Thanks I will have a play around with things at the weekend when I do the coast to coast. Will also research 'egg beaters' and other spd type pedals. I'm in 2 minds for the event I'm training for as to attempt the full thing in the same trainers I'll be running in or change at transition and have cycle shoes / spd. Imhappy enough in toe clips but if cycle shoes n pedals offer a big enough advantage then may be wise to give them a go.
Bought a pair of Lake mtb shoes for gravel bike last week picked up in sale on sportpursuit ...never worn such a comfy shoe in all the years I've been riding and moved up from dhb bib shorts to castelli,don't think I will buy anything else from now on.
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The biggest issue I've found in trainers is that the soles are so soft, your foot almost bends round the pedal. Causes me all manner of issues. Even on a mountain bike where I'm using flats, specific mtb shoes have a much stiffer sole so I don't get the mid-foot pain after a few miles.
For anything longer than a super-sprint tri I'd still look at proper cycling shoes.
As for egg-beaters etc, with such a small contact point it again comes down to the stiffness of the shoe. Provided the sole is stiff enough they're fine for road. They did dedicated road pedals for a while (Quatros I think they were called). I used them for several years and they were fine but from memory didn't sell very well and were discontinued. I think I've still got some Candys, Mallets and those Quatros in the garage somewhere! My only issue was that once the cleat started to wear, the 'clip-in' became a bit vague. You didn't get the nice confirming click you get with some of the other makes. I've tried most makes and ended up with Speedplay (now owned by Wahoo) on the road, Cranks Bros Candys on the cross bike and flats off road.
Specialized S-Works Shoes for me. The pair of MTB at the front must be 10+ years old and still bombproof. Like wearing slippers on a bike, rock solid soles for total power transfer and just perfect comfort in the uppers.
RIAC
Bought a hammerhead Karoo 2 having not owned a cycling computer more complex than a cat eye with a magnet on the spokes.
I enjoyed using it remarkably more than expected! It was beautiful to be able to explore new routes and see new sights so easily! Really looking forward to going further afield than my usual three staple routes!
Anyone any tips? Or good routes to import? Recommended routing software?
I use Komoot, only as it was bundled with my Wahoo computer. I used to be you get the mapping for your area free. Then if you want to venture to another area you buy that. On my bolt head unit komoot gives me detailed instructions and turn by turn guidance ( bit like on a car system) i bought Wales I think that was £6 lake district was 3/4 quid.
Key thing is to do some research to check it will run as a companion app with your Karoo 2
Re cleats...
I would say re cleats if you are at the more premium end of the market in terms of shoes there's probably not much in it, but at the cheaper end some people complain of hot spots on their feet with the smaller SPD cleat especially on longer rides which is something I have noticed myself.
SPDs are a bit easier to clip into and more importantly unclip from than SPD SLs (on my CX I can unclip and get my foot down in time to save a slide).
Other advantage of SPDs over SPD SLs is you can get shoes with the cleat recessed so easier to walk in.
I would say if you are starting out go SPD but if you are more experienced/looking to do bigger distances consider SPD SL (or of course Look Keo which is what I have).
Just my personal view of things...
And in other news rode the Isle of Wight yesterday, what a beautiful (but tough!) route, thoroughly recommended if you get a chance to do it 👍
Another Sidi shoes and Shimano SPD user here, but I use XTR trail pedals on my bikes with no discomfort issues at all. That's 2 road bikes and 1 MTB.
F.T.F.A.
If anyone is after a very light (titanium, 216g for the pair) pair of SPD compatible pedals, I have got a set of these for sale:
https://xpedo.com/product/pedals/mtb/m-force-8/
I used to use SPD on my road bike but have now moved over to Look. PM me if you’re interested.
They use SPD cleats.
I said ‘SPD compatible’ because they aren’t made by Shimano (obviously).
I am on a nostalgia trip - I love old, steel framed bikes. This is an old Dawes, repainted and converted from 5 to 12 gears. It has new, hand built wheels, new tyres, cables etc. It won't break any records - though neither would I - but is so comfortable on Hertfordshire's bumpy back roads. For £120, it feels like a good stepping stone to a decent new bike one day.
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Sadly not - it's a bit of a hotch-potch. The brakes are Weinmann - they look a bit oversized but are very effective. The levers are Star (never heard of them) - the stem is Sakae and the bars are engraved Champion. All old bits from a parts bin, I think.
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Get some easy to maintain Campgnolo Deltas on it!!!!!!
Most over engineered brakes in the universe
https://www.bikehugger.com/posts/the...o-delta-brake/
RIAC
Lovely Jon, love the rake of the forks. I would however cut that brake cable a bit - just in case it gets knocked into the wheel.
I had a bike with cottered cranks as a Uni run around - Dad's first bike.
Anyone else doing the London Essex 100 this weekend?
Last edited by wallyuk; 17th May 2022 at 07:30.
Thanks wally - I love these forks and their ability to soak up bumps. Whenever I look at the majority of modern steel-framed bikes I'm put off by the common use of straight(ish) carbon forks. I'll have to give them a try some time but I can't convince myself that they will be as comfortable (and I doubt that at my low level of performance, I'll be able to detect any benefit from the lower weight).
Also I think the mix of steel frame and carbon forks looks all wrong. Modern bikes can look amazing and are technically incredible but I don't think new style forks and old style frames are a good visual mix.
Ah yes, Weinmann. I had bikes with those brakes in the dim and distant past. I lived to tell the tale so they can't be that bad!
I'll concede that does look nice - I think, perhaps because the frame looks quite chunky for steel, so is a similar thickness (at least sideways on) to the forks.
Edit- It looks like your bike made Rouke's gallery? https://www.rourke.biz/new/gallery.php Very nice
Last edited by JonRA; 17th May 2022 at 10:19.
Completed the coast to coast on Sunday following the 'Way of the roses' route which snakes across Lancashire and Yorkshire, starting in Morecambe and ending in Bridlington a distance of 170 miles. A very hilly first day, stopping just short of Ripon, roughly 70 miles and 2000m (?) of climbing stunning scenery along the majority of the route and mostly quiet country lanes. The second day only featured one noticeable climb out of Pocklington but then pretty flat all the way to Bridlington. We passed through some nice villages but compared to the first day the route was less scenic. A couple of minor detours meant we ended up doing 103 miles but generally the route was well sign posted with opportunities to stop at numerous cafes if in need of a pit stop.
This was a training week end for an event in September. Tried a few adjustments to the bike and riding style after receiving tips on this thread, the result being noticeably less sore knees! I'm a runner and pretty new to cycling, i had only done 430 miles on the bike prior to this weekend with the longest ride being 50 miles but managed to maintain an average of 12mph over the 2 days. This puts me close to my target to reach the cutoffs in September.
Thanks for the tips, they really helped. If anyone is looking for a different coast to coast route then I would recommend the Way of the Roses
https://www.merlincycles.com/giro-ca...es-208714.html
Just bought these bad boys and realised I need to get a pair of cleats to go with them.
Are Shimano the ones to go for, sorry for my naivety 😬
Cheers
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Hi,
As you probably already know the big hills are all in the first half, namely Settle and then the climb out of Burnsall to Greenhow, each requires effort but i would say they are manageable. We stayed at the Sawley arms in Sawley, about 1.5m off the route and just short of Ripon and after the climbs of the first day i think this was good stop off point at around 70 miles into the course. Sawley arms is a bit pricey but the rooms were clean and the food good so i would recommend it.
The second day is pretty flat, the occasional hill, the only real climb is just after Pocklington but this is nothing compared to the first day and didn't present a problem even on tired legs. We did 103 miles on the second day, this was a bit of a slog, although you pass through some nice villages the best scenery is definitely on day 1. After Pocklington the way of the roses takes a winding route following the quieter track and lanes, i read comments on this saying it was unnecessarily winding. After completing the route i can appreciate this point but perhaps fatigue had just eroded my patience by then.
The route is mostly country lanes and cycleways and the occasional short section of bigger road usually just to access the next small lane. There was one section of off road, namely a well compacted field and gravely track. Not a problem on a dry day but may be muddy when wet.
I did the route on a Trek Domane AL3, comfortable for long days and the wider tyre helped on the rougher sections. I'm not an experienced cyclist but i am reasonably fit. Doing the course over 2 days was a challenge (for me), 3 and i would have felt short changed. We had good weather, dry and not too hot i think this helped. The route is well sign posted although we went off course slightly coming out of York but soon picked it up again.
I did the C2C Whitehaven to Sunderland many years ago but i think i prefer this route, especially the first day. I would say 2 days is a challenge, 3 would allow a more time to enjoy the scenery. Good luck
Those shoes will take any cleats. The slots in the centre are for SPD type which are commonly used for MTB pedals. The 3 screw holes are for SPD-SL type also known as road type. So the world is your oyster with those shoes.
So now its down to what pedals you have already and if you are happy with them, and also if you are likely to do some walking (hills, tracks etc) because SPD-SL cleats are not great for much more than teetering around at a cafe stop.
Test rode 2 bikes today and will chose one for the summer so might have a spare Tarmac Pro SL6 available if anyone wants something special.
RIAC
6 years old next month.
Fresh back from service.
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