem with pedal straps and really recommends them. What are peoples opinions of pedal straps. Will it be a problem that I have size 14 feet?

[monkeyblair]

If you are getting your bike fixed and use it often enough then maybe now is the time to invest in some new pedals and shoes as opposed to straps?

[broon-loon]

Using my road bike last night and the crank arm came loose and fell off. To get it home I had to try and use it and now the crank arm is shagged. Guy in the bike shop said I could have avoided the problem with pedal straps and really recommends them. What are peoples opinions of pedal straps. Will it be a problem that I have size 14 feet?

If you are getting your bike fixed and use it often enough then maybe now is the time to invest in some new pedals and shoes as opposed to straps?

Clip in pedal/shoes are the way to go. I just use the basic SPD with MTB shoes. Thought about trying the ultra hard sole and the Look or similar set up. Maybe next year...?

Yes you will probably get it wrong and end up on the floor at a junction, I'm sure we all have, however riding a bike without being clipped in just doesn't feel right for me now....!

[monkeyblair]

Clip in pedal/shoes are the way to go. I just use the basic SPD with MTB shoes. Thought about trying the ultra hard sole and the Look or similar set up. Maybe next year...?

Yes you will probably get it wrong and end up on the floor at a junction, I'm sure we all have, however riding a bike without being clipped in just doesn't feel right for me now....!

Never a truer word said.

During my 77 miler yesterday I stopped for a banana and unclipped one foot and rested against a wall. Decided to sit on the wall for a while and promptly forgot I was still clipped in on the other foot and ended up on my back halfway onto the road .

[fanny paddery]

I am currently riding a 1987 Raleigh Equipe which cost me £90 and only using it for my 5 mile journey to work. Is it worth going to the expense of spending around £100 on pedals and shoes?

[davie2wheels]

Fell over years ago right next to a female account director I was trying to impress because her company was sponsoring a charity ride. Cleats were worn. The ignomony. Bealach Mor on Saturday and the weather looks shite. Should be fun.

[broon-loon]

I am currently riding a 1987 Raleigh Equipe which cost me £90 and only using it for my 5 mile journey to work. Is it worth going to the expense of spending around £100 on pedals and shoes?

I think you know the answer based on this..........

[Silvio Tattiescone]

Just read this on another board and thought I'd share - http://www.rivbike.com/Articles.asp?ID=255

The Shoes Ruse

(this is written for non-racers, and for riders who don't ride race-like. In other words, for recreational riders, tourists, commuters, general fitness riders...but not for racers or racer-likes. It is an opinion, a point of view not often presented as worthy of consideration. No harm is intended, but no punches have been pulled, and as presented here, I believe in my bones that it is worthy of your undivided attention and serious consideration, contemplation, genuflectionand more than all that, your experimentation. Nothing beats good old-fashioned seeing for onesself.

If you're loving your clipless pedals, there's no point in reading it, and certainly there's no point in changing what works for you. In that case, this article is not meant for you. But if you're not exactly in deep, passionate love with your shoe-pedal-system and are hoping there might be another way, read on!

---------------------

The biggest myth in bicycle riding is the need for special cycling shoes and the benefits of stiff ones. The argument in favor of Special Shoes is this: With a firm connection to the pedal, you will be able to apply power for the full 360-degrees of a pedal revolution.

That's one of the biggest, fattest lies of all time on any topic, but experts, riders, and the media repeat this over and over again, year after year. Coaches, trainers, people we're supposed to listen to. Statesmen and Pillars of the Community. Even the Girl Next Door says it over and over.

On August 20, a fellow who had just completed a money-raising ride from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific (with a group of 60) came by, and "pedals" came up, and he said the organizers of the group required click-in pedals. Many of the riders didn't even own a bike until the ride, but no matter: No click-in pedals, no ride. Those rule makers are well-meaning, but deluded. The notion of positively locking your foot onto a pedal seems to make sense, and is certainly an easy sell. But it is not true. Just because a guy is fast or experienced and Generally Honest About Most Things, doesn't mean he knows what the heck is going on with his shoes and feet and pedaling muscles. A common misconception, that one; and easily shot full of holes by one bicycle ride in sneakers---but on your good&normal bike.

When elite pedalers and lousy rookie pedalers have been hooked up to machines that measure muscle activity during pedaling, the machines tell us this:

during normal pedaling at normal cadences, nobody pulls UP on the backstroke

the elite/efficient pedalers push down less on the upward moving pedal than the rookies do.

Think about that until it sinks in and you're bored. The good pedalers----the guys in the logo costumes and the white sunglasses and shaved legs----minimize the downward force on the upward-moving pedal more. They don't pull up on it or even unweight it. They just minimize the downward pressure on it, so one leg isn't fighting the other as much.

That is a far cry from the 360-degrees of power the clickers and media and experts promise you.

The thing is, if all you can hope to do is minimize the downward force on the upward-moving pedal, how does it help to be clicked or strapped in?

It doesn't and can't.

There are some benefits to being firmly attached. Whether they make sense for you and your riding, only you can answer. Here they are:

1. in slippery conditions and vicious sprints, and when hopping the bike over a dead raccoon or up onto a curb, a connection to the pedal is a benefit.

2. When you climb a super steep short hill, you actually can pull up on the upward-moving pedal for a few strokes, and doing so helps you turn over the other pedal (get it past 12:00 and into the power part of the stroke).

But before you think, "Hey, that's me---I don't want to not be able to hop over a dead road mammal, and now and then I get wild in rainy weather sprints; and there was that one time the hill stopped me, and I don't want that to happen again." consider how often those things will matter. Before I started pedaling free, I imagined myself hopping over dead mammals all the time--because I'd done it a few times. But when I gave up pedaling connected (about 5 years ago), I haven't missed it once. I ride around the mammals, and not once have I wished I was connected.

There are actual, real benefits to pedaling free:

1. You can wear any shoe in your closet. Sandals in hot weather. Crocs, even. Sneakers, boots in the snowy-cold winter. Footwear to suit the weather, not to fit the pedal.

2. More efficient muscle use, less chance of repetitive stress injury. Regular cycling shoes may give you some lateral float, but they lock your foot to the pedal (fore-and-aft wise) in one place, and that's not how we use our feet. When you go up stairs or do leg presses at the gym (efforts not unlike pedaling up a hill), you push with the middle of your foot. Not with the ball of your foot, as you've been told is proper for cycling.

When you run fast, you run on your toes (or off the ball of your foot). When you walk, you land on your heel. Middle-distance runners run off their mid-foot.

Your foot is just a foot, but you use it different ways for different kinds of efforts, and click-in cycling shoes don't let you do that.

On long grinding hills, it is absolutely more comfortable to pedal close to your arch. You can't do that if you're clicked in. And on longer rides, it's good to vary your foot's position over the pedal, because doing this calls on certain muscles in your legs, and puts others to rest.

If your foot is locked in one position, you're much more likely to get a repetitive stress injury, for the simple reason that you repeat the same motion over and over.

Now, shoes.

Racing shoes are rigid, slippery plastic. Riders shopping for them pick them up and test their stiffness (as though it matters) by trying to bend them with their hands. If the shoe is rigid and unyielding, they heave out an "ahhh..." and consider it worthy.

It's a bunch of hooey, though. Your foot doesn't bend when you pedal a bike. It tenses and pretty much stays straight, just as it does when you walk up stairs.

You want TWO things from a shoe:

protection from the pedal. You don't want to jam the pedal into your foot.

gription. You don't want to slide around on the pedal.

That is all.

When the pedal is as big as a soup spoon, the pressure is concentrated in a small area, and the shoe needs to be hard to protect your foot.

Now, pedals.

But when the pedal has a bigger platform, the pressure is distributed over a wider area, and the shoe sole can be much less rigid, thick, plasticky. There are pedals out there that let you wear the flimsiest sneakers or even flip-flops, with no loss of efficiency and no pain.

The best pedals are double-sided pedals, the kind made for BMX riding. Some of those are monstrously heavy because they're made for riding off roofs and landing hard, but others are just normal, medium-to-lightish pedals that are perfect for the modern go-anywhere rider looking for a way out of the rigid-shoe jailhouse.

Now, shoes again. Specifics and details.

Ninety-nine percent of the riding I've done over the past 5 years has been in Teva sandals. I use the Hurricane model, the cheapest, flimsiest, lightest model Teva makes. They cost $39 and weigh 10 ounces in a size ten. In the summer I wear light socks or none; in the winter I often double-up thick wool socks. Being sandals with adjustable straps, there's never a fit problem, there's never the feeling of crampedness or anything.

But what's the lower limit, shoeswise?

Proabably Crocs. Several people we know ride in them and prefer them to just about anything else. Before you think how ridiculous Crocs are, or how unsuitable for pedaling, consider that they're just contoured foam with enough resistance to offer support. They are not high shoe-craft, but with the right pedals beneath them, they do just fine for lots of riding, including long distance touring (we know people who prefer them to all others for just this purpose).

I recently got some fake Crocs, from Target. They cost $9.99 and weigh about 5 ounces a pair. My foot fits in them loosely with a wool sock, and when I flip the heelstrap out behind my heel, it doesn't even do any good, because my heel doesn't contact it.

I've been riding them lately and the grip is excellent, even better than Tevas. I timed a hillclimb that I do all the time, and my times are no different than with Tevas (or real cycling shoes, for that matter). The fit is loose, but it doesn't seem to matter. The comfort is out of this world. They work great with our Sneaker pedals, and on any ride that didn't involve dragging the bike up steep, loose trails (hiking with it), they're perfect.

The shoes you're used to may be the shoes you prefer, but they probably aren't the only ones that'll work for you.

One more benefit to pedaling "free"

Your feet learn to pedal in circles, because they aren't forced to. As a bike rider, you're already accustomed to moving your feet in a circle, but when you're locked into the pedals, your muscles don't have to learn, because they're going to move in circles no matter what. But when you aren't connected, your muscles truly learn to move efficiently in circles, and that' seems like a good goal. If you want to train a dog to come, you don't keep him (or in my case, her) on a leash. And if you want to train your feet to move efficiently in circles, you don't force them to comply by locking them to the pedal.

Summing up. Ending it all.

The most important and liberating thing I've learned in 40 years of riding nearly daily, is that normal shoes and pedaling unconnected is the way to go. For me, at least, and for a growing number of people who try it. It's not easy to give up old habits that you've practiced and espoused for 35 years. But at some point the madness has to stop, and if you're looking for an excuse to head out on a ride in your Hush Puppies, now you have it.

[flyingscot]

There is one of them on the route I frequent and I was also laughing that It even clocked me. Motors all bursting passed it was dhowing "41" "39" and It suddenly popped up with "11" i near shat myself and fell of my bike laughing, I have never noticed those things picking me up before.

I get picked up by them quite a lot but that was by far the slowest it has picked me up and the longest too as it took ages to get past it. It did shame me into doing 7mph. One in Govan is set to kmh and you get a nice 25-30 when you go past. The cars get 50-60 though.

Yes you will probably get it wrong and end up on the floor at a junction, I'm sure we all have, however riding a bike without being clipped in just doesn't feel right for me now....!

Not on the road, but the first time I got them I horsed out the driveway, up and down the street for a bit, all was well, back in the driveway, stop at the car and aggrrrhhh shit as I end up on my side

[Drooper]

Some days I manage to engage the cleats in pedals without a thought, and others. like this morning, I miss every f'ing time, and end up thrashing about like a maniac with a queue of traffic behind as I attempt to pull away from a junction.

I've been using clipless pedals for years (both MTB, and now SPD SLs on the road bike). Like broon-loon, the idea of not using them seems very strange indeed, but you have to prepare yourself for a few scary moments when clipping in and out in busy traffic. I try to avoid routes where I know I'll have to stop (lights/roundabout/junction) on an ascent, as it is particularly difficult to perform a hill-start when trying to clip in.

I also have to be extra careful as I'm left-footed and clip out with my right foot first. This means that if I'm going to fall over, I'm likely to fall into the road, as opposed to towards the pavement. I've tried alternating by clipping out of my right pedal, but it just ain't happening.

Clipless pedals come into their own if you ride long routes, and those with hills. I wouldn't bother on a short-ish, urban commute.

It seems to me that I clip in and out more smoothly when I'm not thinking about it too much.

[Bold Rover]

Interesting stuff from NewBornBairn. I'm in my mid-fifties and have been cycling for ever, but have never embraced the cleats and fancy shoes. I'm a cheap pedal and trainers man. I've never thought the investment worthwhile, and the fear of falling put me off. So I was right all along - for all the wrong reasons! On holiday recently, we observed a lot of middle-aged cyclists having dificulty walking about in their cycling shoes. All depends on how serious and fast you wish to be, i suppose.

[Drooper]

Interesting stuff from NewBornBairn. I'm in my mid-fifties and have been cycling for ever, but have never embraced the cleats and fancy shoes. I'm a cheap pedal and trainers man. I've never thought the investment worthwhile, and the fear of falling put me off. So I was right all along - for all the wrong reasons! On holiday recently, we observed a lot of middle-aged cyclists having dificulty walking about in their cycling shoes. All depends on how serious and fast you wish to be, i suppose.

Aye, its a desperately unfortunate and unedifying sight, to be sure.

Shoes with recessed cleats avoid this issue to a great extent.

[Busta Nut]

how do you clip in and out of these things?

[flyingscot]

how do you clip in and out of these things?

Push forward and down onto the pedal and it clicks in. To disengage twist your foot/heels and it will pop out.

I lost a cleat screw the other week when I disengaged on the cycle path. Did eventually find it with help from a jakey.

[monkeyblair]

I am currently riding a 1987 Raleigh Equipe which cost me £90 and only using it for my 5 mile journey to work. Is it worth going to the expense of spending around £100 on pedals and shoes?

Probably not then.

Interesting stuff from NewBornBairn. I'm in my mid-fifties and have been cycling for ever, but have never embraced the cleats and fancy shoes. I'm a cheap pedal and trainers man. I've never thought the investment worthwhile, and the fear of falling put me off. So I was right all along - for all the wrong reasons! On holiday recently, we observed a lot of middle-aged cyclists having dificulty walking about in their cycling shoes. All depends on how serious and fast you wish to be, i suppose.

My hybrid cleats (MTB's) afford you the luxury of being able to wear the shoes and walking normally.

My road bike cleats, however, have the wife screaming like mad as I walk through the house with blade like soles on her carpets

how do you clip in and out of these things?

Clipping in - front first into pedal then weight on your heels to snap them in place.

Clipping out - swivel heel to outside and pull out of pedal - simple (most of the time).

All clips can be set to be quite loose to get you used to it. Mine are now very tight to get on and off which means they don't shift a bit when you are pedalling - makes you go faster!!!!!

[monkeyblair]

Push forward and down onto the pedal and it clicks in. To disengage twist your foot/heels and it will pop out.

I lost a cleat screw the other week when I disengaged on the cycle path. Did eventually find it with help from a jakey.

Out with Unleash the Nade?

[broon-loon]

Just read this on another board and thought I'd share - http://www.rivbike.c...cles.asp?ID=255

Thanks for this. I still like my clip ins though......

Not on the road, but the first time I got them I horsed out the driveway, up and down the street for a bit, all was well, back in the driveway, stop at the car and aggrrrhhh shit as I end up on my side

I toppled off approaching a give way, right in front o the missus and daughter who were following me in the car, much to their amusement and my embarrassment of course..........

Interesting stuff from NewBornBairn. I'm in my mid-fifties and have been cycling for ever, but have never embraced the cleats and fancy shoes. I'm a cheap pedal and trainers man. I've never thought the investment worthwhile, and the fear of falling put me off. So I was right all along - for all the wrong reasons! On holiday recently, we observed a lot of middle-aged cyclists having dificulty walking about in their cycling shoes. All depends on how serious and fast you wish to be, i suppose.

I'm only a few years your junior sir, but when I decided to get back on the cycle some years back I opted for the clip ins after a wee while. It seems to suit me, I like the fact my foot is in a constant pedal position. It certainly doesn't make me fast ...............