Joined
·
452 Posts
I picked up road cycling last fall as a way to train when my busy life doesn't let me get to the trail. Up until yesterday, I was just using some old MTB SPD pedals that I had lying around, along with my mountain bike shoes. I soon got sick of changing the cleats with every ride (my MTB has Time pedals that are not SPD compatible), and since I've been logging a lot of time on the road bike this summer, I decided to spring for some decent road shoes and pedals.
My new pedals (Nashbar something-or-other pedals) and shoes (Sidi Raidens) finally arrived yesterday, and I was stoked to try them out on my ride this morning. WOW. I couldn't believe how much better I was able to translate power to the pedals with the ultra-stiff road shoes. I shaved five minutes off on one of my favorite loops, and increased my average speed by about 1.5 mph. Now I'm kicking myself for not getting these things sooner. It took a little while to get the hang of the different type of cleats (they are Look-style cleats), but I managed not to fall over or do too much damage to my shins.
My new pedals (Nashbar something-or-other pedals) and shoes (Sidi Raidens) finally arrived yesterday, and I was stoked to try them out on my ride this morning. WOW. I couldn't believe how much better I was able to translate power to the pedals with the ultra-stiff road shoes. I shaved five minutes off on one of my favorite loops, and increased my average speed by about 1.5 mph. Now I'm kicking myself for not getting these things sooner. It took a little while to get the hang of the different type of cleats (they are Look-style cleats), but I managed not to fall over or do too much damage to my shins.