[TI_roadracer]

Two simple questions:

1. Is it true if you pull back on handlebars instead of pushing on them that you will ride faster on. A. Road Bike B. Mountain Bike, both on the same road?

2. How much of a speed increase would carbon soled cycling shoes with clipless pedals give me in comparison to normal flexible shoes and pedals, with the same effort? 10%, 20% ?

Thanks

 

[Marc]

Two simple questions:

1. Is it true if you pull back on handlebars instead of pushing on them that you will ride faster on. A. Road Bike B. Mountain Bike, both on the same road?

2. How much of a speed increase would carbon soled cycling shoes with clipless pedals give me in comparison to normal flexible shoes and pedals, with the same effort? 10%, 20% ?

Thanks

FWIW HTH TIA NTTAWWT &etc.

 

[spyro]

A) Yes to road, but it is tireing to do for a long time, save it for hard climbs and sprints. On mtb, yes also, but it has a habit of pulling you over backwards on climbs. I think about pulling straight back parallel to the top tube as i shift my weight forwards over the handle bars.

B) They will only help you as much as you think they will. Most road shoes are plenty stiff. You would see a small increase due to the physics of less flexy shoes. But mostly it would be in your head. We are talking .001 seconds per mile here... maybe... on a big hill. Mostly you would see an advantage in not having your feet feel like hamburger afterwards.

 

[Mr. Versatile]

I agree with Spyro. As far as the shoes are concerned, they'll certainly be more efficient than running shoes or cross trainers, although I can't say by how much. Once you get into cycling specific shoes, IME, it's mostly about comfort & quality of construction.

 

[Run1stBike2nd]

A) Yes to road, but it is tireing to do for a long time, save it for hard climbs and sprints. On mtb, yes also, but it has a habit of pulling you over backwards on climbs. I think about pulling straight back parallel to the top tube as i shift my weight forwards over the handle bars.

B) They will only help you as much as you think they will. Most road shoes are plenty stiff. You would see a small increase due to the physics of less flexy shoes. But mostly it would be in your head. We are talking .001 seconds per mile here... maybe... on a big hill. Mostly you would see an advantage in not having your feet feel like hamburger afterwards.

I don't know that cycling shoes made me significantly faster, but I definitely noticed that after I made the switch to clipless pedals & cycling shoes, my feet & legs didn't feel as beaten up following a ride. In that sense, cycling shoes were more efficient than regular athletic shoes for me.

 

[tobu]

Some of the best road riders (e.g. Bernard Hinault) have commented that the proper sensation should be to push on the bars, not pull on them, when you are riding hard.

 

[TI_roadracer]

Well I tested them out on my mountain bike and glad I did because I fell off three times, once into the side of a car (stationary), glad it was not on my carbon fibre bike!

Tension set on lowest at 12Nm it is ok, I can put them in now and release them with my strength, however I still have to look at the pedals, especially to get the second one in. I can stop, unclip my left shoe and put it down, then turn the crank so my right shoe is at the top, push down with my right shoe then engage the left shoe over the next revolution, failing that, force the crank around again by pulling up on the left pedal.

In terms of performance, I can now push a 48 x 11 on a heavy MTB, where 48 x 14 was with the same effort. Maybe I've just got fitter with riding a 53 x 12 on a roadie!

One last thing, cleat positions. My cleats screw fell off and I had to replace it. My left foot particullary aches and there are 10 adjustable settings up and down and side to side so effectivly 100 positions. I put it in the middle at 5, 5 and its achy. What can I do to fix this, (the lbs measured my feet when I was measured and they were equal)

Thanks

Oh one thing I just push down on the bars to put traction on the front wheel, and shift my ass back to put pressure on the back wheel.

 

[Mr. Versatile]

They take some getting used to. Best to practice in a parking lot, driveway, etc. until you think you're proficient enough to go on the road. As for cleat positioning / aching feet...what kind of pedals, cleats, shoes do you have?

 

[estone2]

Some of the best road riders (e.g. Bernard Hinault) have commented that the proper sensation should be to push on the bars, not pull on them, when you are riding hard.

Yeah, you're out of the saddle and the bike is moving underneath you. I'm pulling back on my bike when I'm sprinting but it feels like I'm pushing.
-estone2