Well fellers, I have finally made the leap to the 1890's and ordered myself some clipless pedals. (Yes, our good friend Charles Hanson was the first to patent the clipless pedal in April of that year. The 1890's were a big decade in the evolution of pedal design in general.)
Yes, I ordered the cheapest Shimano SPD-style pedals I could find that offered adjustable tension. Forte had a model with chromoly spindle (strong for my intense gravitational attraction!) and a machined aluminum body (light, to reduce aforementioned attraction). I had bought some Shimano shoes at the Prime Outlet shops in Hancock Maryland on the way home from DC the other day. There were 2 pair on sale in the L.L. Bean store, and one happened to be my size, so I snapped them up.
And since I was ordering from an online bike store for the pedals to fit these wonderful shoes and I was going to have to pay for shipping anyway, I decided to throw some cheap aerobars in the mix too, since that will complete my bike package for this race season at least, if not longer. Clip-ons, of course, so I can transfer them to a new bike if I ever get one, or win one.
I read on one of these sites "400 watts of power can't push a billboard to a win," and I thought "I am that billboard." I doubt these aero bars will totally change that, but at least I can give my triceps a break once in a while. I haven't been doing very well reducing the size of the billboard lately, so I'll take whatever advantage I can get. I'm feeling pretty low right now. Maybe the pedals will help cheer me up.
5 comments:
Bike stores must be happy. You bought new stuff. Eric bought new stuff. We bought new stuff for Genine's bike today.
Bar Ends: to give her an optional grip.
Gloves: Again more comfort.
Road Tires and Tubes: Less rolling resistance.
We now are in search for the right shoe/pedal combination. She will use her shoes at spinning classes as well. So we need to be compatible with what they have there.
The day Floyd Landis did his miracle ride he was pushing 400 watts. Maybe all you need is a shot of testosterone, of course maybe Amy doesn't want you to have that.
Another thought, bill boards are only wide and tall not thick, just turn the billboard the other way. :)
I am really thinking now. Not a recumbent bike, but a bike built more like a sled where you lie on your belly with your legs behind you, real close to the ground like a race car, just remember to bring a cup. Know, that is taking the billboard out of the equation.
Unfortunately, when I turn sideways, I'm afraid my billboard may get bigger, and riding a bike sideways has never felt as efficient as the traditional way.
As for your prone bike idea, Jim and I have been discussing this already. Google "prone bike" and you'll get plenty of pictures. I just read the USAT rules and it doesn't look like anything unusual is legal there, but the Tango would probably allow whatever we can build.
I think I'll just buy a bodice and make it really tight.
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