Clipless & Hybrid??

[Blueberry]

[QUOTE=bouncybouncy]I am soon to be a bicycle commuter and am looking into a good bike to attach a rack, pannier, or any of the sorts to run errands, commute to work, or just tool around aimlessly

In fact i am hoping for a pair of these for Valentines day (hey...it is the only holiday right before summer )/QUOTE]

bouncybouncy-

I have the shimano sandals and *love* them! They're stiff enough for me, and my toes like the breeze! I've done 20-30 mile rides with them, no problems... In fact, there's a fellow on another list from Asheville who rides in them year round. He swears by sandals and socks and sealskins (waterproof socks) for keeping feet warm in the winter. I haven't gone that route yet, but may try it in cooler weather. I still like my sidis for longer rides usually, though (I find that my foot moves in the sandal as I sweat which can make clipping out a little difficult).

Re: commuting/errand bikes
I ride a Cannondale T800 for errands - bought it to commute on, but that hasn't happened for a while. It's HEAVY, but then I do have a rack and fenders on it. I can't stand to not ride on drop bars. My hands start hurting quickly - so, I had to get a road bike of sorts. I've been looking for a lighter bike to serve the same purpose (did I mention this bike is heavy?? I actually have trouble navigating the 2 sets of stairs I have to use to get it on the road while carrying it), but haven't found anything yet. If someone shoots you a great idea, please share I know there are some (Hey Emily!) who use bike fridays for the same purpose. Maybe she can give you more input. I'm still drooling *strike that* looking at a bike friday. Maybe when spring comes...

For panniers, I've used arkels for several years now and they're still going strong. They have a mechanism that keeps them from bouncing off the rack.

Good luck with your move - when are you headed to asheville?

[bouncybouncy]

Good luck with your move - when are you headed to asheville?

It all starts in October...my bosses house will be ready for their move on the 15th. my fiancee and i are getting married in Feb and with his job and the wedding we are looking to move us up March 1st...the in-between time i will be back & forth. I will probably take one bike with me to asheville during that time (probably the road since the mtbing in FL is killer during that time - not that i will have any time to ride )
We have already let our riding go down the tubes but we are trying to keep up what riding we can...i am back into running cause of the lack of sunlight We have already compiled a list of clubs and rides and trails to ride so when we get there we will be unstoppable (slow on the hills, but unstoppable nevertheless )



Where are you? we will have to keep in touch and hook up (maybe we can start a Amic Veloci east coast version?)


OK...back to the topic at hand...clippless & hybrid??? a good choice!!!

[roughingit]

That's what I did before got my nice touring bike. used those Shimanos with the platform on one side and mountain biking shoes wth my hybrid (Fuji Palisade). The combo worked great, and I'm going to swap those pedals onto my touring bike. No one looked at me askance at all with that combo and really think even with the touring bike the only people that are likely to notice are the guys in the spendy jerseys and bike that cost more than several of my month's salaries, but they are usually blazing by too fast to look at my shoes lol!

[Blueberry]

We have already compiled a list of clubs and rides and trails to ride so when we get there we will be unstoppable (slow on the hills, but unstoppable nevertheless )

Where are you? we will have to keep in touch and hook up (maybe we can start a Amic Veloci east coast version?)

Bouncy-

I'm in the central part of NC - in Durham - about 4 hours east of Asheville. I'm in the Boone area pretty frequently, but that's a couple hours north of Asheville. That said, an excuse to visit Asheville...hmmm...

I'll have to work on my hill training - they kicked my *** last time I was up that way. Good luck to you with the move!

Carrie Anne

[JesTutripup]

I've actually thought about putting clips on, but I'm deathly afraid because my mind wanders...A lot! After the fall without clip-ons this summer can you imagine me in them?

I've read an article Steve Madden (Bicycling mag editor) did on researching spinning classes and found cyclists clipped-in.. So yes that's definitely a great way to boost your confidence.

Thanks for posting the clip-sandals I think I'll grab those and some rollers for the off-season, since Terry Cycling thought nothing of us 'full-figured' women to ride outdoors in the fresh air. Talk about a limited source of winter clothing!

[bouncybouncy]

Bouncy-

I'm in the central part of NC - in Durham - about 4 hours east of Asheville. I'm in the Boone area pretty frequently, but that's a couple hours north of Asheville. That said, an excuse to visit Asheville...hmmm...

I'll have to work on my hill training - they kicked my *** last time I was up that way. Good luck to you with the move!

Carrie Anne

Thanks...Boone sounds like a great area to ride (Lance rides there for crying out loud) we have a mtbike buddy in Raleigh, and look forward to checking out Boone along with the rest of the area...right now we are concetrating on moving but the countdown is shrinking and i am getting anxious!!!