thank gawd for speedplay!

[caligurl]

i am SOOOO very happy that i had my speedplays today and not the awful looks! we were riding up to the national park entrance in the bike lane. the way they did it.. there is an area that goes up.. best comparison.. like a curb but only an inch or so.. before it slopes up to make the side of the rode. well.. i wasn't paying attention and my tire rubbed.. i knew i was going down.. and had i had the looks that i couldn't get out of.. i would have.. and it would have been U-G-L-Y!

however.. i immediately and quickly clipped out... was able to stop.. and all was well.. i didn't hit the ground..

PHEW!

i LOVE my speedplays!!!!

[emily_in_nc]

Excellent!!!

I love Speedplays too....glad you got 'em!

Emily

[bikergirl62]

What is a speedplay?

Sorry about your crash. Sounds like what ever they are save the day.

[caligurl]

Originally posted by bikergirl62
What is a speedplay?

Sorry about your crash. Sounds like what ever they are save the day.

clipless pedals.. they look like little lollipops and are easy to clip out of (thank goodness!!!!)

http://www.speedplay.com/

[Biking Kitsune]

what kind do you have? your rave reviews make me curious... their 'frog' looks kinda nice...

[caligurl]

Originally posted by Biking Kitsune
what kind do you have? your rave reviews make me curious... their 'frog' looks kinda nice...

i have the x/1's cuz i have road shoes. i was doing more reading on them.. and the 1's are easiest to get out of.. apparently the 2's and 3's.. although still easy.. aren't as easy.. so i'm glad i didn't go for the x/2's!

[emily_in_nc]

I have Speedplay X/2s, and they are very easy to get out of. The only thing I am not 100% crazy about with these pedals is the unlimited float. I am thinking about trying the Speedplay Zeros if my X/2's ever wear out so that I can set a certain amount of float but not more. I think that would make climbing out of the saddle a little easier and provide more power for climbing in general since my feet wouldn't be shifting around quite as much. I notice they do that more when I get tired.

My husband has Speedplay Zeros on his road bike and Frogs on his touring bike and loves both!

Emily

[Veronica]

Hi Caligurl,

What National park were you riding to?

V.

[caligurl]

joshua tree national part. i'm in the socal desert!

[Veronica]

I was just hoping it wasn't Death Valley! How's the riding at Joshua Tree?

Veronica

[caligurl]

i haven't ridden in the part itself yet.. but hubby has and likes it. he climbed to key's view (highest point in the park) and loved it!

i'm not super crazy about riding around here yet.. really.. i've pretty much stuck to my neighborhood.. or taken the back roads over to get the the road climbing to the park (hubby says we can't do that anymore til i stop being afraid to go faster coming back down the hill! it kills my hands cuz i'm a chicken and ride the breaks! )

when hubby does his rides he rides on the highway.. but i'm scared to death of that right now! the cars just drive way too fast! so far on the back roads they have all been great *knock on wood* and swerved away from me! maybe they can tell i'm a gurl and wobbly! lol!

unfortunately.. if i want to ride from home to anywhere.. i have to take the highway eventually.. or we'll have to drive somewhere where and start there...

palm springs and palm desert have a lot of bike trails.. but it's also an hour away.. but i'm sure eventually i'll want to ride somewhere other than our neighborhood!

i have a goal! feb 5th is the tour de palm springs and i plan to ride it! which length.. i don't know yet... they start as small as 5 then 10, 20 (i think) and go up to 50 and a century! who knows.. maybe i'll be ready for the century by then! lol! but hubby will have to slow down and stay with me (unless i do what everyone keeps saying and surpass him.. ya right! lol!)

[caligurl]

p.s. in case you didn't know.. i'm a newbie! i have 75 miles on my bike! lol! just got it june 27th! the ride to the park entrance is 15 miles round trip from my house..

that's why i'm afraid of the highway and haven't been in the park yet... too new! but i'm getting there! i hope to do a 20 miler either one night this week or definitly this weekend! hopefully 20 miles without that hill to fly.. errr.. ride my brakes down!

added: duh.. of course you know.. it's in the newbie section! lol!

[hibiscus09]

I just saw this thread, caligurl -- I'm so glad you're like the Speedplays. It's so much more fun to ride the bike when you don't think death is imminent. I felt the same way when I switched from Looks to Speedplays.

[caligurl]

Originally posted by hibiscus09
It's so much more fun to ride the bike when you don't think death is imminent.

isn't THAT the truth! lol! i've unclipped twice now in potential ugly incidents.. last night again i almost went down.. same situation as the first night i had them (i REALLY need to pay attention to that curb!)

[Pedal Wench]

Another newbie question:
What do y'all mean by 'float'? Is it an up-and-down movement or side-to-side?

Here's an weird question - would it be totally wacky to put Speedplays on my stationary bike to start getting used to how they feel and practice clipping in and out? I'm thinking that I need to get a pair (the Speedplays are looking ideal) but I'm scared of falling. My boyfriend is incredibly experienced, and I want to start keeping up with him.