Show us your bicycle.

[djb_rh]

Originally Posted by MillCreel

This is exactly what happened to me, and the impact fractured my left femoral neck. I still have three stainless steel pins in my hip. I now have platforms on all six bicycles, since I don't want to do that again.

You misunderstood me. My point was the only time I've crashed and not unclipped were crashes where I wouldn't have had time to put a foot down to stop it anyway, clips or no.

I'm sure the situation is still possible for me where a crash would be worse because I'm clipped in, but it's VERY unlikely once you get good and used to a good set of clipless pedals. And more often than not I'm going to avoid a crash *thanks* to being clipped in that I would have had if I weren't able to have that extra bike control.

But it all depends on how you ride and your own comfort levels with things. If you're never going to attack the kind of obstacles that require that extra control, then perhaps you are "safer" without being clipped in. *shrug* Or maybe you've mastered some crazy technique that I don't know even exists for staying on those platforms.


--Donnie

[GaryHarris]

[Ridge]

Originally Posted by Gummee!

Peddle is something you do to southerners when yer trying to make a quick buck. Buy junk, peddle it to unsuspecting rednecks, make bank.


M

This reminds me... did you ever ship those carbon fiber tires I paid you for way back when?

Originally Posted by djb_rh

In general, not really, no. You really don't want more float, though. Not moving your feet is really just something that's better to get used to, since you get so much more control if you don't/can't.

I'm personally a huge Eggbeater fan. Love those pedals.


--Donnie

Only if the knees can take it. Having float is good for knees that can be prone to injury from lack of free movement. I run between 6 and 8 degrees of float on the road and about 15 degrees (built into the eggbeaters) on MTB.

Rotational Freedom (Float)
Rotational freedom is commonly referred to as float. Float is the current hot topic of the clipless pedal world. Float allows riders with knee problems or those trying to avoid knee problems the benefit of some side-to-side heel motion. This allows the pedal to adapt to a rider's biomechanics. Early designs of clipless pedals had "fixed-position" cleats with no float. Fixed systems hold the foot firmly in place during the pedal stroke and do not allow for the natural twisting motions that occur if a rider stands on the pedals or if he or she happens to have misaligned joints. A common fallacy regarding float and perpetuated for many years is that power is lost if the foot is allowed to float during the pedal stroke. The fallacy started when Time re-introduced a clipless pedal with float. Other pedal manufacturers claimed power transmission is compromised and criticized the alleged benefits of float. Scientific studies have since proved there is no power loss with floating pedals and that lateral free play has been invaluable in preventing chronic knee injuries. As a result, almost all clipless pedals now offer some type of float. Not all float, however, is created equal.


There are three variations of float found in pedals: "free float," "spring-recentered" float and "float with friction." Free float allows the foot to float without any resistance. Spring-recentered float features a spring that returns the foot to a center point that may or may not be adjusted by the positioning of the cleat to a neutral point. Float with friction inhibits rotational motion between the pedal and cleat. As a result, a rider can reposition the foot by moving it within the rotational range, but the foot does not move freely on its own.


Float is integral to the Speedplay design rather than added as a modification to a fixed design like other brands. Speedplay's float is the real thing: true under-axis free float built into the design. The rounded Speedplay pedal body is the perfect pivot point for rotational movement. No spring tension torques the knees or holds the feet rigidly in place. The Speedplay design allows the foot to use as much motion as it requires to prevent torque from hurting the knees. Once a rider acclimates to rotational freedom, his or her pedal stroke will become more fluid and thus more efficient. In much the same way that riding stationary rollers improves a riders pedal stroke by exaggerating any choppiness, floating pedals refine a riders pedaling technique by emphasizing any irregularities. Floating pedals do not hide poor pedal form like fixed pedals do.

[djb_rh]

Originally Posted by Ridge

Only if the knees can take it. Having float is good for knees that can be prone to injury from lack of free movement. I run between 6 and 8 degrees of float on the road and about 15 degrees (built into the eggbeaters) on MTB.

Then maybe he comes from a time when things didn't even float that much. I mean I use Eggbeaters and consider that amount of float "not much". So hopefully it's more than he experienced in the past and will be fine.


--Donnie

[Gummee!]

Originally Posted by mud

OK, Since this is here, I will post this question here......
The last set of "clip-less" I rode were Shimano 858's.
Are you able to move your feet more laterally (float, I think they call it) on the new ones. The thing I don't like about them is I couldn't move my feet around.

Trials bikes will make you HATE "clip-less" petals.

Probably not, try Time ATACs or Look Quartz pedals if you wanna move around side-to-side. Literally horizontal float for about 5mm or so. I have em on my cross bike. Like em till I'm trying to get to a barrier.

If you're talking rotational float, then they're all about the same till you get to Speedplay Frogs.

HTH

M

[Gummee!]

Originally Posted by GaryHarris

Petals.

Pedal


M

[Gummee!]

Originally Posted by Ridge

This reminds me... did you ever ship those carbon fiber tires I paid you for way back when?

Oh drat! Did I forget to put em in the mail *again?!* I'll get on it. Promise!

M

[GaryHarris]

You post a lot.

[Meter Man]

Anyone used The Trek 7.5 FX for rides up to 25 miles?

I am not a fan of drop bars, and I think this may be a good match for me, with the flat bars.

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...ness/fx/7_5_fx

[Gummee!]

Originally Posted by GaryHarris

You post a lot.

You've never met Rider, have you?

Call it 'housekeeping' since we're straying off 'showing bicycles' and into the territory of the Bicycle Thread Don't bother to try and read the whole thing. Just jump right in.

...and there's the [Bob Roll] Tour Day France [/BR] thread going too iffen y'all wanna discuss how that $%#% doper AC is gonna lose here in a few weeks.

M

[Gummee!]

Originally Posted by Meter Man

Anyone used The Trek 7.5 FX for rides up to 25 miles?

I am not a fan of drop bars, and I think this may be a good match for me, with the flat bars.

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...ness/fx/7_5_fx

Buy it and try it. I've heard people saying good things about the nicer flat bar road bikes. Worst case: you don't like getting stuck in one hand position and start modifying things.

When that happens, start with bar ends and move on from there.

Coincidentally, bar ends are to mtn bikes what the brake levers are to road bikes.

M

[trailer Rails]

Originally Posted by Meter Man

Anyone used The Trek 7.5 FX for rides up to 25 miles?

I am not a fan of drop bars, and I think this may be a good match for me, with the flat bars.

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...ness/fx/7_5_fx

I recently got rid of my drop bar bike and bought a Specialized Sirrus Expert. It is a really similar position to the Trek FX bikes. I went with the straight bar because most of my rides are in town and 25 miles or less. The straight bars are easier to hop hop curbs with. Recently I did 140 miles on that bike over two days, it worked perfect. The only time I miss the drop bars is if I am on flat terrain with a head wind and I am trying to keep up with other people with drop bars that are cruising at 20-24mph.

[Chisenhallw]

I've got a Sirrus, and I love it.

[GaryHarris]

Originally Posted by Gummee!

You've never met Rider, have you?

Call it 'housekeeping' since we're straying off 'showing bicycles' and into the territory of the Bicycle Thread Don't bother to try and read the whole thing. Just jump right in.

...and there's the [Bob Roll] Tour Day France [/BR] thread going too iffen y'all wanna discuss how that $%#% doper AC is gonna lose here in a few weeks.

M

Huh?

[jsmithy]

I probably get railed for posting a picture of this, but I freakin' love this thing and I'm not even old.

edit: Sold the Slipstream that was pictured and bought the below bike for the same purpose