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Archives for May 2008

Shoes: Worth the big bux?

05.16.2008 by Ray Niekamp // 8 Comments

I’m always blown away when I look at the various types of biking shoes in catalogs or online.Not because there are so many different types, but because some of them are so expensive.

What does the typical road cyclist really need in the way of a shoe? (What’s a “typical” cyclist, Bike Noob? I dunno. Insert yourself.)

Number 1 — stiff soles. Inexpensive bike shoes have soles made of plastic. It’s stiff, but not as stiff as soles made of carbon fiber. Plastic can flex. Mid-range shoes may have fiberglass or carbon fiber added to the plastic — or maybe all carbon fiber. The high-end shoes have carbon fiber soles.

Uppers. Expensive shoes have uppers made of leather. It breaks in quickly, and is generally considered more comfortable. Less expensive shoes may be made of synthetic leather, or plastic.

Fit. Summed up in one word: snug. The heel should stay put, and not come out during the pedal stroke. At the same time, you don’t want shoes so snug that they cause numbness in the foot. To fasten shoes, velcro straps, buckles, or shoelaces all work. Most road shoes seem to use two velcro straps and a buckle for the top strap. Of course, be sure to leave some room at the end of the toes.

The Sidi Genius. Carbon fiber sole. MSRP: $299.99.

If I averaged 30 mph over a 100-mile ride, maybe I’d want to pop for some shoes like the Sidis, and pay the big price. But I’m guessing you know me better.

My shoes, the Exustar sr421.

I ordered my shoes from Nashbar, and paid about $40 (on sale). Nylon-fiberglass soles, coated leather uppers, velcro closures for all three straps. But they fit well, with the right amount of snugness. Sometimes the little toe on my left foot goes numb, but that’s usually because I pulled the small strap too tight. I’ve had these for nine months, and I have no complaints.

From just cursory observations of organized rides, club rides, and individual cyclists, it seems that many people are willing to pay for quality. Lots of Sidi shoes on cyclists’ feet around here. Maybe someday — but for now, the money I save on fancy shoes can go to buy well-padded shorts, or maybe a really garish jersey.

(Thanks to BicycleApparel.com for providing much of the info contained in this post.)

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Categories // Accessories, Equipment

Random musings about biking

05.14.2008 by Ray Niekamp // 6 Comments

Ever notice how stoplights are always at the base of a hill, so you’re hard pressed to build up any speed once you hit the slope?

And on the subject of stoplights, ever notice that when you grab your water bottle for a drink at a red light, the light invariably turns green?

I continue to be passed on hills by other cyclists. It seems that most of them have thighs the size of my spare tire. Not the tire in my seat bag — the spare tire around my waist. I bet if I lose 15 pounds, I’d start passing some of them.

Biking is a great way to see a variety of wildlife that you would miss in a car because you’re driving too fast, or miss while walking, because you don’t cover enough ground. On this afternoon’s 18-mile ride, I saw a Roadrunner, a Blotched Water Snake (non-venomous, but about four feet long, crossing the bike path–I almost ran it over), a blue jay (not all that common in this part of Texas), and a tarantula as it crossed the bike path. Cool.

Practiced upshifting before downshifting to the small chainring — making progress.

Also working on clicking into the pedals without looking. Dana is right — it’s more effective that way.

Got passed by four cyclists during my ride this afternoon — and not one of them was an old guy!

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Categories // Uncategorized

Shifting problem

05.12.2008 by Ray Niekamp // 8 Comments

Here’s a problem I’ve been running into lately — perhaps someone can suggest how to fix it. Shifting on a hill — I can’t seem to do it smoothly. Actually, I’m not even talking about hills here — more like an incline that scrubs off your speed. If I’m in the large chainring, I’m always guessing at what point to shift down to the small ring. And when I do shift down, I’m in too large a rear cog, so my pedals spin freely, and I lose forward momentum. I frantically shift up several times in rapid succession to get to the gear I need to be in. Lately, I’ve tried shifting up a cog before shifting down to the small chainring, but even that doesn’t seem to solve my problem.

This never happens when shifting up to the large chainring, because then, I’m either going downhill or am at least on a flat.

Most of the articles I’ve read on the topic of shifting seem to stop just short of the situation I describe. They tell you to shift down so that you’re pedaling at the same cadence uphill as you would on a flat. Fine, but how to do it smoothly?

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Categories // Technique

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