shmeeg's Winter Madness Mentor group - OPEN TO HIPPIES (Page 14)

shmeeg - 2011-02-05 10:38 AM Are you using clipless pedals for the race?  I always thought if I ever did MTB or 'cross racing I'd be a little nervous to go clipless for an off-road race.

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No way!  Clipless pedals are the only way to go.  I feel naked without them.

brick94513 - 2011-02-05 6:45 PM No way!  Clipless pedals are the only way to go.  I feel naked without them.

shmeeg - 2011-02-05 7:11 PM

What type do you lke Tim?  Gotta start thinkin about my 'cross setup .  What's easy to jam in and out of quickly?  I love Speedplay's for the road, IIRC their...Frog(?) pedal/cleat is for off-road use.? Eggbeaters?  I have some 661 MTB shoes I used to use for spin class w/ SPD cleats.  I was gonna get rid of them in the classifieds.  Worth using?  How do you keep the cleats from getting full of dirt and crud?  That's a whole new unexplored hobby for me! 

brick94513 - 2011-02-05 9:08 PMI like a pedal with a small amount a platform to them.  Also, you are definately going to want a pedal that sheds mud and dirt easily.  As such, SPD will be the cleat option here.  I use Look Quartz Carbon pedals.  These are pretty much a no fuss, durable pedal.  No tension adjustment.  Easy in and out.  Downside: no positive click when you lock in to the pedals.

I've had no problem with these pedals and mud.  I also liked Crank Brother Pedals, but found them to delicate for my needs.

Mtb63 - 2011-02-06 9:25 AM "Are you using clipless pedals for the race?"

I've had Shimano SPD pedals on my mountain bike for years and swear by them.  Not as light weight as others, but they work in all conditions and are quick to lock into.   I've mudded up pretty good and thought I'd have problems locking in but they seem to shed debris pretty well.  I use the same setup on my roadie too.  I figure, why spend another $300-400 on a good pair of shoes, I just use the one pair on both bikes.  Never had any regrets. 

Riding clipless off road takes some getting used to, but after a while, as Tim says, you'll feel naked without it.

brick94513 - 2011-02-06 3:51 PM

Had a good race today!  It sure did feel good to race and be pain free once again.  I haven't known that feeling in quite a while.  There's a quick synopsis on my training log if anyone is interested.

Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend.  Don't eat too much crap while watching the Superbowl today.  I'm hoping to limit my intake to just a beverage or two....

shmeeg - 2011-02-06 4:41 PM My wife ran the Surf City Marathon in Huntington Beach today, her first.  She was upset w/ her time, which means she will probably do another.  Translation, I'll do one too.  I'd like to find a trail marathon to do.  26 miles of pavement just seems god-awful.

brick94513 - 2011-02-06 5:46 PM

Check out the Catalina Marathon.  I'm pretty sure it is dirt roads and trails.  Scenery is suppose to be nice too.

shmeeg - 2011-02-06 6:57 PM

Tim!  That's in a month.  I don't think I'll be ready for that .  I am tempted to try and get myself together enough to run the PCT50 in May.  12 weeks though...I don't know if that's doable.

brick94513 - 2011-02-07 6:36 AM Not to be a naysayer, but I would say its not doable.  Or, it would be at a great risk to injury.  Most runners are logging a 100 miles a month before starting a marathon plan.  They then matriculate to a ultra distance plan.

I'm very apprehensive and cautious when it comes to these distances after my series of injuries last year.  Take it slow, there's no rush.

Sorry, don't me to lecture....

brick94513 - 2011-02-07 6:49 AM Alright Jay, I took a look at the Palm Springs parking situation.  They are stating that parking is available at the Spa Resort parking and dirt overflow lot.  I have a feeling though that this is going to fill up early. However, since the century goes off first, we will be there earlier than the others.  I decided to shoot them an email anyways and ask about off-site parking locations.  I'll get back to you with a parking location once I here from them.

I'm going to slap my aero wheels on my Robuaix later in the week for a test run.  I'm still undecided on which wheelset to roll.

shmeeg - 2011-02-05 9:11 PM



What type do you lke Tim?  Gotta start thinkin about my 'cross setup .  What's easy to jam in and out of quickly?  I love Speedplay's for the road, IIRC their...Frog(?) pedal/cleat is for off-road use.? Eggbeaters?  I have some 661 MTB shoes I used to use for spin class w/ SPD cleats.  I was gonna get rid of them in the classifieds.  Worth using?  How do you keep the cleats from getting full of dirt and crud?  That's a whole new unexplored hobby for me! 

Meulen - 2011-02-07 8:00 AM  I had terrible luck with SPD's wearing out on me. I had to keep tightening the tension when they wore. I had a race or two I got stuck out there with pedal that kept coming unclipped. Eggbeaters are fairly inexpensive and clear everything! I like the SP frogs are great but you won't like them for cross because you'll have to run on that big platform on your shoe.

brick94513 - 2011-02-07 10:39 AM



When refering to SPD, I wasn't recommending Shimano pedals, but rather the use of the SPD clip with a two-bolt, side-by-side mounting pattern.  Whereas, most road shoes utilize a three-bolt, triangular pattern with larger platforms attached to your shoe.  Platforms for MTB or cross riding, in my opinion, would be a poor choice due to debris and poor shedding qualities.

As I mentioned before, I like a pedal with a little platform.  Here's why... One, I hate float in my pedals (side-to-side movement).  With a small platform around an egg beater design, I can achieve a much fit since the clip engages the cage of the pedal and the lugs of my shoe are anchored against the platform.  Second, I feel that having my shoe secured to the pedal in this fashion allows me a slightly larger surface area for power transfer similar to a road shoe.  Third, with cyclcross where you are on-off the bike, having a little platform will allow you to pedal easier until you are clipped in to the pedal.  Last, for those super sketchy moments (big drops, etc.), its nice to have the option to unclip, but still have a place for your feet.

I don't think you need a pedal with tension adjustability.  I found that with this option I just end up tightening them all the way down anyways.

shmeeg - 2011-02-07 7:48 AM

Yeah, I saw that also when I registered, I was thinking the same thing.  I doubt anybody other than maybe the 65 milers would be there at 6 am.  I think we should just plan on parking there, or at least make that the rally point.

brick94513 - 2011-02-07 12:01 PM

They seem to think the parking lot can accomondate everyone.  So, lets plan on meeting there.