Re: [CR]Bike shoe baloney

(Example: Events:Cirque du Cyclisme:2002)

Date: Thu, 15 May 2008 22:12:44 -0600
From: "Mitch Harris" <mitch.harris@gmail.com>
To: "Nick March" <nicbordeaux@yahoo.fr>
Subject: Re: [CR]Bike shoe baloney
In-Reply-To: <342562.32638.qm@web28013.mail.ukl.yahoo.com>
References: <342562.32638.qm@web28013.mail.ukl.yahoo.com>
cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org

On Thu, May 15, 2008 at 3:54 PM, Nick March <nicbordeaux@yahoo.fr> wrote:
> Specifics: the best shoe I can think of if you need walkability with a stiff sole for cycling >must be a cowboy boot, but we don't wear those over here in France.
>

Ha! Cowboy boots are one of my favorite cycle shoes for short errands in cold weather. Built in wind protection and warmth for the ankles thin stiff enough soles, narrow heels so no striking the the NR crank arm, and the toe shape is aerodynamic ;-)
> As to pulling up, I don't believe it. Or rather I'd like to see some test data on how much pull is exerted by people who believe they are both pushing down on the downstroke, and actually putting in extra wattage by lifting on the upstroke.
>

The studies show, if I remember right, that in good spinning the best you can hope for is getting your leg out of the way of the upstroke. But pulling through on the bottom of the stroke is a real advantage, and a great way to rest in your spinning or slow climbing--Hinault describes it as what a bull does with his hoof. Slotted cleats or clipless can help with pulling back in my exprerience, but it also works without cleats with the right grippy shoe sole and technique. It's just better and more thorough with slot cleats or clipless.
> Safety: I've, as a kid, ridden I don't know how many thousands or tens of thousands of >miles on strapless and never once nutted myself on the crossbar through foot slipping on a >pedal. . . .But in the meantime don't loose sight of the fact that if you are about to cycle >over the edge, you may want to get your feet on the ground mighty fast.

All I can do is offer the same empiracal observation, that after many years and many tens of thousands of miles on slotted cleats (and a few thousand on various clipless) I've never had a problem getting my foot out instantly and to the ground when necessary. Utterly and completely easy to pull a slotted cleat shoe out of the pedal is straps are set up not too tight.

Richard said:
>In the meantime the process of engaging or releasing is completely
>automatically. It is one smooth move and I'm in or out of the pedal. Much
>easier than classical pedals with hooks and straps ever were. It's fast,
>it's reliable. And in case of trouble there is no problem to get the feets
>on the ground.
>

Everybody is different and sets up pedals differently but I never had any difficulty getting in and out of quill pedals, clips, straps, and slotted cleats. Just as fast and reliable for me as clipless.

Mitch Harris
Little Rock Canyon, Utah, USA