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Those new shoes are working out

01.22.2009 by Ray Niekamp // 1 Comment

It’s been a month now since getting my new cycling shoes, and they seem to be providing the relief my chronic numb toe needs. I can think of two reasons for the improvement: the shoes are a size larger than the ones I’d previously used, so there’s less squeezing of the foot when they swell with exercise, and they have a more adjustable strap system.

They use a rachet tightening strap at the top. I’ve been finding through trial and error that while it’s tempting to snug down that strap, it’s probably not the best idea. On a recent ride, the foot was bothering me when I stopped for a rest, and I found that the strap was just a little too tight. It seemed fine when I started out. Loosening it a couple of clicks did the trick.

I’ve concluded that the problem is with my left foot itself.  There must be something in its physiology that makes it a little different from the right foot.  It may be something that I have to live with.  However, it’s not giving me anywhere near the bother it used to with the old shoes, and for 90 percent of my riding, my foot is now fine.  So the shoes are working, and it looks like I won’t have to resort to any cockamamie solutions like slashing the mesh upper to ease the pressure on the foot.

My numb toe posts have gotten a lot of traffic over the past few months, continue to do so.  I don’t have any revelations that will help with the problem. For me, it turned out to be the shoes. So, I guess the only real advice I can give is: Don’t skimp. Buy one of the top name brands. Do your research. Road Bike Review is a good place to visit, and Performance Bike customers can leave reviews for each piece of equipment that outfit sells. Yes, they’re only anecdotal reviews, but taken as a whole, you can get a pretty good idea of what to expect.

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Categories // Accessories, soreness Tags // numb, shoes, toes

Level that saddle

01.02.2009 by Ray Niekamp // 7 Comments

Some time ago, I read a tip about riding position that said you should use a carpenter’s level to make sure the saddle is in the right position.

A few days before Christmas, I remembered the tip, and spent a little time in the garage doing just that. It turned out the saddle was tilted up a few degrees, more than I had expected. Maybe that’s why I’d been feeling sore down there after a longish ride.

allezThe saddle looks level in this picture from September, but it turns out that it wasn’t. I think the sloping top tube throws off the eye, making the saddle seem flat, when it’s really tilted up. Even though it’s tilted, it will still look flat when compared to the top tube.

I assume the saddle was level when I bought the bike. I had them switch out the original white saddle for a black one, and I hope they leveled it. After a few months of riding, I wouldn’t be surprised if it starts tilting one way or the other. Maybe that’s why the suggestion is to check its level once every month. Getting the saddle level again didn’t take long, although every time I thought I got it right, the pressure from the Allen nut would raise it. After several tries, I got it the way I wanted it.

I’ve now had several rides with the new saddle position. I hardly notice it, which I guess is the goal. Today, I did 19 miles of hills in strong wind. I wore some older shorts with rather thin padding. No problems with my bottom, but it’s time to start including more hills in my workouts again!

Anyway, if you’re not as comfortable aboard the bike as you think you should be, a few minutes with a level should help out.

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Categories // Equipment, soreness Tags // saddle

I hab a head code and other sundry stuff

10.23.2008 by Ray Niekamp // 2 Comments

Broke into a sneezing and runny nose fit yesterday afternoon. At first, I thought it was a bad attack of allergies, but no…when I woke up this morning, I realized it’s a cold. I hope it won’t affect my riding any. As I’ve already mentioned, I’ll be away for the next couple of days, and will be back Sunday. With any luck, my cold will have run its course.

Sunday morning, several of my friends will be riding in the Livestrong Challenge.  The course west of Austin is hilly, and the 90-miler promises to be tougher than the century I did last weekend.  Here’s hoping they have good weather a good rides.

Mrs. Noob’s birthday is coming up in less than two weeks.  It’s gotta include something bike related, like maybe a new bike?  She’s been spending less time on her bike lately, because of a new-found interest in horseback riding (and I’m not going to buy a horse).  Would one of these get her back on the skinny saddle?

The Trek FX 7.5.

Regarding my other saddle problem, that’s all cleared up with two days of rest.  I probably won’t ride Sunday in order to let the cold completely go away, but after that, I’ll be looking to get in the swing of things again.  In the meantime, knock off a few miles for me.

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Categories // Bikes, Rides, soreness Tags // cold, FX, Livestrong, saddle

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