Road bikes (bicycles, that is): Advice -- riding shoes, etc...
 

I know some of you are cyclists, and hope someone can point me in the right direction as I attempt to resurrect my old Peugeot roadbike. It should need only tubes and tires (comments on brands are welcome) suitable for dry but uneven roads (think country blacktop here, potholes not uncommon).

I'd like to do some short-ish duathalons -- there is a 2 mi run -- 20 mile ride -- 2 mile run coming up in September, for instance. Do I need to bother with clips or cycling shoes for this distance, or am I best-off tucking my laces in on my running shoes for the biking portions? Who makes an affordable and decent cycling shoe/clip setup these days (assuming I need to buy them)?

Many thanks!

Chris

PM Kuan, he is our resident bike expert.

I use clipless shoes for my mountain and road bike.

I just use different shoes. The shoes that I use for my mountain bike allow me to walk on them, since the clip attachment point is almost fully recessed into the shoe's sole.

The shoes that I use for my road bike are nealry impossible to walk on...:(

Shimano makes affordable and advanced systems. Check out their website (the biking website, not their fishing website).

I use Michelin tires for the road bike and whatever is on sale and has the right kind of knobbing and thread for the mountain bike.

Good luck my friend...sounds like a lot of fun....

Clipless is the only way to go! The stiff soles really make the difference in preventing foot fatigue. But seriously, if you just wanna finish, then just ride in tennis shoes. You can finish it even if your max ride is 15 miles.

If you just wanna have fun and commute on your bike then maybe get a pair of cheap MTB shoe/pedal combo. That way you can walk into the grocery store without people thinking you're queer.

For road tires a pair of 700 x 28's will work fine. Just keep them inflated above 100psi so you don't get pinch flats. Get a nice floor pump and a frame pump for emergencies. If you really want protection from outside elements like nails and cactus then get a pair of Specialized Armadillos, available in a variety of sizes.

IMO the best clipless pedals for beginners are Speedplays. My wife uses them. Not much adjustment needed since there's tons of float, meaning you'll be able to twist your foot on the pedal quite a bit. Disadvantages are that they're expensive (no generic brand) and you have to twist your foot quite a bit more to unclip.

Anyway, the best prices I've seen on pedals are at probikekit.com. It's UK based but they ship to the US pretty quick. Most stuff gets here in around 2 weeks. Other good and cheaper than your local bike store sources are bikenashbar.com, performancebike.com, and pricepoint.com.

PS LGB, I'm no expert!

I have a Performance bike shop near where I work....

Well, you certainly have a lot of bikes.

My first bike, in Cuba, was a Chinese-made bike. It had a solid bar lever, instead of cables, for the front brakes.

It was a good bike, but it weighed a ton. Now I ride Italian jobs or American made bikes...

Thanks, gentlemen. I knew I'd get some good advice from the mercedesshop folks, as always!

The local bike place is going to have some 27 x 1.25" tires in for me today, so she'll get fresh tubes and tires at the least. I'll ride a bit as-is and see if I want to spend the money on clips for this bike, or just save for a newer bike. The local shop has a sweet Trek with the aero rims and all that jazz... man they have gotten light! Not sure I need that much bike however.

Thanks again!

Oooh, one more question -- are the padded-ass shorts really worth the money they're asking? I used to be able to ride forever in regular-old kid shorts, but those days are fading. I either need one of those fat guy seats or some padded shorts. Local place wants big $$$ for Pearl Izumis though.

Yeah you don't need to shave grams off your bike. :) None of us really need to.

Yes, you need the padded shorts. And no, don't get the big, fluffy seats. Interestingly enough, a big padded seat is less comfortable than a a normal, hard seat.

Have fun....

My mom had one of those three-wheel bikes with a HUGE seat. You're right -- they're very uncomfortable. Not sure why she never just replaced the seat, as she has always been thin. I remember that bike well. Mom had a massive cerebral hemorrhage (sp?) in 1980, and lost her peripheral vision in the surgery to save her life. She hasn't been able to drive since, so dad bought her that bike, which had an electric motor that drove the front tire. She rode that thing all over God's green earth, and I got used to riding my bike really quick. I think that's why I have such an affinity for bikes; they were my "freedom" to roam when I was a kid. Mom couldn't drive us places, and Dad was always working late, so it was the bike or nothing.

That three-wheeler was a hoot. My little brother spent many a mile in the basket on the back, going to and from the grocery store, ball games, etc...

There are major risks to having a traditional narrow and hard bike saddle, but mostly only for long distance riders. Modern medical solutions for this problem suggests getting a properly designed saddle. It is also crucial that the saddle be properly aligned so as to not cause uneven pressure on the bike rider, particularly if the seat slopes downward to the back http://www.bumc.bu.edu/Dept/Content.aspx?PageID=6935&departmentid=371

Most of the exercise portion of my bike rides is uphill, to combat the added pressure this causes, I like the soft gel kind of saddle. While not making a plug for them, this site sells bike saddles designed to avoid the kinds of problems noted in the first link, above. http://www.rei.com/online/store/Search?cat=4500134&storeId=8000&stat=7889&noalias=1&vcat=REI_SEARCH&langId=-1&orig=bike+seats also, imo a good saddle is a far better solution than wearing padded shorts.

Get a firm but not hard saddle, and if you're really serious and think you can follow through, you can get a Brooks leather saddle. They say 500 miles to break in but I've heard it takes 3000. YMMV. :)

Anyway in general, a long saddle with long rails will serve you well. The long rails give you more positions for saddle adjustment and the long saddle gives you more positions while on the bike. This relieves pressure and also allows you to involve different muscles. Further forward means more hamstrings, further back means more quads.

Nose up the seat will put more pressure on your butt, nose down more pressure on your hands.

Everything depends on your style of riding though. I don't use one of those cutout saddles but you might benefit from one. Specialized has a guaranteed fit program if you buy one of their saddles. Local bike clubs may have a saddle exchange program where you can try different saddles.

Get a pair of padded shorts. I don't like gel, some do. I prefer a "natural" chamois style pad.

Lastly, you can't judge a saddle until you're at least 20 miles into a ride. What's good for 10 miles might not be good for 20., unless you plan on doing more than 10 of course. Bring along the appropriate allen wrench so you can make adjustments along the way.

And lastly lastly, you can point the saddle slightly one way or the other depending on which way you, uh, hang.