Re: biking or running shoes for biking - Triathlon Week

08-23-2004, 07:39 PM

I'm just getting into this tri stuff as well. I recently sold my old
1985 Specialized Allez to a bike collector for $600 and bought a used
Trek Hilo 2000 with full Ultegra for $600 altho it didn't have any
pedals.

I had put my Suntour Superbe Pro pedals on the bike initially and I
thought the Hilo was SUCH a superior bike to the Allez, I'm glad I
made the switch.

One of the things was that the Hilo didn't come with any pedals, so I
had to go and do research. I could have bought a pair of road pedals
with cages for next to nothing.

I still had my detto pietro cleats from 1985. Although from what I
remember is that my feet would get cold because i had the cages
cinched so tight so I could be more efficient in my pedaling.

I opted to go clipless...for the first time EVER. I searched high and
low, and opted for the Speedplay pedals. The person that I bought the
bike from recommended them to me, he was on x/2 pedals.

I researched clipless pedals, I guess you could buy clipless pedals in
the $40 for knockoff brands, all the way up to ungodly amounts. I
tend to buy not the cheapest but also not the most expensive
....striving for value, function, etc.

I decided to go with the Speedplay Zero pedals, their newest line and
go for the stainless steel variety (and just because I'm vain, I opted
for the CSC Special Team Edition pedals which were red which matched
my tires) - cost $185. I was just going to buy the x-series chro moly
pedals for $100, but from reviews that I read, the Zeros were superior
to the x-series - adjustable float and a better cleat which doesn't
get clogged up with dirt. I had a Christmas present from my brother
from Bikeworld - a cateye computer which I hadn't used yet...Bikeworld
was kind enough to allow me to exchange the computer after over 5
months. The $60 off made the decision a bit easier for me. Not sure
if my wife would have allowed me to really spend $185 on pedals for a
$600 bike.

The next decision were which shoes to buy...i had heard from a number
of my friends that Sidi were the best shoes in terms of comfort and
performance. Again, cheap shoes - $40 or cheaper if bought used
upwards of $300 or more. I narrowed it down to the Sidi Genius 4 -
$160 off of eBay or the T-1 Triathlon shoes - $119. I opted for the
"cheaper" ones - which utilized 2 velcro straps for quick transitions.

The Sidi with the speedplay pedals were cited in a recent review as a
good combination if you're upgrading or buying clipless for the first
time. I had made the decision prior to reading this article, but it
sort of confirmed all of my research.

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

The pedals just arrived today, although my cleats won't arrive until
next week.

From my old riding days with cages, they definitely improved
performance over no cages...and I heartell that clipless make you that
much more efficient in your pedaling. I would recommend going and
buying some used pedals and shoes if you don't want to plunk down a
bunch. But I figure for $280, it was a good investment. My wife just
shakes her head and tells me I better put some miles on the bike and
pedals. :)

I'll let you know how i like the pedal/shoe setup next week!

Roger Cortesi <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message news:<2004050916301316807%rcortesi@mitedu>...
> Well, I'm still fairly new this tri thing, and I'm wondering what the
> list's opinion is on cycling shoes.
>
> I just switched my peddels back to some stock ones to allow me to where
> my running shoes.
>
> I figured this makes sence for sprint distance triathlons, and
> obviously you gain less, the longer the triathlon.
>
> roger

08-23-2004, 07:39 PM

In article <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>,
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (FFBSensei) wrote:

> But I figure for $280, it was a good investment. My wife just
> shakes her head and tells me I better put some miles on the bike and
> pedals. :)

You know, the bike is one expensive toy that I've never gotten crap from
my wife about not using enough to justify the expense!

(Although I didn't spend all *that* much on my bike, probably about
$1100 including areobars, Speedplay pedals, shoes, bottle cages,
different stem and seatpost, and a professional fitting.)

--Harold Buck

"I used to rock and roll all night,
and party every day.
Then it was every other day. . . ."
-Homer J. Simpson

08-23-2004, 07:39 PM

Maybe someone should start a thread to answer the somewhat easier
question: biking or running shoes for running?

:-)

--Harold Buck

"I used to rock and roll all night,
and party every day.
Then it was every other day. . . ."
-Homer J. Simpson

08-23-2004, 07:39 PM

Actually, my wife is pretty good about these sorts of things. I don't
drink alcohol, do drugs, or have any other expensive habits other than
buying expensive sports equipment.

When I do the cost/benefit ratio thing, if I can get significantly
better quality plus or minus $200, I spend the little extra. I won't
go spending thousands of dollars extra, but don't mind spending extra
to buy just a little bit better equipment than I might need.

I thought the advice given to the original poster was to go buy
clipless pedals since the transition time (even if 1-2 minutes max)
was worth the added efficiency gained even in a very short triathlon.

She is however putting her foot down on me buying a wetsuit for $300.
Since I have yet to climb into a pool to start training, that seemed
like a reasonable request. I'm just starting my training for a short
sprint tri, my goal is to try and get in shape for an international
distance tri, but I doubt I could do that in 3-4 months...maybe, but
we'll see.

Any suggestions for a wetsuit?

Harold Buck <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message news:<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].giganews.com>...
> In article <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>,
> [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (FFBSensei) wrote:
>
> > But I figure for $280, it was a good investment. My wife just
> > shakes her head and tells me I better put some miles on the bike and
> > pedals. :)
>
>
> You know, the bike is one expensive toy that I've never gotten crap from
> my wife about not using enough to justify the expense!
>
> (Although I didn't spend all *that* much on my bike, probably about
> $1100 including areobars, Speedplay pedals, shoes, bottle cages,
> different stem and seatpost, and a professional fitting.)
>
> --Harold Buck
>
>
> "I used to rock and roll all night,
> and party every day.
> Then it was every other day. . . ."
> -Homer J. Simpson

08-23-2004, 07:39 PM

"Harold Buck" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].giganews.com...
> Maybe someone should start a thread to answer the somewhat easier
> question: biking or running shoes for running?
>
> :-)
>
> --Harold Buck
>
>
> "I used to rock and roll all night,
> and party every day.
> Then it was every other day. . . ."
> -Homer J. Simpson

I jog through the transition area in my cleats. Does that count?

How about this question: When you're 5 miles out and your valve-stem breaks
(unpatchable) and you don't have an extra tube with you - do walk in your cleats
or do you walk barefoot?

-CF

08-23-2004, 07:39 PM

"FFBSensei" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:fe5916f0.0405232049.567480ca@posting.google.c om...
....
> She is however putting her foot down on me buying a wetsuit for $300.
> Since I have yet to climb into a pool to start training, that seemed
> like a reasonable request. I'm just starting my training for a short
> sprint tri, my goal is to try and get in shape for an international
> distance tri, but I doubt I could do that in 3-4 months...maybe, but
> we'll see.
>
> Any suggestions for a wetsuit?
>

4 months training for an Olympic is do-able if can swim. You don't have to be
able to swim well - but you have to be able to swim.

It's not likely that you will set a new course record, but if you are mildly
active, 4 months is enough time to get you to "finish".

Wetsuit? Why do you need a wetsuit? If your sprint is in the summer the water
may be warm enough. For a sprint the wetsuit becomes more of a hassle IMO -
especially if you're a newbie.

-CF