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Watch Out For Pedal Wear!

06.09.2011 by Ray Niekamp // 2 Comments

Guest poster Jeff Hemmel says if you’re having trouble with your cleats — the trouble might not be with your cleats.

I’ve been having a little trouble clicking in and out of my pedals as of late. I thought the likely culprit was my cleats. Upon inspection, they were certainly quite worn, but what surprised me most was the condition of my pedals, a pair of Shimano road-style 540s. On both, the body cover plate — a replaceable piece of plastic (metal on higher-end models) that spans the width of the pedal — was completely worn away at the tips. Compounding matters was that where the tips were gone, my cleats had actually worn rather significantly into the aluminum, leaving a pronounced dip, especially on the outside of each pedal. The end result is that my foot was likely sitting quite canted in the pedals…and my pedals were permanently damaged.

The Shimano 540. (Click to embiggen.)

In hindsight, I spotted a clue in a recent photo. I had done one of the MS150 rides, and the event photographer had captured me at various times throughout the course. In several of the photos, I noticed a strange, inward angle to my foot. Now I know why.

I’ve seen plenty of coverage on when to replace your cleats, but very little on when to replace a pedal. If you ride Shimanos, look closely on the instructions. You’ll note that the cover in question is actually considered a “consumable” part, and that the cover should be replaced before “any part of the body cover becomes flush with the pedal.” Yikes — I was way past that stage. If I had kept a closer eye on things, I probably could have simply replaced a cheap (about $6) piece of plastic. Replacing them as they showed wear would have saved the more expensive pedal body from permanent damage.

A little more food for thought: In many ways, you do get what you pay for. When I first made the switch from a mountain bike and hybrid to a road bike, I reasoned that the cheaper products were good enough for me. Hence the 540s, which are Shimano’s entry-level road pedal. With time, however, I’ve come to appreciate the extra quality that can be found in some of the pricier equipment. The Shimano 105 pedals I’ve stepped up to certainly aren’t top of the line by any means. I found them new on eBay for only $55. The 105s, however, are far closer to the higher-end Ultegra pedals. The shape itself flares at the axle, giving the rider a wider, more solid platform underfoot. The 105s also feature a metal cover plate, secured with two small screws. It’s still considered consumable, but certainly it won’t wear at the rate of the 540’s plastic.

Shimano 105. (Click to make larger.)

 I doubt very many people have actually replaced the part in question. On this morning’s ride, I asked a friend if I could see his pedals, which are the same as my previous model. Unclipping one foot, he seemed surprised as he looked down to see the plastic cover almost completely gone…and a pronounced chunk worn out of the pedal’s aluminum body.

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Categories // Equipment, guest post, Maintenance Tags // guest post, Hemmel, pedal

Hand-Me-Downs

04.24.2011 by Ray Niekamp // 9 Comments

The other day I came home to find a plastic Target bag on the bed. I first thought my wife had been out shopping and picked me up some boxer shorts. But when I opened the bag, I found something completely different.

Two bike jerseys and a pair of bibs.

“Cynthia stopped by today,” said my wife. “She thought you might like these.”

Cynthia is a friend of ours, who took up biking last year. This year, she joined a local team – the Tough Cookies – and started training seriously. For her, it was all about losing weight. Cynthia, like my wife, has had trouble finding bike clothes that fit. Her solution was to get men’s clothes.

But her training is paying off. Last week, she completed the MS 150 from Houston to Austin, which features a 100-mile leg on its first day. Her training is paying off in other ways, too.

“She’s lost enough weight that she doesn’t need to wear men’s clothes anymore,” said my wife. “So these are now yours.”

The mountain bike jersey and the bibs. The long-sleeved jersey was in the wash.

Cool. The two jerseys are technically for mountain bikers. The long-sleeved one has no pockets and a simple V-neck. The short-sleeved one has no elastic around the hem, and two zippered pockets. I’m no mountain biker, but I’ll be wearing these on shorter weekday rides.

The thing that left me a little uncomfortable was the bibs. They’re great. They’re Castellis, and I’ve always wanted a pair of those. They’re a little garish, with a broad red stripe down the leg and “Castelli” in big letters down the side. They’ve got the distinctive Castelli chamois pad, which is thinner but denser than most other pads.

So, the big question: Do I accept and wear the bibs, knowing that they’ve been cushioning someone else’s bottom? A female someone else, at that?

I hemmed. And I hawed. I found little nit picky things wrong with the two jerseys. My wife stood glaring, hands on her hips. “You’re over thinking this,” she said.

I wore the short-sleeved jersey for a short trip through the neighborhood. It fluttered in the wind, but that was okay. I wasn’t in a time trial. I was just getting in some miles on the bike.

Under the jersey, I wore the bibs.

They fit like a glove. I’m going to keep wearing them.

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Categories // Equipment Tags // bibs, jersey

My Favorite Hand Position

03.22.2011 by Ray Niekamp // 5 Comments

I’m sure we’ve all had the experience of hands going numb on a ride. For some of us, it thankfully doesn’t happen much. For others, it occurs regularly. We keep going, and shake out our hands to get some feeling back into them. We can also check to make sure our hands are positioned to minimize pressure, by putting most of the weight on the heels, rather than the palms of the hands.

Or, we move our hands around on the bar. The nice thing about drop bars is that the rider can ride in a number of hand positions. I spend 80 percent or more of my time on the brake hoods, as I suspect most road riders do. I like to ride in the drops, not so much because I go faster that way, but because it’s a different position, and relieves pressure on the hands from their time on the hoods. And sometimes, I’ll grab the bar on the flat top part, especially going up hill.

But I’ve got another hand position that has become my favorite. I simply move my hands back from the brake hoods by an inch or two. That puts them over the bar just after it has curved forward from the flat part.

This position appeals to me because of one overriding factor: comfort. My hand is still able to grip in a handshake attitude. I can wrap my fingertips around the drops. It’s a lot like the hand position we used to take when riding those cruiser bikes we grew up with, where the handlebars curved toward the rear.

It also puts me more upright. That’s very welcome after being in the same bent-over position for awhile. I can relax a bit, sit back and look around.

Some handlebars are better adapted to this riding position than others. Randonneur-style bars, such as the Nitto Noodle, have relatively long “ramps” up to the brake hoods that give the rider a generous area to place the hands.

The Nitto Noodle bar.

For myself, I’ve found that making sure the “flats” or “ramps” that lead to the brake hoods are parallel with the ground means my hands on the flats will be a little more comfortable.

I’m still on the brake hoods 80 percent of the time, but when I need a break, I just back off an inch or two. If you haven’t tried it yet, it’s worth a shot. See if you agree.

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Categories // Equipment Tags // comfort, handlebars

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