Flats v spd

[anotherkiwi]

I went to the LBS to look at SPD shoes Had looked at the Decathlon ones and wasn't inspired by the quality, fit, only the price was right. Looked at ones that fit like gloves in the LBS, those be €€€ gloves... Don't like buying shoes online I have very sensitive feet and try before buy is essential. LBS lady said some she knows in the trade now bill 10€ to try shoes in their shops, 10€ taken off the price if you buy of course.

But SPD I must on the trike...

 

[Gubbins]

I wont change them on the road bike cos if you pedal at a high cadence they are a must, but I am now riding at a more leisurely pace on the MTB and these new pedals are so much better than other I have with the little bolts offering very grippy traction between them and my Trainers/Walking Boots or whatever I happen to be wearing.
Its not all positive as I miss the ability to back pedal to a setting off position with one leg, but its just a matter of adjustment..

 

[anotherkiwi]

Last week I bit the bullet and got a set of SPD-SL pedals and some shoes.

Why didn't I do that years ago? Yesterday I did my flat road trike training ride - 26 km in one hour with a stop for water at the halfway point and a slow section in town. 26 km/h average! I average about 26.7 km/h on the pedelec, OK with hills chucked in but still...

On one of the uphill bits (2% ?) a very strong rider 30 years younger caught me and passed slowly, I came back on him on the following down section where I can use 48:13! Of course he eventually rode off into the sunset as he should against a 60+ out of training guy on a trike weighing three times the weight of his bike.

Last week I did a hilly ride I did a year ago when the trike was delivered - pedals + gearing change = no getting off to push up the steepest bits (over 20%).

Observations:

- cadence where I like it but way too high for the GSM had it been fitted...
- cadence can be maintained in all gears
- taking your shoes off and changing for normal ones when you stop is less a hassle than I had imagined
- no more cramp in the calf muscles of my right leg! I didn't hydrate early enough and started to feel cramp in the right foot but the water stop fixed that (my right leg was badly banged in a MB accident which I think may be the root cause of muscle/tendon problems).

 

[Gubbins]

Last week I bit the bullet and got a set of SPD-SL pedals and some shoes.

Why didn't I do that years ago? Yesterday I did my flat road trike training ride - 26 km in one hour with a stop for water at the halfway point and a slow section in town. 26 km/h average! I average about 26.7 km/h on the pedelec, OK with hills chucked in but still...

On one of the uphill bits (2% ?) a very strong rider 30 years younger caught me and passed slowly, I came back on him on the following down section where I can use 48:13! Of course he eventually rode off into the sunset as he should against a 60+ out of training guy on a trike weighing three times the weight of his bike.

Last week I did a hilly ride I did a year ago when the trike was delivered - pedals + gearing change = no getting off to push up the steepest bits (over 20%).

Observations:

- cadence where I like it but way too high for the GSM had it been fitted...
- cadence can be maintained in all gears
- taking your shoes off and changing for normal ones when you stop is less a hassle than I had imagined
- no more cramp in the calf muscles of my right leg! I didn't hydrate early enough and started to feel cramp in the right foot but the water stop fixed that (my right leg was badly banged in a MB accident which I think may be the root cause of muscle/tendon problems).

Similarly I went out on my road bike yesterday, which has spd pedals, after a couple of weeks riding the mtb with flats.. and like you say the difference is definately noticeable in a positive way.. and some of the trainer type shoes are wearable off the bike..
Wait until you get into the habit of pulling and pushing at the same time.

 

[anotherkiwi]

Similarly I went out on my road bike yesterday, which has spd pedals, after a couple of weeks riding the mtb with flats.. and like you say the difference is definately noticeable in a positive way.. and some of the trainer type shoes are wearable off the bike..
Wait until you get into the habit of pulling and pushing at the same time.

didn't wait, started doing that on the third ride! So I don't have to worry about falling over (three wheels) and I don't have to worry about my feet and their position on the pedals either. So relaxing!

When I get to destination I reach over my shoulder and grab my street shoes out of the pannier for walking. This time of year is barefoot season too of course I have even taken to leaving the shoes clipped on and just removing my feet from the shoe as you sometimes see roadies doing on uprights.

 

[soundwave]

you can walk round in these and there like 25 quid

 

[Gubbins]

The pulling and pushing thing becomes an unconsiouse act, so much so that with flats when I try to go hard and fast I lift my foot off the pedal..

 

[Nealh]

At least with the trike you can't do the comical fall over with spd's.

 

[anotherkiwi]

At least with the trike you can't do the comical fall over with spd's.

I have done that with old fashioned straps and clips! Straps always used to cut blood circulation after a few tens of km, this is just comfort and relaxation!

I hope that when the head/neck rest arrives and is installed that I don't fall to sleep at the bars while riding