noob questions

also, i dont want straps on my commuter shoes because, lol ~stealth~, but i want them ez on/off, so i (ninja) replace standard laces with elastic laces (/ninja).

Cozen, can't recommend cycling in hollan enough, specifically on the LF1 north sea route. We did hoek to heemskerk on Saturday and it was a real pleasure. Just about 60 miles, maybe 15% of those on actual roads. The cyclepaths through the dunes are just awesome, mostly smooth paving (we had a fair amount of block paving, and a couple of kms of light gravel too). Plenty of views, plenty of pastry stops, courteous drivers when the paths did cross, marvellous.

As for pedals, clipless all the way now, despite the odd "moment" such as the one last night where a straight pull out saved me from a v ignominious fall from stationary.

i do about 150 miles a week commuting and nobbing around, then a big most sundays to get rid of hangover

i'd hate the idea of riding on flats, i like having the slot to put my foot in

i see loads of ppl with spds looking a bit flakey clipping in and out and in and out when it's busy around london

i dunno, think im gonna buy some new pedals (mine fell apart the other day) then maybe treat myself to some spds and use them on the long rides and see how that goes

thanks for the shoe recommendations guys

150 miles+ is a shitload to be riding on flats, but imo gbx's assessment of that ish is exactly right

i feel compelled to point out you would not catch me dead in those sandals

― ledge

Phew.

sandals are sorta dire, but they have their uses (on somebody else's feet, not mine). keen also makes these:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2515/4114732817_aa5bde58d8.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2515/4114732817_aa5bde58d8.jpg

yeh its obvious really, kinda wanted you all to go GET SPDs you'll never look back thus freeing me of the guilt of spending lots of £££ i don't have on spds and new pedals

i do about 150 miles a week commuting and nobbing around, then a big most sundays to get rid of hangover

i'd hate the idea of riding on flats, i like having the slot to put my foot in

i see loads of ppl with spds looking a bit flakey clipping in and out and in and out when it's busy around london

i dunno, think im gonna buy some new pedals (mine fell apart the other day) then maybe treat myself to some spds and use them on the long rides and see how that goes

thanks for the shoe recommendations guys

see yr sitch is perfect for SPDs. go for it

yah, do it. also, i liked these shoes, very comfortable.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/23/24298840_a4b8876b35.jpg?v=0

I do mostly city riding, usually 3 miles or less per bike ride, and pretty much never go on "rides". I've got toe-clips and love them. Always been curious about clipless but only if I can get practical/comfortable "regular shoes" that I can wear all the time thar happen to have the clip-in plate built in. Doesn't Chrome make these? I have to be able to dance in them and I p much refuse to carry around a spare pair of shoes all the time.

i get by with regular pedals on the commutard bike as i don't particularly like having to tote an extra pair of shoes around. but my commute is like 5km each way a day, i'd say go for the SPDs in your case, crackle box.

i have cut a rug in spd shoes

Can I make a case for pedals with toe-clips (i.e. straps)? They've become my choice for city commuting as you can use civvy shoes (careful they won't get scractehd up by the clip, mind) while retaining the feeling of security while pedalling.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsCyC1dZiN8

i can't dance in my spds, but anyone you ask will blame me.

Yeah, from what I've read the soles are quite stiff and not really good for everyday non-bike stuff. Maybe I'll just stick with toe clips for now

ah, sorry, i sacrificed clarity for my attempt at humor, that was meant to be a joke about my "dancing" more than a fair critique of the spd shoes.

the exustars that i use for commuting are danceable, and they're quite comfy for walking around, they are v. close to feeling like regular shoes. they feel good on the bike btw.

i also have a pair of what are now branded as mavic cruizes (adidas minretts). they are even better on the bike, nice and sporty, but are slightly stiffer and narrower, and while comfortable to walk around in, you are quite aware they are not regular shoes.

both are good for general utility use tho.

Do you have a link to the exustars?

i ordered them from UK here:

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/exustar-sp705-stelvio-leather-spd-touring-commuter-shoes-black-prod20634/

as far as fit goes, they are pretty high volume. i have narrowish feet so i used some cushion insoles to take up space.

what pedals w/ toe clips you got mark c???

i've had two lots and they've both fallen apart in less than 6 months. most recent ones had a metal clip that made a "you're a shit cyclist noise" if it ended up scraping against the road, so i didn't like them v much

recently I have been intrigued by these. Don't really have a use for them, not exactly going to ride the BMC to a bar.

http://compare.ebay.com/like/200496881373?var=lv<yp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&_lwgsi=y

Crackle, I have these: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/mks-sylvan-track-pedals/ - They're not the smoothest ever, even afetr I took them apart and regreased the bearings, but they actually work fine and haven't fallen apart under several thousand miles of use.

what are the best otp touring bikes for £700-1000? surly LHT? on-one pompetamine?

I think the cross-check may be a viable alternative to the lht and a wee bit more versatile. Or... Could you put a kaffenback together for that price?

Check the Dawes Range as well

OK so I got my bike yesterday. It is a super nice vintage Bobbin city bike. I got bag and lock and helmet and lights and a nice bell too. It was fucking expensive. Then I rode home in the dark and it was HARD! Why didn't you guys tell me?

Still, can't wait to go home and try it again, but hills that are small in car are big for bike. This will take a little getting used to,,,

not a noob question, more of a noob update

Pics or the proverbial.

http://www.bobbinbicycles.co.uk/

seriously though hoe do you do hills? i have 5 gears

HOW do you

just keep going up hills, it gets easier every time

ugh

also seat hurts.

bike looks nice though. I feel like I must look at total noob to everyone in sight.

it gets better...

ok thank you

my advice is "pedal faster"

no, I tried

it's a city bike not one of your boy racer things

yeah no that's good, a lot of the racers around here like to train on heavier bikes

lol

adam they are experienced. i am also a newbie. but i will say, they are right! hills and seat comfort issues get better every time. :) yay for your bike!

adamrl if you don't have toe clips get them NOW, they will change your life and turn your bike into a totally new machine

http://www.parktool.com/uploads/images/blog/repair_help/feet_100.jpg

biking w/o toe clips is the WOOOORST

that is def on my list!

I cannot cannot cannot speak highly enough of them. They are p cheap, too! Especially considering how fucking amazing they are.

Not only can you pull up with the opposite foot while pedaling but you can also push forward!

Steve, have you heard of clipless pedals? You'd love them!! That said, I have toe clips on my fixie which I commute on and they are pretty good for the job. It's nice sometimes not to have to take special bike shoes everywhere you go.

Admrl, 5 speeds isn't terribly generous, but for hills, go into the lowest gear and see how it feels. If it's too easy, go up one, if it's too hard, you'll have to pedal standing up, or just grind your way up. You may have to get off and walk if it gets too much, there's no shame in it. There's no secret to it (other than "pace yourself" - oh, and get into the right gear *before* the going gets tough, otherwise you'll lose momentum and gain knackeredness unneccesarily - but if the gearing's not right then even this may be irrelevant), but the good news is, as everyone says, it gets much easier pretty quickly if you keep at it.

Theresa, there has been a recall on Trek 7.2 FX bikes, not sure if yours counts as a '2012' model but probably worth checking. Your saddle may fall off 'unexpectedly'.

http://www.cyclelicio.us/2011/trek-district-fx-recall-2012/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Cyclelicious+%28Cyclelicious%29

Xp yeah, I've been looking into them recently but most all of my riding is commuting around the city and never, like, long recreational rides. Everyone's told me to just stick with clips