Re: [CR]cycling shoe baloney

(Example: Framebuilders:Pino Morroni)

From: "ehbusch" <ehbusch@bellsouth.net>
To: "Nick March" <nicbordeaux@yahoo.fr>, <marcus.e.helman@gm.com>, <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
References: <116283.25009.qm@web28012.mail.ukl.yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [CR]cycling shoe baloney
Date: Thu, 15 May 2008 09:19:50 -0400
reply-type=original

Baloney ? - First off as far as a stiff sole is concerned. I tried a few non cycling shoe methods when I first started cycling. Soccer shoes beeing one of them. When I finally broke down and spent the money to purchase a pair of cycling shoes it was an imediate improvement. Having a stiffer and stable platform under my foot was a clear advantage, and caused much less fatigue in my feet. Not having my feet feel like they were always flexing and not feeling like the edge of the peddle cage was tearing into my foot. Take a look around, the reason you see most people using cycling shoes is not beacuse they are baboons, IT IS BECAUSE IT WORKS..... Secound off. As far as tightening up your toe straps. If you chose not to tighten up your toe straps you might as well throw them away. They will just be a decoration.. The reason there are toe straps and or clipless peddles is so you can maximize the peddle stroke. While beeing clipped or strapped in, you can both push and pull with both feet. While one foot is pushing down the other can be pulling up.Comes in real handy, especially when going up a steep climb out of the Saddle.YOU CAN'T DO THAT WITOUT BEEING STRAPPED IN...IT IS MUCH MORE EFFICIENT........ Third off. As far as different size toe clips. Two reasons I imediately see for this is (1) If a foot is placed on the pedal with the ball of the foot directly over the pedal spindle, it would seem to me that the toes of a person with a size 5 shoe wouldn't extend over the front of the pedal as much as a person with a size 14 shoe..Therefor different size clips ARE NECCESSARY...(2)Having the ball of the foot centered directly over the center of the spindle is a personal preference. Some cyclists might like to have thier foot in a more forward position and some might like the opposite, also requiring DIFFERENT LENGTH CLIPS...

This is also just my oppinion, and I believe to be COMMON SENSE.......

ED Busch
Vonore, Tennessee USA


----- Original Message -----
From: Nick March
To: marcus.e.helman@gm.com
Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2008 5:29 AM
Subject: [CR]cycling shoe baloney



> Marcus wrote:
> << Someone recently recommended shotput shoes for use with toeclips and
> straps. How stiff are the soles? I have been riding with the same pair
> of indoor soccer shoes for several years, and am beginning to want
> something new. Has anyone tried to put stiffer insoles in sneakers to
> get a better pedalling platform? Do stiffer insoles exist? >>
>
> Dear Marcus, Dear List:
> The whole issue of cycling shoes and stiff soles is a load of pure,
> unadultered, copperplated baloney. A very good friend o' mine recently
> pointed me to an article about this, and no doubt he will contact you to
> give you the url.
>
> OK, let's say you are aiming to win the TDF or some other minor
> criterium, maybe real stiff shoes strapped down hard will give you an
> advantage of sorts. They'll also make sure that it's exactly the same
> muscles working in the same way on every stroke, so you'll get RSI. I
> guess you need to be able to move aound a bit on the pedals, as in the
> seat to accomodate different terrain, fatigue. Clips are really fine. As
> long as you don't strap your feet tight. They look good, they are part of
> the fun of riding old machines, but to the average cyclist they offer no
> advantage whatsoever apart from foot placement (and mostly people fit any
> length period clip irrespective of their shoe size).
>
> So why do so many people wear specific shoes locked to the pedals ?
> Because they are like the Baboons on Gibraltar rock, they copy whatever
> they see. Tommorow the marketting boys tell the sponsored racers to ride
> the Giro mountain stages with a pink Ostrich feather protuding from the
> back of their Lycra pants, 1 000 000 000 cyclist will spend 50 trillion
> bucks on pink ostrich feathers.
>
> This is only my opinion and I can imagine that other people won't agree,
> which is fine, anybody is allowed to be wrong, it's a free world.
>
> Plimsoles (sneakers) are fine if you feel good in 'em, the only rigidity
> you need to add is to the underside of the sole to stop your soft plims
> being torn apart by the pedal cage edges.
>
> Nick March, Agen 47000, Lot et Garonne, France
>
>
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