I spent over 3 hours riding yesterday. That is a record for me this week on the road. Hardly got 55 miles, but I’m not sure because I don’t have a odometer on my ‘cross bike. Tomorrow is Lago Vista Road Race. And Sunday too. I’m iffy still. But, I’m leaning towards racing. I’m going to get slaughtered, but I don’t care about that. I just don’t want to get worse and I’ve pretty much convinced myself that I won’t.
I have to retract the thing I wrote earlier this week about it sucking being sick when it’s nice out. Actually, it isn’t that bad being sick when it is 80 degrees. It is much worse being sick in the winter when it is winter where you’re at. So, I was completely wrong on that.
I’m getting pretty tan. The normal tan lines from riding, but also from working on my bike on the driveway with my shirt off. That’s a plus I guess. I like sun. I don’t think it is as bad for us as they say. If it was, virtually everyone born before 1970 would be dieing from skin cancer, since there wasn’t such a thing as sunblock before then.
I put new cleats on new shoes this afternoon. Last year I wrote, that before the first race of the season, it is the perfect time to put new cleats on your shoes. I always do it. But, it isn’t that great a time to ride new shoes. So, I’m going ride my old shoes, which are pretty beat, and train on my new ones for a week before I race them.
Richard Degarmo is still putting up a ton of old time photos on Facebook. I really should look Richard up here, but I’ve felt so shitty, I haven’t had the energy. Dave Mac put one on today too. I have a pretty great memory of races and riding, but I don’t know where that photo was taken. I didn’t ride a MTB bike much in 1984. It must of been at a Gant Series race somewhere. I’m wearing a helmet and Gavin is riding for Specialized. Photo below.
Can't quite put my finger on the place this was taken. California?
Tour of Texas photo I guess.
Mounting cleats is sometimes a hassle.
The peanut butter jar from my tool box is the most important thing in the box. It is amazing how important this jar with misc. small parts is. I couldn't get along without it.
I can’t remember who it was – you or Ned, but I remember a story from one of you about the other….but one of said “i can just bolt a cleat on, and as long as its on my shoe, i’m fine…the other guy, he’ll use that cleat and shoe until it won’t clip in, because it takes a NASA instrument to get the new shoe and cleat to ride the same as the old one.”
who was who?
That’s funny. I am picky too, but for a good reason. If the cleat is even a little off my knees will hurt. And I don’t like the cleats that allow for some float while clipped in. On road anyway. For some reason I tend to like float while riding MTB. But on my road bike, I will tend to mess with a new shoe/cleat combo for many many rides until I am satisfied.
That’s the nail on the head – switching cleats and/or shoes is a dreaded art. New cleats on old shoes, not too bad, but trying to match up positioning on a new pair of shoes – to be avoided at all costs.
Steve – you or any of the readers have any tips and tricks for swapping cleats to a new pair of shoes where they markings may or may not be the same?
Good luck at LV if you race – watch out for the deer, Stefan and Elbowz. Lots of folks going good so far!
To just replace cleats, first paint the outline of the cleat on the shoe (white-out will work).
To install new cleats, carefully mirror the old shoe and the new (side-by-side). Almost all new shoes (quality ones) have position markers to make the job easier.
To install a new cleat for the first time (without old shoes for a reference), center all of the screw openings over the mounting holes. Then tighten either the left or right rear screw (doesn’t matter which) and leave the other two screws loose (just a little bit tight). The front and 2nd screw should be just loose enough so that the shoe can float a bit on the next step. Jump on a trainer and spin naturally to allow the shoe/cleat to become positioned as you would normally ride. Then carefully remove your foot from the shoe while leaving the shoe still clipped into the pedal (again, this is where having the 2 loose screws being not too loose and definitely not so tight that the cleat/shoe will not float). Tighten the front screw while it is still clipped in. Unclip the shoe and tighten the 3rd and final screw. Done.