Question for the cyclists

[Doctor Phibes]

@jon-nyc said in Question for the cyclists:

Has anyone dealt with this?

I used to get pain in my left knee. I found that making small adjustments to the cleats on my shoes seemed to help, adjusting the angle my foot was on the pedal.

Did you get a fitting done when you got your bike? That can help with that kind of stuff too.

[jon-nyc]

No I’m still using trainers and flat pedals.

[Aqua Letifer]

Adjust the angle like Phibes said, and introduce more float into your setup.

Blah, just saw your response. Did you get a bike fit at the shop you bought from?

[jon-nyc]

I didn’t. The guy says there’s no point of I’m not getting proper pedals and shoes.

[Doctor Phibes]

There's a reason people buy all that stupid shit. It's not to look good.

[Aqua Letifer]

@jon-nyc said in Question for the cyclists:

I didn’t. The guy says there’s no point of I’m not getting proper pedals and shoes.

I'd say it's worth it if you're getting knee pain. A proper setup can help a lot sometimes.

[Horace]

Both my knees are trash. If changing bike pedals will help, then I’ll go out tomorrow and buy a bike and change the pedals every day.

[Rainman]

@Doctor-Phibes said in Question for the cyclists:

There's a reason people buy all that stupid shit. It's not to look good.

That's good. I was worried.

[jon-nyc]

Lol

[jon-nyc]

If I did bite the bullet and get pedals and shoes, any particular recommendation? I’d probably prioritize ease/speed of release, i.e. safety.

[Aqua Letifer]

@jon-nyc said in Question for the cyclists:

If I did bite the bullet and get pedals and shoes, any particular recommendation? I’d probably prioritize ease/speed of release, i.e. safety.

Maximum float. NO egg-beaters if you've knee trouble.

If you don't want to duck walk like an asshole off the bike, get SPDs with recessed cleats.

Also, each shoe brand uses a very different last to make their shoes. And they're very stiff by design. It's not something I recommend buying online unless you're willing to buy 2-3 pairs at once and return what doesn't work. Some folks can buy from multiple brands, no problem, some folks need to stick with the one that fits their feet the best.

[Doctor Phibes]

I use Shimano SPD-SL pedals and the stupid shoes that make you duck walk like an asshole, but I never walk on a ride. I would say I've never had an issue disconnecting, which was a big worry initially. The only thing worse than walking like an asshole is stopping at traffic lights, not being able to get your feet off the pedals and being run over by an 18 wheeler.

For me, the important thing was getting the cleats which gave a decent amount float, which are the yellow ones. There's three kinds - red give no float, blue a bit, and yellow the most. If you do have knee issues, float is your friend.

[jon-nyc]

I can’t do the duck walk I ride to destinations or have lunch or a snack along the way all the time. I don’t even store my bike at home, so there’s always walking and driving involved.

If I do this it’ll be SPD with max float.

First I’m going to put my old sneakers back on. I got new ones right around the time this started. I have a pretty big ride tomorrow so we’ll see if that helps.

[Doctor Phibes]

I still think it would be worth considering a bike fitting. I used to get numbness in my shoulders and arms on long rides, which pretty much went away afterwards. She didn't change much around the seating, but gave me a shorter handlebar stem, and it did make a difference.

All this being said, I haven't been out on the bloody thing in weeks. The much steeper hills where I've moved to are extremely unappealing.

[jon-nyc]

I would do one if I get the pedals. I get numbness in my shoulders and arms too.

[jon-nyc]

@Doctor-Phibes said in Question for the cyclists:

All this being said, I haven't been out on the bloody thing in weeks. The much steeper hills where I've moved to are extremely unappealing.

Is there another starting point you can use? Throw the bike on the car and drive a few miles away?

I do that, largely because I don’t have bike storage here.

[Doctor Phibes]

@jon-nyc said in Question for the cyclists:

@Doctor-Phibes said in Question for the cyclists:

All this being said, I haven't been out on the bloody thing in weeks. The much steeper hills where I've moved to are extremely unappealing.

Is there another starting point you can use? Throw the bike on the car and drive a few miles away?

I do that, largely because I don’t have bike storage here.

There is - there's quite a few really long bike paths around Providence, converted railway tracks and what-have-you. I keep meaning to do it, but there's always something that comes up.

[Aqua Letifer]

@jon-nyc said in Question for the cyclists:

I would do one if I get the pedals. I get numbness in my shoulders and arms too.

I had that. For me, a slightly shorter stem with more rise fixed it. (But, I used to do passable fittings myself and can ballpark it with those kinds of problems.)

[Aqua Letifer]

@Doctor-Phibes said in Question for the cyclists:

I still think it would be worth considering a bike fitting. I used to get numbness in my shoulders and arms on long rides, which pretty much went away afterwards. She didn't change much around the seating, but gave me a shorter handlebar stem, and it did make a difference.

All this being said, I haven't been out on the bloody thing in weeks. The much steeper hills where I've moved to are extremely unappealing.

I love hills. Especially on a singlespeed. Sure I go like 0.2 mph but it's fun to see if I can even do it, even with tacking.

That said, a good bike rack is like a good guitar stand. Make it easy as possible to use the thing and you probably will. Good racks are expensive but they do get you out there more.

[jon-nyc]

I wore my old trainers today and did a pretty decent ride and barely felt anything. I think I’ll keep these as my ‘bike shoes’ and maybe consider going SPD next spring.