in_stead | (no subject)

The bike.

Oh. My. God.

The bike.

I am actually, earnestly, not-faking-for-internet-fun at a loss for words to describe how wonderful the bike is. I rode for a little over two hours today and felt like I could have easily gone for another two, except for the fact that I really did need to get back to packing. I even managed to get the hang of clipless pedals right off, which work rather like ski bindings. The gentlemen at Full Cycle out and out promised me that I would fall off the bike a couple of times before it got through to my subconscious that my feet were actually bound into the pedals and that I needed to twist out to release them. Apparently, however, a lifetime of downhill skiing has served me in good stead and I had no trouble at all adjusting.

Anyway, the bike proved to be even more fabulous over the first ride than I had expected it to be after my three second spin around the cycle shop's parking lot. I can't wait for tomorrow when, if I get up early enough, I get to do it again.

Also on the plate for tomorrow: FINALLY TURNING MY THESIS IN HEY YEAH RIGHT ON. Loading up my car with my cats, bikes, skis, guitar (which will likely be sad and lonely in the presence of all those other matched pairs), and anything else that will fit. Driving to North Bay.

But enough about the mundane nonsense. I'm going to go back to thinking about my bike now.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

What exactly is the advantage to having your feet attached to the pedals?

The biggest advantage is that it allows you to not just push down on the pedal, but also pull up on the back stroke. Instead of just stroking down, you move your foot in a controlled circular motion. It's a more efficient means of transferring power from your legs to the pedal system. Because you use the muscles on both the front and the back of your legs, you don't get as tired as fast.

It also ensures that your foot doesn't slip off the pedal at higher speeds. This, uh, has not been a concern for me, but for a cyclist moving at any kind of road race speed to have a foot slip off a pedal would be...bad. To say the least. It would be ankle in the spokes, veer into the traffic, break your neck and die bad.

Mountain bikes, for obvious reasons, don't tend to have clipless pedals (a confusing term that refers to the pedals that work like ski bindings, snapping onto a bracket on the bottom of your cycling shoe). When you're riding rough trails through the woods, you don't want to have to twist out of a binding to get your foot down. However, mountain bikes may, for the same reasons of pedaling efficiency, have clip pedals (pedals that have some kind of strap or toe notch into which you fit your foot).

It's a little freaky at first to make the switch from the basic, mash your foot down pedal to something that holds your foot in place. After I got the hang of it, though, I loved it. Sure, the backs of my legs are burning like all hell now, but during the ride, my legs didn't feel anywhere near as tired as they usuall do.

what kind of pedals did you get?

W got me these for my birthday last year - back when they were the Tyler ones (before he moved to phonak.)

to be honest i've been an utter wimp over them, because they start off really stiff but i'm going to start using them with rollers when i finish my job, until they are loosened up enough for it to be safe on the road. (and when i've overhauled my breaks on my road bike so that are as good as the one on my commuter single-speed - which is the bite-iest break eva.)

i love that they look like lollies. *is 12*

I have these. They're at the budget end of things, but they seem pretty good all things said and done. I can get in and out of them with reassuring consistancy, anyway.

Lolly pedals! I love them. What do you mean when you say that they're stiff to start off with -- that they're difficult to get out of?

hey d_v_8, K pointed me to your thread. Hooray for bike love! You've made a good choice there. It feels divine when all the energy finds it's way to the back wheel. You just fly.

*puts on geek hat* On pedals you're spot on but the mountain bikers are more likely to use the type of pedals that you've got. The roadies started on this type Look at Wiggle (http://www.wiggle.co.uk/Default.aspx?Main=ProductDetail.aspx&W=0&Manufacturer=&UberCatName=&Cat=cycle&CategoryName=Pedals&ProdID=5360011684&UberCat=0). With that you get a plastic cleat that ensure that you cannot walk on hard surfaces. It's a bit like walking on ice, and makes you look like an idiot. I used them for years for some reason. I forget what...

Hooray again for bike love!
W to the OscarCat

Ah, there you go! I didn't think I had the mountain bike thing quite right.

Also, I'm not sure I've thanked you enough for helping me research bikes. I really appreciated the break down of the Giant's advantages that you sent me (via

the_oscar_cat). It was enormously helpful -- thank you very much.

Listen to you!!

*squeezes*

Clips scare the crap out of me! But then, I can't ski... ;)

I actually traded out the pedals the bike came with -- the kind that have a foot cage -- because I could all too easily see myself getting tangled up in them. The binding-style ones, although a little freaky to begin with, seemed to have far less klutz potential. I probably would have gone the other way if I wasn't so familiar with the ski bindings.

I did, I have to admit, tell the guys at the bike shop about falling and buggering my knee last January when my ski bindings didn't release the way they were supposed to. They promised to set the pedals to release fairly easily.

JAQ JAQ BIKE JAQ! This is all your fault. So, thank you. :)

As I so often am heard to say: I live to enable.

*smug*

I am very glad that the bike-shop boys listened to you and sorted it out properly. A good sign of a good shop. :)

You're so cute when you enable.

My bike-shop boys are lovely. They have been incredibly patient with my endless questions and really good about interpreting my not-always-entirely coherent explinations about what I want.

("The, uh, the...um...thing with the...*hand flailing*" "Clipless pedals?" "Yes, them. Thank you.")

Also, they are all really pretty boys and many of them shave their legs.

Which I enjoy.

when you have finished moving:

PHOTOS of bike, kit, etc etc etc.

once i'm free of work i'm going to take a load and stick them up on we_ride_bikes. i'm also going to continue riding every day, because = LOVE.

i am so chuffed you are into all this. *happy dances*

Oh, yes. There will definitely be pictures, because I'm absolutely certain that this bike is the prettiest thing ever (I admit to the possibility of bias). I'll post them on we_ride_bikes, too.

I'm so happy to have discovered cycling and to have people that I already adored to share it with! I love everything about cycling -- from actually riding my bike and feeling myself get more and more in shape through to watching the pro races and getting to know the personalities involved.

Plus there's all those nifty accessories, like gloves.

FANTASTIC. I can't even. *happy flail*

i wish i could be so enthusiastic about cycling!

i've got a relatively new bike (not so new anymore after cycling through france with it), and it's a cool bike, but i am too lazy to actually go cycling much.