Now I just feel silly...

[Kano]

I do like your idea of new pedals, to become used to them. Great idea. I am trying to find creative ways to push myself with this bike and prepare myself for next summer when I can hopefully buy a new bike.

My understanding on these pedals is that we can move 'em to the new bike when we find it, too. That makes them a bargain even though they're not cheap, right?

Anyhow, this week, new "slick" tires on Thursday -- decided that on that other thread. I think next week is the week for new pedals. We have a hilly ride with a group of people over the weekend, and that's probably not an ideal day to be a pedal newbie. By then, the stuff I've improved about the bike will be just about half the initial cost of the bike....

(Sunday was going to be our day for pedals, but then the bike shop that we could have biked past on our way home was going to be closed, it being Sunday and all, so we didn't go to another bike shop either. Could be a "while we're out" this weekend, since the bikes will be on the car already!)

Karen in Boise

[Bikingmomof3]

What type of pedals are you planning on buying?

[Kano]

What type of pedals are you planning on buying?

That's a question for my bike shop guy! I'm not sure, but they'll work with my shoes, and they'll be the easiest possible to get out of !!!!!

My shoes are Specialized Taho, which are like the cheapest shoes that would go onto my feet, and even though I have no real objection to yet another pair of shoes in my shoe stable, it would be nice to be able to use them. The guys at George's seem to be partial to the ones with an "spd" type widget? Or, maybe since we're riding the low end bikes, they're suggesting the low end pedals????

It's a whole other thread, I know -- but maybe someone on the list has suggestions for us newbies breaking our bodies in to this sport???

Karen in Boise

[Geonz]

And if a road bike really doesn't feel right, you can get a "fast hybrid" that will be comfy, too, if you put skinnier tires on it. I put a couple thousand miles on my hybrids each year, and the "slower" one is a little more comfortable over the long, long haul (so I took it on the week-long tour); the fast one is great for one-day centuries (7500FX Trek).
WHo knows, you may be able to tweak the comfort bike so that at least it's comfortable over the longer distances. Then, indeed, when you get a lighter steed it will FLY because of the strength and endurance you've built up - and in the meantime, as you get stronger, you will get to make some of thsoe folks on the really lightweight stallions who don't pu tin your mileage feel a little sheepish...

[Pascale]

Ok, so yesterday I got the new saddle for my Specialized Crossroads Comfort beast and decided to test ride it today. Meant to go for a short ride - maybe 5-10 miles.

Well, 5 eventually turned into 30. Generally I ride the rail trails (which are flat, and nicely devoid of traffic), but I didn't have the car today, so I rode locally. So, this was the first time I've EVER had to ride hills! That was exhausting!

Some things I've learned by visiting bike shops recently is that I am not pedaling correctly. I didn't realize there was a way to pedal incorrectly (newbie alert!). I've ALWAYS placed the arches of my feet center on my pedals - ever since I was a kid. Then I start visiting bike shops and I start seeing the special shoes that attach to the pedals (are you KIDDING? would I tie myself to the saddle of my horse??????????? ok, so that was my first reaction...). So they tell me, no, I should be using the ball of my feet to pedal. Which makes me raise my seat height. But now my feet slip off the pedals (ok, so now I see why you attach the feet to the pedals! LOL). So, it's been a HUGE learning experience.

The saddle seemed very comfortable for the first 25 miles - the last 5 I was getting sore. I'm NEVER sore really on my sit bones though - it's my tail bone that KILLS me. Even now, an hour after my ride, I'm sore to just sit. My knees always hurt as well (stairs are not welcome for 12 hours after a ride).

But heck, I'm sure having fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bikingmomof3]

Some things I've learned by visiting bike shops recently is that I am not pedaling correctly. So they tell me, no, I should be using the ball of my feet to pedal. Which makes me raise my seat height. But now my feet slip off the pedals (ok, so now I see why you attach the feet to the pedals! LOL). So, it's been a HUGE learning experience.

I had absolutely no idea I was to be using the ball of my foot, not he center of my foot. I learn at least one thing new every day.

[mimitabby]

I had absolutely no idea I was to be using the ball of my foot, not he center of my foot. I learn at least one thing new every day.

The biking expert guy Steve HOGG in Australia says the opposite!
here's his article:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/fitness/?...ers07-26#Cleat

[Pascale]

The biking expert guy Steve HOGG in Australia says the opposite!
here's his article:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/fitness/?...ers07-26#Cleat

This is what I took out of that article...

4. Cleat too far forward. As a guide, for your shoe size, I would position the cleat so that the centre of the ball of the foot is 9mm in front of the centre of the pedal axle. If the position of the cleat is the problem, this is likely to solve the problem.

If the cleat is in the centre of the ball of your foot, then that's where the people at the LBS's were telling me - they were telling me to get off my arches. Or am I completely confused? Veterans, can ya help?

[Kano]

The saddle seemed very comfortable for the first 25 miles - the last 5 I was getting sore. I'm NEVER sore really on my sit bones though - it's my tail bone that KILLS me. Even now, an hour after my ride, I'm sore to just sit. My knees always hurt as well (stairs are not welcome for 12 hours after a ride).

But heck, I'm sure having fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pascale -- tail bone rather than sit bones... That may change now, though you'll need some time to feel better first! I had tail bone problems too, for a while, until I got rid of that comfort saddle they put on our beasts! It was a few days after I wasn't sitting on it anymore that it was okay to be on my butt again, so you'll get better now! (I won't promise, since you could have different results!)

And knees -- gosh, that sounds SO familiar! The 5-10 rides are no problem, but when I get going for longer distances, it's not that they hurt, but I know they're there by the time I'm done, and then stairs.... You got that right! I was thinking it's a muscle thing, until I unwillingly gave the muscles a week to rest (bike in Boise, Karen several hours west of Boise). Came back, and they started right in again... After two months of at least four days a week, they should be over that nonsense, unless I'm challenging myself significantly more and more each week????

Karen in Boise

[matagi]

This is what I took out of that article...

4. Cleat too far forward. As a guide, for your shoe size, I would position the cleat so that the centre of the ball of the foot is 9mm in front of the centre of the pedal axle. If the position of the cleat is the problem, this is likely to solve the problem.

If the cleat is in the centre of the ball of your foot, then that's where the people at the LBS's were telling me - they were telling me to get off my arches. Or am I completely confused? Veterans, can ya help?

The cleat should be positioned very slightly behind the centre of the ball of the foot (9mm is less than 1/2 inch), so that the back half of the ball of your foot is taking most of the pressure.

Also, sore knees are not good - your knees should not hurt after riding. I guess if you have been pedalling on your arches, that could be the cause of the problem, other possibilities are - your seat position is wrong, or you are pedalling in too high a gear (mashing).

First thing to do is get your foot position right on the pedals, then if the knee pain is still there, look at other parameters.

The tail bone pain has me a bit puzzled .... have you had a previous injury to your tailbone?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

When I rode 10 miles on a borrowed bike a couple weeks ago, it was a bike that was too small for me, even with the saddle raised up. One thing I noticed after the ride was that my knees hurt for the first time ever.

[Pascale]

The tail bone pain has me a bit puzzled .... have you had a previous injury to your tailbone?

Quite possibly - I've fallen off enough horses - I have a difficult time sitting for long periods of time in most kinds of chairs unless I can pull one leg up and sit on it (I'm so short that my legs don't reach the ground on most chairs, so that's usually the only way I'm comfortable). Also, since this is a comfort bike, I'm sitting nearly straight up, so maybe that's part of the problem on the tail bone issue. I don't recall any specific injuries, but I only remember the big ones, LOL!

[MomOnBike]

I know for certain that you'd remember breaking a tailbone. That HURTS!

There's no way to cast it, either, so you just suffer for the rest of your life.

(You don't need to ask how I know.)