Manatee Express Mentor Group - closed (Page 10)

Ken & Chappy,

Ordered the bikes today!!!  I cannot wait!!  We decided to go talk to some folks at a local tri sports store here to get some sound advice from another group of tri-athletes.  The store is TRY Sports and they are good folks - real helpful with makin sense of the whole bike dilema...they were surpised when I told them how much I was payin for the Parma - he was like " for the whole bike"...I replied.. "yep..complete setup accept for pedals"...and it comes with aerobars as well...there was no way he was gonna talk me out of it...and he knew it.  Neverthe-less - he helped ensure the 59' frame was gonna work for me  - and it was agreed - I would be good to go.  GyGy ended up going with the Garda - it was a little more then mine - it has a few better components then the Parma - but she also got the info needed to make her choice, and for the $$ - we both have new bikes coming for under $600.00....I am stoked about just that.  So - once they get here, and we have them assembled and tuned pictures will be posted...rest assured!  Thanks for all the advice on bikes  - I feel pretty good about what I am getting and the info you all provided helped immensely.......

Here she is!!

Cheers

PapaHawk,

      That is awesome!!! Looks like you got a great deal from every perspective.  You are not going to believe the difference it makes after a couple of rides.  Just make sure that the seat is comfy as that has been the only issue for me over the last year.  To fix my issues I purchased an Adamo Road saddle and things have never been better.  The seat looks a little funky but man is it comfortable hour after hour.  Since you got such a good deal on the bikes you should look at Speedplay pedals as they are at the front of the pack in my opinion.  A little bit more up front but they are so easy to use that the learning curve in going from traps, like you have now, to the pedals is effortless.  Sorry for more of my two cents worth but I am honestly just trying to prevent you from making the same mistakes $$$ wise as I have over the last year.  Great deal on those bikes again!!!
 

So  - out of these which would you recommend for me.....

http://www.speedplay.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.zero

http://www.speedplay.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.x

http://www.speedplay.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.lightaction

If money and weight were not an issue then I would definitely spring for the Titanium Zero's but you can empty your water bottle and lose more weight than the difference in the high end and low end pedals.  The high end Titanium also has rider weight limits so I couldn't use them anyway.  If colors are your thing then the Zero midrange has a wide assortment and if you just want a rock solid pedal go with the Zero Chromemoly.  I like the Zero series as it gives you a wide range of adjustments and are much easier on my knees as you can adjust them to give varying degrees of float/rotation. The other two sets from Speedplay have unlimited float and are excellent pedals as well.

As far as the shoes go I have a trainer set of Specialized that I picked up for about $80 and I abuse them in every clime and place.  I also got a set of Shimano TR-30 Triathlon shoes and they are awesome and make quite a bit of difference in the T1 transition as you can just jump on the bike and start pedaling then strap your feet in as you go.  My recommendation would be to just buy the TR-30's, big brother is the TR-50 $$$, as you can ride these guys with or without socks and you won't have to pick up two sets of shoes like I did.
 

I can't wait to get back to Ohio as there is a Performance Bike shop just up the street from where we are looking to buy a home.  That could be a bad thing but I can't see how from my viewpoint.

Ken,

     The biggest reason that I like the Speedplay pedals are that they allow double sided entry and the pedal and cleat almost form to each other when snapping back in.  Not a big deal during a Tri but when you are out on training rides and you hit every red light these pedals and cleats are extremely easy to get snapped back in.  I started with Shimano Ultegra level pedals and they were great I thought because they came with the bike.  A bunch of guys that I ride with have Speedplay and I was always the one taking 10 - 20 seconds getting snapped back in and playing catch up.  The difference is night and day and they are a bit lighter but once I got a pair I will never go back to another SPD or LOOK type of cleat pedal.  They also claim to have the lowest cornering clearance of any pedal on the market.  Once again my two cents worth but there are other really good pedals out there that cost less I just prefer Speedplay now.  Similar to the Felt vs. Cervelo discussion we had in some ways.
 

Ken & Gang,

In the quest for the perfect pedal and shoe a thought crossed my mind - since I am new to the road bike scene and the uses of all the gizmo's and gadgets therin - I thought maybe I should go with something more useful for my current expierence. I have looked at the SPD type pedals today - these are used mostly on mountain bikes and trail bikes - plus you can wear a clip in shoe with them that allows one to walk/run in them w/out damage to the cleet.  Now - this makes sense for me since I am a triathlete - not a road-biker - when coming into T2 I am going to want to unlip and run with my bike -shoes on.  With the just road shoes and pedals - I would not have this ability, I know, I have seen alot of folks running barefoot, coming from T1 running barefoot, shoes already clipped in their pedals, no socks most of them, for me..I just do not see that being my bread n butter.  So - for me..I think the best compromise would be a clip in pedal - a hybrid shoe - that would give me the clip in ability and the bike shoe performance on the bike - and then off the bike I can function as well.  My wife currently used this pedal/shoe combo and it works well for her...took her sometime getting used to clippin in and out ( mostly out ) but she got the hang of it pretty quick.  Thoughts .....I am leanin more in this direction for now - otherwise - I guess I will just keep using the cages I have now until I decide to ride like the big boys  LOL.....  I did look at some of the strictly road shoes and pedals today at a LBS - I found a nice pair of Nike's on sale and the Speedplays that Chappy mentioned...then I saw the carbon slick bottoms on those road shoes and I was like.." I can't run in these"....maybe there is a benefit to running w/out them on coming into T2....that means puttin on socks and shoes at T2  - vs. just changing shoes.  Pros & Cons ladies and gentlemen...I'm all ears!

Thanks ! 

Big Papa,

The only thing that I can say is I have been there and done that. I started out with SPD cleats and they do allow some mobility when you are unclipped. I read something interesting as it pertains to the higher end shoes, pedals, cranks, and wheels as these are all rotational weight. Some of the biggest gains that you can make are in these areas as every pedal stroke you move the weight of the first 3 mentioned and it goes without saying but the wheels must go round and round. That said you are probably not going to go out and buy some carbon cranks for the new steed, $$$, but you can spend a little bit more on the shoes and pedals to offset this weight. I don't run into T2 with mine but I do a little shuffle after I throw the cleat covers on my shoes, takes a couple of seconds and if you are really good you do it while you are coasting into T2. That has to be a nickels worth but it comes from lessons learned. Most importantly I would say do your research and then make the choice that is most comfortable for you. Happy hunting!!!

GyGy Hawk,

It just goes downhill from here but at least you get to enjoy in the pain and suffering as you can make him buy you a pair as well. LOL.

Sorry Papa I couldn't resist.

So when are we going to talk about bike wheels!!! This is a favorite topic of mine and I need a bigger credit card or a second mortgage. Too many kids to clothe and feed.

Chappy and Gang!!

MY BIKE HAS ARRIVED!!!!  WHOOOOT!!  GyGy just called to inform the new bikes we ordered from Javelin arrived this evening!! Man - that was quick!!  We are takin them to the LBS for assembly and tuneage tomorrow!!  Looks like we might be riding this weekend and this week coming up !!  YEAH!!!   Oh how sweet it is......

Wheels are pricey and you should just ride a ton on the ones that came with the bike as the difference you experience with the road bike and mountain bike is going to be very significant.  I ride the Shimano wheels that came on my bike but I am looking very closely at some Mavic Ksyrium ES's and Elites as well as salivating over some Zipp 808's, $$$.  As far as tires go I ride with Schwalbe as I have had great luck with getting very few flats with number of miles I ride.  Vittoria and Michelin also make some really good tires and a bunch of fellow group riders have the Contintental Gator Skins and they never get flats.  Too many brands to choose from and the more expensive doesn't always necessarily mean better but you probably already knew that.  Get some miles in on that bike and enjoy the difference that it is going to make.

Hey everyone,

I ran a 5K race today and did pretty good.  Not a PR (in fact, over a minute slower than my PR).  But I won Grandmasters!   And we had two waves of the front come through, and the race was right between them -- life is good!

Congrat's Sledge on your race!!  Sometimes PR's are just that - personal...for me ..it was a PR to finish my 1st tri - and I did!! So kudo's for you!!  now  - go and enjoy the rest of your day !!  Way to go winning GM's!!!!  WOOOT for you!!

Rusty

Fellow Manatee's,

Weekly recap:   Pure crap for total time working out but I am feeling pretty good about my time on the 10k I ran as I accomplished one of my short term goals.  Then I went back and looked at the splits from the Century earlier this year and I had accomplished another goal. So I set some new goals and the  one on the bike is going to be tough but I really feel like if I get a nice flat course then I can reach my goal on the 10k time and then it will be time to set some aspiring goals for a 1/2 Marathon.  Next week will be better as I had to take some time off from work to use vacation or I would lose it come October.  One of the great things about being in the military is the 30 days of vacation a year paid for.

Coming week:  

Swim x2 - 2800 meters

Run x3 -    12 miles

Bike x3 -    80 miles 

I hope everyone has a great week.