Not a good day to be riding Speedplays!

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge Speedplay pedal fan. But they're the
absolute-worst choice if you're going to end up walking in dirt, because
the springs load up with crud and you can't clip in. Watching today's
stage (for the 3rd time, I'll admit... yeah, I'm a 'Tour junkie) it's
amazing how many riders ended up in the dirt. It's also amazing reading
all the semi-nasty twitters directed at the race organizers and other
teams. I dunno... those roads don't look all that dangerous, and how can
you criticize Garmin Cervelo for pushing the pace when they have the
Yellow Jersey?

I hate to see all the crashes, and I cringe the 43rd time I hear Paul or
Bob tell us how you've got to be in the top 15 or 25 riders and not
understand the irony of what they're saying (because it's partly that
struggle of trying to move to the front that's causing the nervousness
and crashes). But how often do you have a flat stage that VS has given
us 5 hours of and actually want to watch most of it rather than
fast-forward through to the last 15k? There's something more compelling
than usual to this first week.

And yes, I leave next Thursday to join it in the Alps. By then I suspect
attrition will have become so bad they may have new regulations that
allow teams to draft (as in "involuntary service) talented riders along
the way. Hope my son will be ready!

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

[atriage]

On 07/07/2011 06:35, Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
> Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge Speedplay pedal fan. But they're the

> absolute-worst choice if you're going to end up walking in dirt, ...

...if you're gonna end up walking anywhere...on Fuerteventura once after a rare
(very rare) rainshower I saw a German triathlete slip walking down a small ramp
from a coffee shop and do the head/guardrail interface trick. Needless to say he
didn't have the Speedplay coffee shop cleat covers on...does anyone ever? God
invented cleats to make humans look ridiculous.
--

[Anton Berlin]

I cringe when I hear Paul and Phil period. The eurosport coverage is
far better.

[atriage]

On 07/07/2011 19:45, Ryan Cousineau wrote:

> Funny you should mention that. Tuesday evening I was riding to the
> World Tuesday Night Championships, picked up a fellow racer on the
> way, and the road was blocked by sewer construction. I dismounted,
> hopped off, and ran under the yellow caution tape. My riding buddy was
> impressed. I had forgotten that most bike racers wear stupid shoes
> that are damned deadly to walk in (I use Crank Bros. cleats and MTB
> shoes on all my bikes. Really nice MTB shoes, but nevertheless).

Yeah, in Fuerteventura (usually dry, coffee shops right by the road) where I
spend 6 months of the year I use Northwave carbon shoes with Time I-Click cleats
(which I love) but in England (more walking to coffee shops, out of house etc.)
I use Diadora carbon soled MTB shoes and Shimano cleats, I've been thinking
about a move to Crank Bros (lighter than Shimano) but there were rumors about
the reliability of their pedals. Have you had any problems with them?
--

[atriage]

On 07/07/2011 16:51, Anton Berlin wrote:
> I cringe when I hear Paul and Phil period. The eurosport coverage is
> far better.

Lol, is that right fagboi?...and the connection with speedplay is?

--

[Ryan Cousineau]

On Jul 7, 1:10 am, atriage <atri...@notvalid.net> wrote:

Funny you should mention that. Tuesday evening I was riding to the