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Noob: Various & Sundry Q's about Biking
Bop wrote:
Some questions about current bike stuff: ... I'm kinda shocked not to find any standard cleats, but only those for the clipless kinds. Are they there and I just need to get some glasses, or has the clipless revolution taken over? For sport and recreational riding, clipless has taken over. Some of us still use clips and straps, but we're labeled "retro-grouches." I've nothing against clipless, just that I know nothing about them (other than that they don't require a cage). Should I stick with my present setup, or should I buy a cheap clipless replacement? .... I used to have a pair of touring shoes which have "ridges" instead of cleats, and a steel shank embedded in the sole to keep them stiff. ... I don't want to have to commute with an extra pair of shoes, so I'm looking for something like this. But on Nashbar and other bike sites, all they have are road & MTB shoes, no touring stuff. Any tips on where I can look? For commuting, I use clips and straps on platform pedals, and I ride in dress clothes and shoes. For most other riding, I've got a pair of Lake shoes. They look pretty similar to the Lake MX60 Mountain model at Nashbar (LK-MX60M). They work fine, and they've got many thousands of miles on them. I can't see making a certain kind of shoe a requirement for riding my bike! What kind of light I can get that a) last for a while on flash mode, b) are light and small, and c) easy to mount. Nashbar has these LED ones w/ elastic mounts that look to fit the bill, but I'm wondering just how visible these suckers are, and how long the battery lasts? (I'm guessing they take those dime-type batteries). Any other ideas for lights? IMO, those tiny Cateye LD100 LEDs are not worth having. I'm not a lumen freak, but I don't consider them to be bright enough. Ditto the Photon Mini Lights. In my experience, almost any full-sized LED blinky will do the job, particularly if you also add reflectors to your bike. Reflectors are likely a legal requirement anyway, and while some disparage them, I find them to be very effective. But I'd never rely on reflectors alone. All states require active headlights, and even if not required, some active taillight is a very good idea. The choices in headlights are these, depending on your riding conditions, your fear of traffic (if any) and your night vision: 1. Self-contained units powered by flashlight batteries. Almost all are pretty marginal in light output, and battery costs can be large if you use them regularly. If you night-ride only occasionally, and exclusively on well-lit streets, these may be OK as a "be seen" light. 2. Rechargeable lights with a separate battery pack. These are surprisingly expensive - most are over $100 - and "feature" very crude optics, so most of the light output is wasted (unless you're mountain biking at night - the only time you need light shining up). Battery care must be fairly diligent, and the batteries are expensive (perhaps $50) when they've died of either too many recharges, or overcharging. 3. Generator lights are pretty hard to find, and most require some mechanical and electrical sense to install. They vary widely in price ($15 to $250), quality and drag on the bike. But a decent set, properly installed, will last forever and always be ready to go, just like your car's headlights. The low power (just three watts) works for many people because the headlamp optics are very efficient. But some people don't feel safe unless they're pumping out 15 watts or more. 4. Home brew rechargeable systems. Since most rechargeable lights use hardware-store track light bulbs, lots of folks have spent $10 for one of those bulbs, $25 for a battery, scrounged a charger, and cobbled together a headlamp. A very few have put a higher-powered halogen bulb into a generator headlamp, using the good optics to get brighter light with longer battery life. Naturally, you still need to tend the battery charging (unless you get a very expensive "smart charger.") For me, after trying the other options, I decided generators come closest to the optimum. Others disagree rather militantly. As I said, I think it depends on your situation. Does Nashbar have storefronts other than the one in OH? Nashbar doesn't even have a store in Ohio any more, AFAIK. Arni Nashbar sold the business to Performance. Now when you phone Nashbar, your order is taken by kids in West Virginia. You may be interested in http://www.bicyclinglife.com -- -------------+ Frank Krygowski [To reply, omit what's between "at" and "cc"] |
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Noob: Various & Sundry Q's about Biking
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
In article , Bop wrote: OK, not really a noob. I used to ride heavily some 10+ years before, mostly commuting stuff. Not really much of a specs guy, but I did know all my gearings and such. Had two accidents under my belt, one minor and one not so minor. Anyway, just looked at my 15+ yr old bike in storage this weekend, and on an impulse decided to clean off the cobwebs and take it out for a spin. It was nice. But it was hard, too. Some questions about current bike stuff: My beater is a Team Fuji road bike, with pretty much old tech: friction shifters, clips & straps, etc. These are fine--I'm used to them and they still work great. But when I get on the Nashbar site to look for some shoes & cleats replacements, I'm kinda shocked not to find any standard cleats, but only those for the clipless kinds. Are they there and I just need to get some glasses, or has the clipless revolution taken over? _ IMHO, clipless pedals are the one new change to bikes vs 15-20 years ago that's really a drastic improvement. The only place to buy old cleats anymore is Ebay and I don't know where you'd get any shoes you could put them on. I've nothing against clipless, just that I know nothing about them (other than that they don't require a cage). Should I stick with my present setup, or should I buy a cheap clipless replacement? I see common clipless types like SPD and SPDR and whatever else. Can someone give me a quick rundown on their differences, or point me to a FAQ somewhere? _ The market has settled out into two basic styles for attaching cleats SPD and Look. Look is for smooth soled road shoes and SPD started with mountain bikes and is now used for both. The cleats vary great according to exactly which pedal you buy, but at least the bolts for attaching them have roughly standardardized. _ Here's a FAQ that you might find useful http://draco.acs.uci.edu/rbfaq/FAQ I used to have a pair of touring shoes which have "ridges" instead of cleats, and a steel shank embedded in the sole to keep them stiff. These obviously don't work as well as cleated ones, which I also have a pair, but they allow me to walk around. I don't want to have to commute with an extra pair of shoes, so I'm looking for something like this. But on Nashbar and other bike sites, all they have are road & MTB shoes, no touring stuff. Any tips on where I can look? _ Shimano makes shoes like this, try looking for Shimano MO-38 on google. Most cheaper SPD mountain shoes are at least flexible enough for short walks. You can even get SPD sandals. On mountain bike shoes the lugs on the sole extend far enough that you can walk without the cleat touching the ground. _ Booker C. Bense -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 iQCVAwUBQHrqUmTWTAjn5N/lAQHa4wP/cFHAHg4qYDs2kfZ9JCnSgE+e+qTEsd6G SIiJq5waCVB+NqE1gz5MtKrw4AMlmmq5zH+Dk119QJU6sO55G1 q05UdYz/IM8ibp UFi9Q+ka6CoTruItVLUa49I5sJ9L69Su+8WogBLQd+8f0mkV5G 29EPVIe6h1/nC4 8leUDk8mfMM= =vdu9 -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- |
#3
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Noob: Various & Sundry Q's about Biking
Mon, 12 Apr 2004 19:13:23 +0000 (UTC),
, . stanford.edu wrote: The only place to buy old cleats anymore is Ebay and I don't know where you'd get any shoes you could put them on. I found a NOS pair at OCB!, my LBS They've holes for mounting on SPD compatible shoes. HTH -- zk |
#4
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Noob: Various & Sundry Q's about Biking
On Sun, 11 Apr 2004 04:01:22 GMT, Bop wrote:
My beater is a Team Fuji road bike, with pretty much old tech: friction shifters, clips & straps, etc. These are fine--I'm used to them and they still work great. But when I get on the Nashbar site to look for some shoes & cleats replacements, I'm kinda shocked not to find any standard cleats, but only those for the clipless kinds. Are they there and I just need to get some glasses, or has the clipless revolution taken over? Clipless has indeed taken over. The cheap Nashbar Special SPDs are pleasant and easy. Comfortable shoes with treads that recess the cleats make walking and riding both very pleasant. I like my SPD sandals. than that they don't require a cage). Should I stick with my present setup, or should I buy a cheap clipless replacement? I see common clipless You could just use modern bike shoes with clips and straps but no cleats; or, regular shoes, for that matter. The cheap pedals I mentioned above are often on sale for $20/pair with cleats. types like SPD and SPDR and whatever else. Can someone give me a quick rundown on their differences, or point me to a FAQ somewhere? SPD is actually two standards: bolt pattern for attaching the cleat, and cleat-pedal compatibility. SPD pedals can use eachothers' cleats, but many pedals exist with SPD-bolt-pattern-cleats that won't work in standard SPD pedals. The pedals I mention above are compatible with standard SPD. SPD-R and SPD-SL are not at all like SPD; they're "road" clipless standards. There's also Look, Speedplay, Time and other brands and standards of all sorts for "road" and "mountain". The "road" and "mountain" designations are mostly pointless. It all comes down to personal opinions, but to make hasty generalizations, "Mountain" clipless pedal systems tend to be best for general riding, while "road" systems offer advantages for people whose preferred cleat position or shoe doesn't offer sufficient support, and for highly competitive racing. I used to have a pair of touring shoes which have "ridges" instead of cleats, and a steel shank embedded in the sole to keep them stiff. These obviously don't work as well as cleated ones, which I also have a pair, but they allow me to walk around. I don't want to have to commute with an extra pair of shoes, so I'm looking for something like this. But on Nashbar and other bike sites, all they have are road & MTB shoes, no touring stuff. Any tips on where I can look? Look for MTB shoes that are acceptably styled. Or, if you're allowed to wear sandals to work, Shimano and Lake both offer SPD sandals. The Lake SPD sandals have the same outsole/undersole as the Shimanos, but a different footbed and upper. They've got a ridge in front to protect your toes (probably not helpful off-road). -- Rick "Verbose" Onanian |
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