| Author | Thread |
|
|
05/03/2015 10:19:52 AM · #51 |
Originally posted by MadMan2k:
Originally posted by Spork99:
GLOVES! Wear gloves when you ride, please! Save yourself the suffering. If and when you crash, your instinct will be to break your fall with your hands.
If you're not wearing gloves, you can be rewarded with what can be described as exquisite levels of pain as the ER doc removes bits of sand and gravel from the flesh of your palms, first with forceps and then later with a soap and a stiff bristle brush. Then your hands get wrapped up and everything you do, you have to do with bandages covering your hands. Imagine trying to do everything for weeks while wearing oven mitts.
How do I know about this stuff? I had to learn this the hard way.
And wear a helmet too. |
Damn. And I thought it sucked when I was getting my thumb stitched after I sliced open the tip of it when I was trying to break a zip tie with a chef's knife. Yours sounds way, way worse. Was there a lot of scars? |
There were a few where the biggest pieces were, but those have pretty much faded. This happened more than 25 years ago, but I certainly haven't forgotten the lesson. |
|
|
|
05/03/2015 11:18:05 AM · #52 |
I tried toe clips a few years back. Crashed right outside my house during practice but was still dumb enough to try an actual ride. Two more crashes, one at a intersection with cars. I haven't used toe clips since.
I also switched to a more upright bike which makes my husband laugh at me, but it is so very comfortable to me.
Message edited by author 2015-05-03 11:18:45. |
|
|
|
05/03/2015 02:43:27 PM · #53 |
Originally posted by Jules1x:
I tried toe clips a few years back. Crashed right outside my house during practice but was still dumb enough to try an actual ride. Two more crashes, one at a intersection with cars. I haven't used toe clips since. |
I know a few peoplenwho still use toe clips, but I switched to clipless years ago. They are like ski bindings for a bicycle. Simply rotate your foot outward and they release. I find them easy but not everyone does. Another personal preference thing. |
|
|
|
05/03/2015 02:49:49 PM · #54 |
 .  . 
Message edited by author 2015-05-03 15:02:48. |
|
|
|
05/03/2015 03:00:26 PM · #55 |
Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:
... I switched to clipless years ago. They are like ski bindings for a bicycle. Simply rotate your foot outward and they release. |
Don't you need special shoes for those? Might not be so good if you also need to walk around a lot ... |
|
|
|
05/03/2015 04:19:34 PM · #56 |
Wear padded gloves, got it!
I agree about accidents. As much as I feel like it'll never happen to me, an accident or few will likely happen. My dad biffed it pretty good when I was a kid. He was going down a hill to our neighbor's and hit a section of thick shale rock at the bottom. He came into the neighbor's house where I was playing covered in blood from head to toe. He'd also broken his thumb, which he still can't bend right. Last month one of my coworkers went over slick railroad tracks and knocked himself out while wearing a helmet. He missed a week of work due to a concussion.
Biking attire is something that was rattling around in my brain. I think I'll go "casual cycling apparel" before I go for the slick'n sexy stuff, or even a skirt. Layers is also a good thought.
Did I mention somewhere that I want a bell, like Annie mentioned. And as was mentioned Oregon is really bike aware. People here are really good about the "On the left" stuff, both cyclists and pedestrians, but the bells, I want me a bell! We were walking the other day and were passed a couple times by just a faint "dingy, dingy". It cracked me up, and I told my husband instantly that I want to be that person. "BEHIND YOU!" might be necessary for the area we're moving to though. I'm not sure how bike-friendly they are, if at all. Perhaps one of those clown horns... or one of the loud AROOOOOGHAHHH ones. We'll see. ;)
I'm with you guys, I think my legs and whatnot will be fine, but am worried about my neck and back. Especially lower back as mine tends to "go out" once or twice a year leaving me immobile for 3-4 days. I'll keep in mind the posture and bike fitting tips. Hopefully I can whoop that lower back in shape and have it stop doing whatever it does.
Water, yes, good. I knew a guy with one of those camelback sacks. We did factory work, and he was in the stockroom always running up and down long rows of parts, climbing up and down tall ladders/shelves, and carrying heavy parts. Brilliant on his part. |
|
|
|
05/03/2015 04:42:03 PM · #57 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:
... I switched to clipless years ago. They are like ski bindings for a bicycle. Simply rotate your foot outward and they release. |
Don't you need special shoes for those? Might not be so good if you also need to walk around a lot ... |
Yes, but they make shoes designed to clip into the pedals that work for both riding and walking. |
|
|
|
05/03/2015 06:43:29 PM · #58 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Don't you need special shoes for those? Might not be so good if you also need to walk around a lot ... |
Yes, but you can get mountain biking shoes that are made for both on and off bike usage. Some of them look just like a normal pair of running shoes. You wouldn't want to hike all day in them, as the sole is stiffer, but they are just fine. Even my "road" shoes are actually mountain shoes of the style that is like a road shoe but with tread on the bottom. I don't like duck walking.
|
|
|
|
05/03/2015 06:48:52 PM · #59 |
| Well, like everything else in this column lately that sounds pretty expensive unless you're actually planning to pull on the upstroke -- not sure if that's advisable or not for a less-experienced rider ... |
|
|
|
05/03/2015 07:00:55 PM · #60 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Well, like everything else in this column lately that sounds pretty expensive unless you're actually planning to pull on the upstroke -- not sure if that's advisable or not for a less-experienced rider ... |
I think clipless is definitely something to only go to when and if one is ready and wants them.
I find the once in a while I ride on platforms now, I have hard time keeping my foot on the pedal because I am used to it being secured.
|
|
|
|
05/03/2015 07:03:14 PM · #61 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Well, like everything else in this column lately that sounds pretty expensive unless you're actually planning to pull on the upstroke -- not sure if that's advisable or not for a less-experienced rider ... |
The camera equipment everyone recommends isn't any different. A cheap lens is still several hundred $$. My expensive riding shoes were under $100 and several other pairs were around $50.
|
|
|
|
05/03/2015 07:40:03 PM · #62 |
Well, I don't recommend expensive photo equipment to anyone, but the shoes sound less expensive than I'd have thought, and are probably a good idea if someone wants to start riding "seriously" ...
Message edited by author 2015-05-03 19:40:17. |
|
|
|
05/03/2015 08:09:10 PM · #63 |
Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:
I find the once in a while I ride on platforms now, I have hard time keeping my foot on the pedal because I am used to it being secured. |
Strongly second that. It takes a lot of concentration on my part to remember I'm NOT clipped when I ride platform pedals, but I do like them on occasion. Once you get used to being attached to your bike, it really is second nature. The guy who sold me my hybrid - first real bike as an adult! - sold it with clipless pedals and special shoes.... But to be fair, my shoes are essentially mountain bike shoes and are much easier to walk in than road shoes. I do recommend those. |
|
|
|
05/03/2015 09:49:55 PM · #64 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Well, I don't recommend expensive photo equipment to anyone, but the shoes sound less expensive than I'd have thought, and are probably a good idea if someone wants to start riding "seriously" ... |
To get the most benefit from the shoes/pedals, the key is not to mash the pedals up and down at great effort, but rather to spin the pedals quickly and smoothly in a circle. Takes getting used to, but the benefits are huge.
The new shoes are great. I remember having to nail the cleats to the shoe on my first pair of real cycling shoes.
Message edited by author 2015-05-03 21:51:46. |
|
|
|
05/05/2015 10:15:30 AM · #65 |
Believe it or not, cycling has been good for my back, neck and knees. This was the first year my back never "went out" and i credit regular cycling. Mind you, my rides are usually under 30 miles each. THings that are not good for my back: ice hockey and shoveling - but they are both essential =)
Regarding fit - A local bike shop will normally fit your bike to you - I was fortunate to have a Specialized guy set me up when I purchased my bike. It took a while because they are extremely particular but it pays off.
And as I mentioned, a bike co-op will do something similar with fit but since they tend to deal with used bikes, the fitting won't be as elaborate but they do usually back up their sales. I'm guessing Oregon is filled with bike Co-ops?
Originally posted by aliqui:
I'm with you guys, I think my legs and whatnot will be fine, but am worried about my neck and back. Especially lower back as mine tends to "go out" once or twice a year leaving me immobile for 3-4 days. I'll keep in mind the posture and bike fitting tips. Hopefully I can whoop that lower back in shape and have it stop doing whatever it does.
|
|
|
|
|
05/06/2015 12:44:36 AM · #66 |
Originally posted by tate:
Believe it or not, cycling has been good for my back, neck and knees. This was the first year my back never "went out" and i credit regular cycling. Mind you, my rides are usually under 30 miles each. THings that are not good for my back: ice hockey and shoveling - but they are both essential =)
|
Good! I hope my body reacts the same. Shoveling will be a new thing for me this coming year, back isn't looking forward to that! I think it'll also be a requirement that I learn to ice skate...
Originally posted by tate:
I'm guessing Oregon is filled with bike Co-ops?
|
I'm sure we have them here, but I'm not getting the bike here. I'll be buying it once we settle in Toronto, Canadia. I'm sure I can find them there too though. :) |
|
|
|
05/06/2015 02:19:54 PM · #67 |
Regarding shoes / pedals, I have something like this on my all-season bike.
They allow for shoes / boots on one side and cleats on the other.
I'm a fan of making one bike as versatile as possible. I have 2 bikes but really, one bike with 2 sets of wheels in enough for most people. Since my winter bike has metal-studded tires, it gets pretty limited use ... |
|
|
|
05/06/2015 08:00:39 PM · #68 |
Originally posted by tate:
Regarding shoes / pedals, I have something like this on my all-season bike.
They allow for shoes / boots on one side and cleats on the other. |
I have some of my bikes with those sort of pedals. A couple have a Performance house brand knock off of that same design. One nice thing about that particular design is they are weighted so they always hang the same way. So if I bring my foot in from the back, I get the cleat and if I come in from the front, I get the platform. Not all my dual purpose pedals behave that way.
I just stick with the Shimano SPD (not SPD-SL) system. Pedals and shoes are plentiful in availability and all my bikes are compatible with all my shoes.
|
|
|
|
05/06/2015 09:08:55 PM · #69 |
| What's the deal with the special shoes? Is that just for grip on the pedals? |
|
|
|
05/06/2015 09:27:06 PM · #70 |
Originally posted by aliqui:
What's the deal with the special shoes? Is that just for grip on the pedals? |
I assume so. I haven't gotten that far, yet. 16 miles today, though. :) |
|
|
|
05/06/2015 09:44:17 PM · #71 |
Originally posted by aliqui:
What's the deal with the special shoes? Is that just for grip on the pedals? |
They have a "cleat" on the bottom which locks-in to a mount on the pedal so that they are attached, and you can "pull" on the back/upstroke and apply force to the pedals throughout the cycle, not just pushing down with one foot at a time -- an alternative to the toe-clips which go over the tops of your (regular) shoes. I think you twist your foot to release it.
That's why I asked about walking in them earlier, as some shoes have this (relatively) big piece of metal on the sole, putting tap shoes to shame as far as clickety-clack noise goes ... :-) |
|
|
|
05/06/2015 09:49:52 PM · #72 |
Originally posted by aliqui:
What's the deal with the special shoes? Is that just for grip on the pedals? |
Pretty much. They secure your feet to the pedals and also allow you to apply power on more than just the downstroke. More power is still generated on the downstroke, but having my feet secured does give me a smoother cadence. I find pulling up on the pedals to be useful when I want a burst of power to sprint or get up a hill.
There are a number of competing systems available. The generic term is "clipless pedals". I use SPD, which stand for "Shimano Pedaling Dynamics".
 
I would suggest only trying clipless if and when you are ready and want to try them out. Some people (like me) prefer them and other can't stand the damn things.
|
|
|
|
05/06/2015 11:19:02 PM · #73 |
I for one never really took to SPD. First, there is some walking like a duck in them. Now I used them a number of years ago and even though the spd cleats were recessed inside the sole of the shoe the cleat still stuck out enough so that I was scraping them on the walking surface, which wears them out requiring removal from the shoe and installing new ones. This was not always that easy as the hole of the hex bolt holding them in place also wore thin so that it was difficult to seat a hex wrench inside the hole to unscrew. Lots of slippage. I don't know about the tech nowadays but maybe the have figured out a way to recess the spd cleats even more in the shoe so there is no cleat strike on the pavement and less cleat replacement.
For comfort and knee health positioning of your foot in the pedal is critical. (Remember, you are spinning your pedals thousands of times in a ride.) With spd this requires loosening the cleat without removal and repositioning the cleat on the sole of the shoe, then retightening. This could take a number of times until you know what's comfortable for you. The spd system does allow for some "float," typically 4 or 8 degrees, but it still may make you feel restricted within the pedal. With clips your shoe/foot has more "float" and you adjust the position of your foot within the pedal more naturally and easily.
I ride in all weather and often found that the spd system was not impervious to the elements. May be good for dryer climates, like that of Texas.
Spd pedals are more sleek and aerodynamic which may not contribute to drag as much as the clipped kind. Clipped pedals have more surface area to cut through the air which may slow one down (very very slightly) and hasten rider fatique (also negligible). Many riders don't like the idea of untightening/re-tightening the clip strap every time you stop and start riding again, though I find with quality straps this is not a problem.
Message edited by author 2015-05-06 23:39:41. |
|
|
|
05/06/2015 11:33:25 PM · #74 |
Originally posted by Olyuzi:
and even though the spd cleats were recessed inside the sole of the shoe the cleat still stuck out enough so that I was scraping them on the walking surface, which wears them out requiring removal from the shoe and installing new ones. |
That depends on the shoe. Interestingly, I bought a pair of Garneau SPD sneakers about 3 years ago, thinking they would be the ideal utility shoes, but the cleats extend past the sole and scrape, as you said. My mountain biking shoes all have deeper treads and the cleats don't scrape.
|
|
|
|
05/06/2015 11:47:50 PM · #75 |
Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:
Originally posted by Olyuzi:
and even though the spd cleats were recessed inside the sole of the shoe the cleat still stuck out enough so that I was scraping them on the walking surface, which wears them out requiring removal from the shoe and installing new ones. |
That depends on the shoe. Interestingly, I bought a pair of Garneau SPD sneakers about 3 years ago, thinking they would be the ideal utility shoes, but the cleats extend past the sole and scrape, as you said. My mountain biking shoes all have deeper treads and the cleats don't scrape. |
I guess then it's hit or miss with the shoe as to whether or not you have the deeper tread. You may have to buy/try multiple shoes, returning the unwanted shallow ones, until you find a pair with the right depth. For me just too much effort and hassle into making them work when they are not that comfortable to begin with (for me). Part of that reason is that I have little fat padding on the bottom of my feet and feel the protrusion of the cleat into the shoe more easily. But like you said, some love, some hate. |
|
Home -
Challenges -
Community -
League -
Photos -
Cameras -
Lenses -
Learn -
Prints! -
Help -
Terms of Use -
Privacy -
Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2024 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 04/19/2024 11:53:57 AM EDT.
