Question about Pedals

My first post! Yippee! Have been riding a hybrid for about four years and know absolutely nothing about pedals with clips/clipless, etc. What are the advantages and disadvantages?

I had a total hip replacement about a year and a half ago. Sometimes when I shift to make pedaling easier, my leg will fly out and off the pedal and cause a huge amount of pain in my new hip. Will the use of different pedals make a difference?

Am really enjoying reading all of the postings here, and the shopping is terrific.

Thanks in advance.

I can't recommend clipless pedals enough! They make a HUGE difference. It sounds scary, but your feet aren't really locked onto the pedals, and your bike handling skills and speed will improve immediately! If you aren't sure about making the switch, start with a multi-purpose pedal (Shimano 324 or similar) that has a clipless binding on one side and a regular cage on the other. I started that way, riding with just one foot clipped in until I got used to the feel. You'll fall at least once, but it's a rite of passage ;)

If you have a good bike shop, ask them for help setting up your shoes. Most people who aren't happy with clipless pedals seem to have their cleats in the wrong place, which can be downright painful. Don't be afraid to shift them around until you find a comfortable riding position.

Enjoy! :D

i second BikeLady about having the cleats set up properly. make sure you go to a reputable lbs that knows what they are doing. so many of them don't. ask around. if you have buddies, they may have some recommendations.

For the 'normals' jumping on to clipless is one thing, but with a hip replacement you need to talk to somebody knowledgable, like a first class physical therapist who rides, or at least will understand why your hip is doing this. I don't have a hip replacement, but I've spent the last two years in PT as I was put back together by an orthopedics department and learned a few things about it talking to other patients. I'm dating a guy who's seven months out from his hip replacement and my god is his gait screwed up. He's not athletic (hence not my prince, either) and won't get it checked and it looks like trouble to me.
Where there is pain and weird actions, there is trouble brewing. It may be simple to fix, but I doubt clipless are going to solve this problem and could really screw you up worse.
Platform pedals will cut you a lot of slack on things like leg length discrepancy and subtle misalignments that clipless won't. Leg length differences are common after joint replacement, even after rebuilds with no new parts. Get checked for this FIRST and they can shim your cleat up to compensate. The forces of pedaling on two different length legs can screw with your knees and SI joints down the road.
Go with MT bike pedals, and I'd get Speedplays if you can afford them. You want lots of "float", more than in the crappy Shimano/Richey/ Wellgo pedals. Don't get ATACs, they're fabulous but not for beginners, theres a trick to clicking out of them. I hear good things about the 'eggbeater' pedals.
Clipless are great, but I'd want to see somebody about why my hip is doing funky things first. Attaching your foot to the pedal may just cause more trouble. Any funkiness in leg length or gait can be compensated for by a good mechanic, but only if they know about it up front. I'd also learn the basics of spin- join a touring club, they'll teach you. Technique will either fix problems or expose their cause.
Another possibility- use clips and straps. I'm back to these right now 'cos my knees are still healing and you can get the power transfer benefits of clipless but your foot can pull out easier with a loose strap. And you can use MT bike or touring shoes with them. Which do you want to yank on, a nylon strap or major surgical reconstruction?
All that rehab was too awfull to be careless with your biomechanical function now. I know, I've done it. Get looked at, and if your PT or orthopod isn't going to be helpfull go elsewhere.

missliz

I agree with missliz. Assuming you're giving the ok to use clipless pedals I would DEFINITILY go for Speedplays. I started off with Look Pedals which are very popular in the UK for road bikes, but even after 6 months I still had trouble getting out of them and this made me a very nervous rider.
Not only are Looks tricky to get the right position ( they only have to be out be a small amount to be wrong) but the lack of float led to a problem with my knee.

My Speedplays are totally brilliant and well worth the money. There's tones of float so you can move your knees around loads and they couldn't be easier to get out of. It improve my confidence (and knee no end)

I hear all good about Speedplays, and they're an easy fix for knee alignment problems, but if you ever get the chance get looked at for patellar alignment trouble. I had my knees chewed up by cycling with femoral patella syndrome that turned into bigger problems. Iliobiotal band tightness will do this too. Red LOOK cleats shouldn't be that big a problem. The Speed plays will get you years of slack, but the second you get pain back get looked at. When I say knees chewed up, I mean no more cartilage on the back of the kneecaps, and it's a *****. It hurts. You can fix these things with exercises and improve your pedal stroke too, but once the wear happens it's arthritis and you want to avoid it!
Get on the trainer in front of a good mirror and put sticky dots on your knees, or Sharpie marker, whatever, then warm up and watch the dots. They should go straight up and down, in a straight line ( watch Lance's kneecaps in the Tour). If the dots corkscrew or oscillate or do figure eights, you have a VERY common knee alignment problem. Floatier pedals will buy you time, but you want to work on the muscles that make the patella track properly. These same exercises make you look hot in mini skirts, so don't freak. Easy and well worth it.
I had to get my kneecaps released surgicly- too many orthopods are pigs who don't beleive the female athlete is possible and so I didn't get dealt with the easy way ay twenty two, so at forty two I'm facing knee replacement. Hopefully they'll invent something better before I get that bad.
My point is, Speedplays are great, keep 'em forever, but they compensate for a biomechanical problem. You need to be aware of this to keep your knees in the best possible shape at eighty, 'cos the Bicycle Nation is the only place that will still let you wear neon spandex and think you perfectly normal at that age. Seen it, looking forward to it.

missliz

Meaning to be helpfull, not alarmist.

hey liz. i can tell you i am watching ALOT more than lance's knees in the tour. heee heeee.

Thanks missliz - that's very good advice. The problem is with the tracking on my kneecap but I've been to a sports pysio several times and I've got all sorts of inner thigh exersises etc to help build up the less developed muscles, and do these a couple of times a week. Apparently it's very common.

I also spend some time on the home trainer taking a close look at my pedaling actions but i haven't tried marking my knee caps. I'll certainly give this a try.

Cheers for the advice.

Goddess1222 - current favouite has to be Johan Museeuw from Quickstep team. I was watching Het Volk on Eurosport the other week and Museeuw won. As he was changing before the podium presentations he ripped of his jersey and I've never seen such a buffed cyclist .Makes a change from the normally skinny little guys!

hey mighty mitre, there is nothing like beautifully shaven cyclist legs. my ex boyfriend is a huge cyclist and i used to just stare at his legs.

i wonder if they have any photos of your guy on cyclingnews.com. i will have to check it out. he sounds absolutely lovely.

Goddess1222 - I think there were some pictures on cyclingnews - none topless though. (lol)
Yes - I agree, you can't quite beat a shaved tannned leg.

Ah ... roll on the summer!

Hey Goddess, it's not just Lance- 180 fine buff boys in spandex with the earlier mentioned tan shaved legs...
Which is a practical thing, for road rash, and the summer racing is so grueling in Europe, the Tour worst of all. Do you think they get waxed? Less upkeep that way, no fooling with a razor in the shower after a tough day.
There's quite a fad for shaving around here in the twenty something athletic guy set, (all sports), and I find myself becoming such a dirty old lady ogling the fellas whenever I'm in a sporting goods store:p .


missliz




I guess 40 IS a good age, still look good and don't give a damn what the neighbors think.

well goddess liz, i don't know if they wax, but i would sure volunteer if they need someone in a pinch. i saw a pack of 6-8 road riders the other day out around town and i nearly drove off the road to get a good look.

Yeah, there's a bunch of them at my gym, and the temptation to just go pet those fabulous legs gets tough. They just lie around on the floor stretching, totally still and easy tempting pickings. I don't think a public pawing would be tolerable, though.. Gotta catch 'em in a bar.

missliz

Goddess, did you get wheels built? What went on there?

i called susan at the T.E. office and we chatted some more about wheels. the only thing that is keeping me from doing it this moment is $$$$. story of my life.

i'm also a little torn about what material to have them made with. it sounds like you love yours. steel i believe you said?

susan told me they built her rear wheel, and the wheel was a Mavic. if they are truly "hand built", why would they have a brand name attached to them? wouldn't they just be "hand built wheels from scratch for the fabulous sandi(that's my name)?"

susan also suggested a suspension seat post. going to look into that as well.

for now, i am taking my new Terry seat out for it's maiden voyage tomorrow if the weather holds. i certainly hope it takes care of my "problem." if not, it is back to square one.


sandi

You mean steel rims? Eeewww, no. Can't true a steel rim. Wal marty. Aluminum. All the parts will be brand name stuff, Like you pick your hubs, then rims, spokes, lacing patterns, what you get from good handbuilt wheels is a parts package you want, as opposed to a package somebody else picked out. My MT wheels are Sun rims anodized red, the most chi chi thing going at the time, the hubs are Shimano LX police isue, which is oddball but - my dealer has a police bike concession and they're higher grade than LX, and they're the best ones around with a silent clutch freewheel. Once you ride those, you never go back to tick tick tick tick... And you can sneak up on criminals or deer, depending on whether you're supposed to have those hubs or not.
Mavic is a French manufacturer and makes great rims, but there are other brands. I don't know as much about road rims as MT but the secret is in the building- actually lacing the wheels up when the spokes are installed. And you can get much better spokes in a handbuilt wheel than an original equipment wheel, mostly because most full bikes sold either get upgraded or sit in a garage. There's some crummy part on every complete bike to shave costs and keep the price competitive, like a cheesy seat or a two $ headset. Spokes tend to be pedestrian. ( Is there a bad pun there?) Once you get into hanbuilt wheels and King headsets, you no longer buy bikes. You buy frames.
Anyway, to conclude this evenings ramble, a susp seatpost is a great thing, and if your wheels are rattling or annoying you they can be trued and tensioned and that may help. I'd ride them to peices, learn while I'm doing it, and the Bike Gods will provide when the time comes. Or Susan mentioned a bike parts swap meet up there in the spring? Maybe they'll provide there.

missliz

Actual name- Miss Liz
And full of coceine cough syrup, so if the above rant makes no sense blame it on the poppy.:D

goddess,

Well? How did the maiden voyage of your Terry seat go? I too rode on my new seat this weekend. Joe and I rode a 50 miler on Saturday and a 36 miler on Sunday. And my butt ain't sore no more! LOL Finally, I found a comfortable seat for my road bike. I may even get one for my mountain bike when it's time for a new one for her. It's a general seat I believe so it should work fine on both my road and mountain bike. Can't wait to hear about your "seat" report!

Oh, my seat is a specialized women's dolce all leather upper seat. I love it!

Sue

hi gals!!

missliz: thank you for clearing up the confusion for me. now i understand. and to stay away from steel, i will do. i have aluminum wheels now and love them. the front is radially laced and the rear is radially laced on one side and 3 spoke cross on the other. the wheelset is great, race ready and rockin'. but i would like another set, maybe with less spokes, more aero etc. i am still learning about spoke pattern and what not.

i took my bike out yesterday and today, and i am finding that even though the ride is rigid, i am sort of getting used to it. but i like the idea of not having that "click click click" when i coast.

p.s. i just love the open road. the scenery, the road, the MEN. saw a cutie patootie this weekend out there. the only time i can get away with waving and smiling. yum!!

goddess1222

hi susan. here is the update.

sunday i took the bike out early(church traffic is so much more polite). i didn't pay too much attention to the seat because i didn't have to. i barely knew it was there!!! such a difference from my Fuji. it's a hit.

45 minutes in i felt a little chafing but i wore a different chamois today and that took care of it.

i didn't go very far because i am still trying to build the mileage up. so the real test will come when i start rockin'. i have a great rolling hills area out here, and after the second rolling hill, i was ready to die. road riding is a hell of a lot harder than spin class. but i intend to supplement with other things like i have been doing. i would like to start swimming too. but i have a pretty active job, and it wears me out, so unfortunately, i can't do as much as i would like. i envy those who train long hours for centuries. i have wanted to make a century my goal.


goddess1222

We did our very first organized century last June. I used Spin classes as my training during the week - but I'd try to keep my heart rate higher for most of the class. More towards the 80 - 85% range with blips even higher to try to build my aerobic capacity. Then we would do one long ride each weekend, 'cause that's all we could fit in. We started off with rides in the 25 mile range and eventually worked up to about 85 before the century. I'd been working out for a while - but my husband didn't really start until January and we didn't get out on the road until Feb. We did the ride on our old mountain bikes with slicks. When we did the century I felt great - even went and did Spin class the day after. You don't need to work out hours a day. Unless you want to do it wicked fast. ;)

Pick a century a few months away, you can do it!


Veronica

ohhhh veronica you have no idea how great your post made me feel. i appreciate it so much. spin classes have really supplemented riding, however i have been taking a break from them the past 2 months because i got bored. now that the weather is a little better, i am getting out on the road more and loving every minute of it. thank you for your encouragement.

goddess1222

....sorry ladies I defocused there for one moment, about the tanned legs and muscles !! Last year I was lying on my bed in a hotel in Italy watching television and they had this games show on. The highlight was that Mario Cipollini himself came on in cycling gear, and several girls got to feel all over his muscles ON TV. As you can imagine they are a lot more uninhibited in Italy! The entire audience including many non-cyclists, knew who Cipollini was and cheered and shouted every time these girls ran their hands over his arm and leg muscles!!!

That's funny - I can just see Cippo totally enjoying lots of women with their hands all over him. He's such a tart : D

Just to return to the leg conversation again, waxing DOES go on. My boyfriend often has his waxed at the start of the season, after a winter of not shaving them or if he gets sick of shaving half way through the year.

Apparentley the girls at the salon he goes to are quite used to doing men. Infact, waxing does seem to be catching on. I live in a place where there's a very stong gay community and one of the waxes currently on offer for the gent is a Back, Crack and Sack. I 'll leave you to work that one out but I can assure you my boyfriend won't be having that one!!!!!

Sharing about men and waxing I just have to share this ... my hubby is one of the last hold outs in our road cycling group. Well, him and one other guy in our group of riding friends. Every spring when it's time to shed the long pants for the shorts the big topic in our little group is "will it be this year that Joe and Don finally shave their legs?" So far they have both held out. BUT on our last road ride I did over hear Joe and Don discussing the "benefits" of shaved legs. I was shocked and tried to inch closer to them without them noticing but they must have because they quickly changed the subject! So once again another spring is almost hear and the question is being asked again .... "Will Joe and Don shave their legs this season?" I think Don is considering it .... but my Joe ... don't hold your breath! His reasoning ... he is both a mountain biker and a road biker. It's better to take the ribbing from our road friends then the heckling from our mountain biking friends! LOL I see his point!
Sue

Susan126 - I can see Joes point, the mtb guys can be pretty cruel.

There's a guy in our club who rides both. He 's a total nutter. He took part in an off-road 24 hour challange last year and came 7th in the country out of several hundred people, with a distance of something like 250miles, Mad Dog David Clarke we call him. He's a good laugh, very tough but still keeps his leg hair.

Mind you, when it comes to a toughness test, mtb v roadies, maybe we should use the wax test and see which group yells the loudest! That'll seperate the men from the boys :D

MightyMitre,

I love your suggestion for the toughness test! But we already know who the toughest riders really are .... the women! ;)

Sue

yes susan126, i second that comment!!!!!!

I want to be on Italian tv and grope a world class rider... I'll put that on my list.

missliz

And there was me thinking this was a serious discussion forum.... ;)

Count me in too - so long as it's before they ride!

Even had a whiff of a peleton go past you at full pace? All that sweat and embrocation. I often feel sorry for the podium girls at the Tour when they have to present flowers and kisses to some guy who's been sweating in the saddle for 7 hours. Now that's dedication... :D

Well, this is a very serious discussion:p - what would the world be without buff men to paw? And actually some, but not all, sweaty men are just yummy. Pheromones. Make your brain go ping.

missliz

I want my Italian cycling god freshly waxed, though.

Does anyone have a suggestion on a good headlight/ tailight to purchase? I'm looking at the Performance catalog and Zefal seems like a good one, but I can't tell how it attaches from the picture.

PS Winter training pays off! Today I out - distanced the dogs that last year had me so nervous. Keeping a steady and straight line past (and sometimes through) them still has me holding my breath a bit, though.

Zefal makes good stuff, I have some of their blinky lights. Performance has a tech desk, you can call the order number during the day and ask for technical assistance, they'll explain it to you. A lot of lights have ingenious multi type attachmants and can be used different ways. My favorite has a clip for a pack or jacket and an adapter for attaching to the seat post- this is a red one for the rear. If you want to really make a statement, get two different brands for different spots, they'll flash at different rates and absolutley force the traffic to notice you.
Front lights I don't know much about, I use a white blinky light on my handlebars so they can see me, but I ride a suspended MT bike for night commuting and use night vision, I think it's safer. Course, ther's lots of street lights. All front lights have a bracket that goes on the handlebars and requires a screwdriver to install. Ask the performance people about battery life and stuff, the headlights use them up faster.
Most of these guys are a peice of cake to install, and also excellent wear for dance clubs and big costume parties. Enjoy.

missliz

So you have NO interest in feeling up Italian cycling gods at all?:D

grab a couple dog bones on your way out the door and tape them to your stem with masking tape. break one off when they come runnin'.

MissLiz - don't panic, I'm with you for the 'hands on' Italian cycling experience! Just give me the where and when and I'll be there!

One suggestion about back lights though, people have mentioned having them on a flashing setting, but I prefer to keep them on a continual setting .

Having seen cyclists when I've been in the car, especially when the traffic is very busy with lots of break lights going on and off, I think a flashing bike light can sometimes blend in with the flashing break lights and make it harder to distingush between rider and car.

These are just my thoughts - I guess it depends where you ride and when but personally I prefer my lights set to full on. What's everyone else think?

Hill Nelly :

- I used to have to ride past some dogs to get to work and I used to keep a couple of broken bits of biscuit in my pocket which I'd throw to them as I went past. Scarry!

Althought - can I see the possibilities of some evil, interval type training plan, involving lining a route with savage dogs ever mile or so to improve speed work as you have to hare past them....
:D

Well, the idea of two lights that flash at different rates for that disco effect is meant to counter getting lost in the traffic. Mine flash at almost strobe light tempo. Different things work for different people though, so you should do what you're comfortable with. That's why the lights come with both flash and steady settings. Everybody gets what they feel best with.

missliz

You know, the inFamous Jaquie Phelan is teaching a MT biking camp in Italy this summer- a good excuse to go there and cruise velo hotties. Perhaps the stars are aligning for my Italian television debut. I always wanted to take one of her courses and I really need to go to Italy, pagan spiritual needs thing. A little wombatting around would be fun. Just need a buyer for a kidney to finance it...

Flashing lights are illegal in a lot of states. For that reason they aren't allowed in the Brevet series and some organized double centuries also forbid their use. We're planning on doing a night 200 K in July. We have to get the non flashing lights. Bummer is that they are also more expensive.

Now for commuting use - would a cop pull you over and ticket you? I suppose it depends on how seriously it's enforced in your area. If I were commuting I'd be lit up like a Christmas Tree.

Hokey spokes are legal though.

http://www.hokeyspokes.com/


Veronica

Sorry MissLiz - would love to help you out with the kidney but I've already go two of my own. I'll bear it in mind though:D

Veronica - flashing lights are illegal in some states? That's pretty harsh - you'd think they'd be pleased people had any lights at all.

There's an equally silly situation in the UK - lights made from LED's are by far the brightest and more easily seen, but they're illegal as they don't comply to some crazy British Safety Standard. ( Lots of people still use them though)
The ones that do comply are useless - they involve a regular bulb, need more batteries and are no way near as bright. But then in the UK a lot of people still think cyclist shouldn't be on the road. They don't seem to realise speeds of 25mph are quite possible on a road bike.

Ah - sorry about my rant. Back to Italian cyclists.... :D

Just checked out the Hokey Spokey website. Cool!

hey mighty mitre, i am about to go way off topic here, but i wanted to extend my sorrow over the recent loss of some of your royal marines in the war. the fact that you are the only one fighting next to us does not go unnoticed. i have friends who live in england and their son is in the royal navy. my heart goes out to the people of your country and a thank you to you for believing in us as we fight for the freedom of so many who have not known freedom in a long time.

ok, i will now stay on topic. sorry ladies.

goddess1222

The way the vehicle code reads is something like flashing lights are only for unusual hazards. But I've never heard of anyone being ticketed for it. I only read about it when we were doing research on the brevet series. LEDs aren't allowed on the Paris-Brest-Paris ride either so they are highly discouraged in the brevets leading up to it.

I don't know - as sore as my butt was after 200 K and 8+ hours in the saddle, I can't imagine how people do 1200K.


Veronica

WOW. thanks, girls for really supplying alot of good and useful info on my lights question. Just wish I'd gotten back to the board here sooner....Been glued to to tube.(TV!)

Got a question for MityMitre: I Forgot what thread I saw this on, but I think you mentioned something about a female Tour de F.
Does it have a certain name and is there any kind of media or print coverage? I'd love to learn more about it and the route they take.

I will try tossing a few dog biscuits at my nemesis tomorrow. Just hope I don't turn into the Pied Piper and find I have a doggy fan club following me


:D

Hope everyone can grab a bit of good weather this week for their rides! Bye for now.

goddess1222 - thank you for your message re; the death of some of our soldiers. This is a subject most people have very strong opinions on so I think i'll steer clear for now, but thank you for your thougths.

Back to bikes...!


Hill Nelly - the Womens TdF is called La Grand Boucle Feminine which roughly translates as the big loop. It usually starts about a week after the mens one and lasts about 2 weeks. The stages aren't quite so long - usually about 4 or 5 hours rather than the 6 or 7 the men do . They have good coverage on French TV but I can't get it in England . Having never been to see it for myself i don't know if it's as high profile as the mens race but it's certainly ridden in the same spirit.

Try this website - it's the official Womens Tour de france website but unfortunatly it's in French www.velo-feminin.com or for some good pictures try this one - it's a bit strange . www.geocities.com/jeanpba . You need to scroll down to nearly the bottom of the first page and look for La Grand Boucle Feminine a Grenoble. It's got a "New" logo flashing next to it.

I'd also like to find out more myself as I'll be in France at some point this summer and would like to catch it. If I find out any more - or anything that's not in French I'll post it here.