Bicycling On-the-Road

Levi · « **Reply #320 on:** 14 Oct 2010, 03:48 pm »

Not a problem J.

I am currently running a Vittoria Pro Slick clincher tires and so far so good. My ultimate tire upgrade will be a Vittoria Open Corsa Evo CX II tires (320 tpi) which is very close to running tubular performance wise. I heard many happy riders using the Contis GP4000 tires. To each his own...again.

I am currently in the market for road pedals. After over 1,000+ miles, I decided to ditch my Ti Eggbeaters for a better platform. Still waiting delivery on my Sidi Ergo II carbon shoes. Very excited about this shoe having owned many Sidi shoes. then I am going to do some pedal test rides at my LBS. My choice would be Speedplay zero or Look Keo pedals. I am open to suggestions. The primary reason for switching is that during hard efforts, I feel numbness on my feet when doing over 55mi rides. Hopefully with a road specific pedals will eliminate my problem.

jackman · « **Reply #321 on:** 14 Oct 2010, 09:42 pm »

Cool shoes! I have Sidi Genius 5.5's and love them. Regarding pedals, the last time I checked, about half the people in my group use Speedplay and close to the other half use Look Keo's. I have Look pedals and like them quite a bit. Got mine for free from a friend who crashed a bike and didn't want a scraped up pedal. I use the cleats with maximum float and like the way they engage and disengage. I think Speedplay pedals have more float options (no big deal to me) and they can be engaged on both sides of the pedal. The Look pedals are one sided but they are weighted so the "toe" section is usually in the up position. Both Look and SP have a pretty wide pedal surface and I bet they are both more comfortable than your Eggbeaters on long rides.

Also, I had a great deal of foot pain and hot spots before my fitting. I changed pedals (to Look), bought new shoes (Sidi) and the problem still persisted. The fitter placed my cleats further back (towards the heel) and all foot pain and hot spots disappeared. I would have someone look at your fit if you haven't already. The hot spots might be fit related, not pedal related. Good luck!

J

Levi · « **Reply #322 on:** 14 Oct 2010, 09:55 pm »

Thanks J. I am a true believer of a good bike fit.

PhilNYC · « **Reply #323 on:** 14 Oct 2010, 10:20 pm »

I recently switched from Time RXS Carbons to Look Keo Max 2, and I'm really happy with the switch...

jackman · « **Reply #324 on:** 14 Oct 2010, 10:35 pm »

Quote from: Levi on 14 Oct 2010, 09:55 pm

Thanks J. I am a true believer of a good bike fit.

Hi Levi,
You are more experienced than I am as a cyclist and I hope it didn't sound like I was telling you what to do! Over the past year, I've had more fit related injuries and pains. Unfortunately, my unintentional method has been to learn by making mistakes.

I finally thought I had everything dialed in perfectly and went for a 37 mile ride last Tuesday evening. I rode faster than ever with no knee pain. Unfortunately, I had a high spot on a new crown (the tooth type) and, in the process of sprinting, must have clenched my teeth too hard, cutting off blood supply to the nerve in my tooth. My cheek swelled up, and intense pain shot through my jaw and face for a couple days. Dentist xrayed and decided against a root canal. I'm going to test it out tonight and go for a fast 20 mile ride. It's always something!

Cheers,

J

jackman · « **Reply #325 on:** 14 Oct 2010, 10:38 pm »

Quote from: PhilNYC on 14 Oct 2010, 10:20 pm

I recently switched from Time RXS Carbons to Look Keo Max 2, and I'm really happy with the switch...

I have Look Keo Sprints (no longer in production) and will get you pedals when these go!

PhilNYC · « **Reply #326 on:** 14 Oct 2010, 11:41 pm »

Btw, I just picked up a set of Eggbeater SL pedals for my mtn bike and like them a lot more than I thought I would. Hopefully they hold up to the rocky beatings I will put them thru....

Levi · « **Reply #327 on:** 15 Oct 2010, 02:50 am »

Thanks for the complement tvad4. I have to look at Shimano DA. I would assume it is the new 7900 pedals. I will take a look at those as well.

I am sure you have an idea which bike you are going to eventually get. R3 or RS, you can't go wrong. They are both going to be responsive and faster than the Tuscany.

As far as pedal goes, Speedplay zero, Look Keo and Shimano DA 7900 are the choices at the moment. Thanks!

jackman · « **Reply #328 on:** 15 Oct 2010, 06:56 pm »

Hey Guys,

Just wanted to let you know that PBKUSA works on Probikekit.com for an additional 10% off. I support local bike shops as often as possible, and appreciate the value they add for about 80-90% of my purchases. The rest of the time, I shop at PBK. They have some great deals on tires and Garmin products.

I also bought my Sidi Genius 5.5's at PBK because no local shop had my size. PBK has lots of colors and styles of Sidi shoes. I picked up the 5.5's on sale for around $155 delivered, earlier this summer. They also carry Sidi Mega styles for people with wider feet.

Levi · « **Reply #329 on:** 15 Oct 2010, 07:24 pm »

Nice! I will see what else I need. Hmmm....

Thanks Jack.

LadyDog · « **Reply #330 on:** 16 Oct 2010, 02:06 pm »

PBK is great. Typically very good prices.

The DA is a very nice pedal, though personally have leaned toward Look since most the time you can get a similar quality pedal for about 1/2 the price. And less than that if you are ok with Look's Classic pedal.

Levi · « **Reply #331 on:** 16 Oct 2010, 03:24 pm »

PBK is great among others. Jeff (BikeWNC) introduced me to PBK many moons back.

Levi · « **Reply #332 on:** 17 Oct 2010, 12:22 am »

I flipped my stem 6 degrees several miles ago. LOL! So far I have ridden 50-60 miles and no neck, shoulder, back pain. I also noticed that I have more power on the pedals. I also noticed an increase in average speed on my local route according to my Garmin data.

Here is a before and after pictures of the flipped and dropped stem.

jackman · « **Reply #333 on:** 17 Oct 2010, 12:50 am »

Beautiful Cervelo, that is one sexy bike!
Are you saying you have more power since flipping the stem? My recent fitting involved getting a 100mm stem (replacing old stem) and flipping it in the up (non-BF approved!) position. It doesn't look nearly as cool but I can now ride in the drops comfortably. I am in the drops over 50 percent of the time these days. Can you ride in the drops with that aggressive bar position? If so, very impressive!

Also, I picked up an ultegra 11-28 cassette and installed it (it's actually on loan from a friend) and plan to test it tomorrow on a 50 mile ride. It replaces a 12-26 cassette. I almost got the SRAM red cassette to match the rest of my Red group but I'm hoping to save a couple bucks. Will take pix tomorrow. I want a sexy racing bike but my bike is soo darn comfy I hate to make a change.

Levi · « **Reply #334 on:** 17 Oct 2010, 01:55 am »

Riding lower more aero gives me more opportunity to fire up the gluts. I like my new found power.

Just can't wait for that shoe and pedals.

@Jack, have fun on the 50mile ride. 11-28 that is quite a range there. I was thinking about getting a SRAM 12-26 or Shimie 12-27/28 for climbing.

@guys, What do you think about the Rotor 3D cranks + Rotor oval rings?

Quote from: jackman on 17 Oct 2010, 12:50 am

Can you ride in the drops with that aggressive bar position? If so, very impressive!

Levi · « **Reply #335 on:** 17 Oct 2010, 02:08 am »

For some reason I like the other angle better. Hmmm...

I like my Starbucks venti shaken iced tea lemonade slightly sweetened!

LadyDog · « **Reply #336 on:** 17 Oct 2010, 04:53 pm »

Levi,
Limited experience on the Rotor cranks but here are my thoughts. Nice crank. Reasonably light, good build quality, cool looking, stiff, ok price, like being able to have separate chainrings.

The rings; did not like them as well. Felt somewhat odd. Kind of felt like riding a fixie at a slow cadence. Though I'm sure with more time on them one would adjust accordingly.

One of the bikes I rode them on was on the smaller side, so not sure if that impacted my thoughts?

Levi · « **Reply #337 on:** 25 Oct 2010, 01:26 pm »

We did Tour de Bronx over the weekend and had a blast! This tour was mix bag of cyclists from recumbents, low-riders, fixies, Mtb etc. The tour allowed us to hammer it after the first rest top at mile 9. It is only 40 miles but we averaged 15mph cruising in the City with all the lights and stop signs. Needless to say, my group of 6 were the first to end and have FREE pizza, drinks, t-shirts and swags. Many thanks to Transportation Alternative and to all the sponsor for truly a great experience.

Here is my Garmin data: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/54268496

Panoramic picture at the start of the 40miler. 25miler guys on the other side (not in picture).

Plenty of space

Free Breakfast

Free Lunch and drinks

Free T-shirt (My friend Jose Hernandez)

Money shot.

JoshK · « **Reply #338 on:** 25 Oct 2010, 02:03 pm »

Wish I had known about that ride. Didn't ride at all this weekend.

Gotta get back out soon. Unfortunately I am out of the country the next two weekends.

Got my lights this weekend so I can ride in the evenings. I also got my Garmin 705 the week before, but still haven't learned how to use it.

Levi · « **Reply #339 on:** 25 Oct 2010, 02:14 pm »

Quote from: JoshK on 25 Oct 2010, 02:03 pm

Wish I had known about that ride. Didn't ride at all this weekend. Gotta get back out soon. Unfortunately I am out of the country the next two weekends.

Got my lights this weekend so I can ride in the evenings. I also got my Garmin 705 the week before, but still haven't learned how to use it.

I will keep you informed next time.

Congrats on the 705!

What do you need help with?

1.) I would start creating an online account at GarminConnect.com so you can upload your ride data after each ride.

2.) At the beginning of each ride, It is important to start the timer at the beginning otherwise you will not gather data. Stop it at end.

3.) Set the display to stay on at all times and adjust the backlit accordingly. The 705 batteries will last a long time but to be safe I always leave it plugged in to usb port after each upload.

It is easier to show you in person. However, you will find these video tutorials just as easy.

http://www8.garmin.com/learningcenter/training/edge705/index.html

Enjoy the trip and be safe. If you are going to Italy my size is Medium.