700 miles on my new Silvio and loving it!

[JeffParker]

With 700 miles behind me on my 2009 Campy Centaur Silvio I'm checking in with a report. (Maximum speed 39.5 mph, average speed 12.5 mph) I've taken it on a 5 road rides with up to 70 other cyclists and used it for commuting to work in San Francisco and Marin County. My longest ride was 140 miles and covered 4000 feet of steep elevation changes. I won't claim to be the fastest, but I ride and keep up with the lead group of road bikes easily, and at the end of the day I know I am the most comfortable of any of them.

With each ride I've been able to observe and improve my posture, arm and leg reach, hand, wrist, thumb positions with simple adjustments. It takes a few hundred miles to dial-in all of the possible adjustments to make peddling, cruzing, shifting, and braking an effortless pleasure! My advice to new Silvio owners is to either not wrap your bars for a few hundred miles or just figure you might be doing it a few times. Handlebar tape is cheap!

I've tried the road shoes with cleats and clipless pedals (speedplay) find them more trouble than they are worth, especially when riding in the city. A waste of money so far. Anybody have any pedal/cleat combo they like using with their Silvio?

I want to be riding it all the time now.

jeff parker

 

[JonB]

JeffParker wrote: I've tried the road shoes with cleats and clipless pedals (speedplay) find them more trouble than they are worth, especially when riding in the city. A waste of money so far. Anybody have any pedal/cleat combo they like using with their Silvio?

I use SPF on my Freerider and MTB style shoes so i can wear them all day at the office.

 

[Nanda H.]

Happy to hear that Jeff I should put some smiles on the demo Silvio before I let'r go to a good home eh, besides it is a demo...and one benefit of being in the biz.

 

[Lief]

Jeff,

I am curious as to why you don't think the Speedplay system is worth it.
I have 400 miles on my new Silvio, and I couldn't wait to get my speedplays back on them. I put them on at 100 miles and never looked back!

• Climbing is easier (I can smooth out the power on really steep stuff and not spin my front wheel)
• There is enough float to do full tight turns.
• They pop off super easy in quick-stop situations.
• They are pretty light and very robust (pedals...not cleats).

Things not to like for me include

• The huge cleats
• The expensive cleats
• Difficult pedalling when not wearing the cleats

But the Like list far outweighs the Don't like list. What is on your Don't Like list that tips the balance for you?[/][/]

 

[Mark B]

I didn't care for Speedplays, either. That big, metal plate that bolts on bottom of your shoe was slippery, to me. I never got confidence in my stops. Love them on a road bike, but sure didn't care for them on any of my bents.

Mark

 

[Lief]

Mark B wrote: I didn't care for Speedplays, either. That big, metal plate that bolts on bottom of your shoe was slippery, to me. I never got confidence in my stops. Love them on a road bike, but sure didn't care for them on any of my bents.

Mark

What do you use on your Silvio then Mark?
Lief

 

[Mark B]

blief.z wrote:

Mark B wrote: I didn't care for Speedplays, either. That big, metal plate that bolts on bottom of your shoe was slippery, to me. I never got confidence in my stops. Love them on a road bike, but sure didn't care for them on any of my bents.

Mark

What do you use on your Silvio then Mark?
Lief

Crank Bros. Quattros. I don't think they make them anymore, though. I sure do like them because they work with road shoes, mountain shoes, even my SPD sandals.

Mark