Cleats and shoes, and clothes for an entry level cyclist
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Cleats and shoes, and clothes for an entry level cyclist
Postby starvingstudent » Sat May 10, 2008 12:03 am
First post, forgive the total newbieness!
I thought I'd try and clear up my three main questions here, rather than messing up the forum.
1. Currently I'm riding with with pedals which are these style which are basically flat pedals with a fabric foot cage on them (for lack of better way of describing!)
Anyway I want to upgrade to cleats, and get a pair of cleated shoes (is that what they are called?), I had a look on the the Cell bike website combo deals, and they look like decent prices to me (I think shimano is a good brand) so are these what I'm looking for? Can anybody impart some advice for me?
2. I have a pair of knicks (the hard seat forced me to buy some) but I dont know if they are right, they tend to ride up my front a bit, and I'm constantly readjusting them! Have a brought wrong? What should I look for with knicks when purchasing? Any recommendations.
Also, Im looking to buy a top/jersey whats the go? I have heard speak of it not being kosher to wear a team/club jersey if I'm some newbie rider, so should I go with a blank one for safety! Any advice about buying these also? Being winter what should I be getting?
Sorry if this has just been a massive flood of annoying questions, but any advice which people can give would be awesome!
Thanks heaps
SS
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Postby kukamunga » Sat May 10, 2008 8:18 am
Bayswater Cycles out my way have a good range of discounted Lake, Merida and Shimano shoes. Shimano M520 pedals can be got online for as little as $40 (+postage). Bicycle Recycle in South Rd, Moorabbin sell a whole range of 2nd-hand cycling parts.
There are plenty of online stores, Oz and o/seas, that can be great sources of heavily discounted gear. Worth subscribing to a few of their email newsletters to get latest deals (Torpedo7.com.au, Cell Bikes.....)
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Postby mikesbytes » Sat May 10, 2008 10:40 am
What kind of bike do you ride? which shoe/pedal/cleat combo are you looking at?
Postby Hawkeye » Sat May 10, 2008 11:01 am
ebay for pedals. I use Shimano M520s both on- and off-road and find them to be good. Don't go the single-sided (flats one side, clipless the other), they're just a nuisance. If you need flats (eg, learner off-road), buy or keep them as a second set of pedals and swap as needed.
For clothing, Torpedo7 is quite good. Get yourself on their mailing list. If you buy off the Oz site, their prices are in AUD and GST inlcusive. They have weekly specials they advertise by email and you'll pick yourself up some bargains. I have found their budget KeeWee brand knicks (pants) with the Coolmax chamois to be a lot more comfortable for riding distances than some much more expensive ones I have that were given to me. Ignore their RRP comparison figures, though. I think they give those just to keep us amused. We all know they're utter BS. They have an excellent returns policy as well.
With fit, you want err slightly on the tight side for the reasons you have discovered. For jerseys I have an unbranded KeeWee jersey, a Scody jersey that is quite good, and one that advertises a local Business Intelligence consultancy. Nothing pro tour.
Long sleeves are good for this time of year along with an undershirt. A lot of Sydney cyclists use summer jerseys teamed with arm- and/or leg-warmers as a substitute. I have a set of Skins I use as an underlayer as needed, along with a visibility vest and a breathable Netti rain jacket for when it's wet and/or bloody freezing. Full-fingered gloves are next on my list.
With cycling shoes, they need to be a snug fit, so you'd usually pick one size less than you'd go with street or athletic shoes. Must try first. I saved a bunch buying on ebay as I knew exactly the right size for that brand, and they've been excellent: $220 shoe for $70.
Hope this is useful.
John
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Postby Aushiker » Sat May 10, 2008 11:53 am
My two cents worth and biased two cents worth when it comes to Kathmandu: (1) As a bushwalker I would never buy gear from Kathmandu that I need to depend on (I value my life/experience more than the "saving" from them) and (2) as a cyclist I have two jerseys from Kathmandu. That was a mistake I have learnt the hard way. One jersey is of a material which I drown in within minutes and does not dry quickly (another good "special"). I should have known better.
You are better off in my view picking up a jersey or three on eBay. I got a Ventou jersey yesterday for $16.00 (brand new with tags) and you can often pick them up for under $50.
On shoes I use MTB (SPD) cleats which I think j.r.hawkins is also suggesting. I have done over 5,000 km with mine without dramas other than a screw dropping out of the cleat on a MTB tour. They are also great for walking in, well compared to road shoes.
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Postby kslim » Mon May 12, 2008 2:22 pm
I have heard good things about the Cell clothing though.
I have got some stuff from Torpedo 7 - and these seem OK.
Regarding the shoes and cleats. I personally use SPD's on my road bike (as well as MTB) as you can actually walk in these. As someone else said though - you've got to try the shoes on for fit.
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Postby Mulger bill » Tue May 13, 2008 1:02 am
Don't buy 'em, I've got a few pairs in the shed for postage costs if anyone wants.miss min wrote:Everybody's different, but I actually appreciated having one side of the clipless pedals being platform as it helped allay anxiety when starting on a hill. I found these helpful, and you can always remove them later: link
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Postby Aushiker » Tue May 13, 2008 10:09 am
Plus a lot of the models come with a set anyway, which I suspect is why Shaun has someMulger bill wrote:Don't buy 'em, I've got a few pairs in the shed for postage costs if anyone wants.
Andrew
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Re: Cleats and shoes, and clothes for an entry level cyclist
Postby Jean » Tue May 13, 2008 11:06 am
If you are doing a lot of riding (and are a bloke) bib shorts are often much more comfortable than knicks, but it's a personal thing. I have a fairly good set (bottom end Nalini) from PBK which cost $50 to get here and there are plenty of discounted ones around online. Whatever you buy makes sure they have 'leg grippers', that is a an elasticised band on the legs usually with rubber or silicon beading, that means the cuff of your knicks grips to to your leg and doesn't ride up.starvingstudent wrote: 2. I have a pair of knicks (the hard seat forced me to buy some) but I dont know if they are right, they tend to ride up my front a bit, and I'm constantly readjusting them! Have a brought wrong? What should I look for with knicks when purchasing? Any recommendations.
Cheers
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Postby moosterbounce » Tue May 13, 2008 7:12 pm
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Postby mikesbytes » Sun May 18, 2008 5:47 pm
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Postby Aushiker » Mon May 19, 2008 12:39 pm
Cell have their "sprinters" jerseyon special at $24.95. No idea of the quality sizing etc.
Andrew
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Postby kukamunga » Mon May 19, 2008 1:32 pm
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Postby Aushiker » Thu May 22, 2008 11:52 am
+ US$40 postage. At least the exchange rate is running in our favour at the moment.kukamunga wrote:661 Expert Shoe/Candy C Combo '08 - $110 USD + post
Andrew
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