Learning how to ride a vendetta: 100 hrs experience
- Thread starter fthills
- Start date
Charles.Plager
Recumbent Quant
Hi,
I also use SPDs and have
Hi,
I also use SPDs and have been using the Nashbar Ragster II sandal. The problem I have now is that since it's now fall, it's not always 50 F (10C) in the morning when I commute to work, so I find myself needing to wear socks.
I really like being able to kick off my birkenstocks at home, jump into my sandals, (not having to worry about tying my bicycle shoes so the laces don't end up in the crankset) and riding off into the sunrise...
I guess we're just a vocal minority. (And if reading BROL is right, we may not be a minority at all.)
The only problem I had with the sandals is that when I unclip my left foot, I naturally prefer to turn the heel inwards. I did this once and put the heel of the sandal into the spokes of the turning wheel. Not my proudest moment, but everybody survived (although you can definitely tell looking at the left sandal I did something stupid).
Cheers,
Charles
p.s. For what it's worth, I use these two (differently) sided pedals. I wasn't ready to clip in when I installed my new crankset and I thought that this would be a great solution (correctly as it turns out). The pedals are weighted in such a way that clipping in is very easy.
I also use SPDs and have
Hi,
I also use SPDs and have been using the Nashbar Ragster II sandal. The problem I have now is that since it's now fall, it's not always 50 F (10C) in the morning when I commute to work, so I find myself needing to wear socks.
I really like being able to kick off my birkenstocks at home, jump into my sandals, (not having to worry about tying my bicycle shoes so the laces don't end up in the crankset) and riding off into the sunrise...
I guess we're just a vocal minority.
(And if reading BROL is right, we may not be a minority at all.) The only problem I had with the sandals is that when I unclip my left foot, I naturally prefer to turn the heel inwards. I did this once and put the heel of the sandal into the spokes of the turning wheel. Not my proudest moment, but everybody survived (although you can definitely tell looking at the left sandal I did something stupid).
Cheers,
Charles
p.s. For what it's worth, I use these two (differently) sided pedals. I wasn't ready to clip in when I installed my new crankset and I thought that this would be a great solution (correctly as it turns out). The pedals are weighted in such a way that clipping in is very easy.
JAE1969
Member
Great feedback
Thanks everyone.
Psychling I can tell you that I am jealous: 16 hours of riding in 3 day??!!! Awesome!! I have been on airplanes for 16 hours in the past 3 days. Not to mention i am sitting on a plane as i type this from my iphone. Seat 21F; but at least it is an exit row. Haha. Ugh!
I had visions of a sunset ride last night. The plan was to go to mydaughter's volleyball game then head over to the levee. As luck / fate / homecoming planning would have it, that didn't happen. But time with the kids takes precedent right now.but I am still jealous!!
I just can't see myself wearing the sandals though. I like the shoe fit / feel to get aggressive and fast. I will get there and I will get to the top of Wild horse Creek climb!!!
Thanks everyone.
Psychling I can tell you that I am jealous: 16 hours of riding in 3 day??!!! Awesome!! I have been on airplanes for 16 hours in the past 3 days. Not to mention i am sitting on a plane as i type this from my iphone. Seat 21F; but at least it is an exit row. Haha. Ugh!
I had visions of a sunset ride last night. The plan was to go to mydaughter's volleyball game then head over to the levee. As luck / fate / homecoming planning would have it, that didn't happen. But time with the kids takes precedent right now.but I am still jealous!!
I just can't see myself wearing the sandals though. I like the shoe fit / feel to get aggressive and fast. I will get there and I will get to the top of Wild horse Creek climb!!!
JAE1969
Member
I don't have my GoPro yet,
I don't have my GoPro yet, but it is on order. That will be awesome to share some video and possible live feed of my rides with you all.
Well, after my last posts asking about clip in pedals, I made the decision this morning that today was going to be the day to get clipped in. I felt like "fthills" this morning. I was in my garage with my bike shoes, Speedplay pedals, tools and lube. I got them lubed as best I could and they seemed to be moving well after being on the shelf for almost 5 years. I was running low on time so I gathered my tools and my gear and headed out to the starting point.
That was the beginning of the end of my plan. I should have just changed out my pedals in my garage when I had all my tools at my fingertips. Long story short, I brought the wrong freakin' wrench and couldn't get the mountian bike pedals off to install the Speedplays. %$^^*$^&&^#&*$^
My plan was to install the Speedplays and make another run at the Wild Horse Creek Rd climb (WHCC) or the Ossenfort Rd climb (ORC), knowing the clip ins would give me more power and control.
Well, I didn't even attempt the WHCC but chose to save that energy for the ORC. I was pushing the entire outbound ride and was setting a great pace. As I passed the WHCC I just shook my head in frustration but I know in due time I will be cresting the top with a huge smile on my face soon enough.
As I hit the base of the ORC, I got out of the big ring and focussed on keeping a steady downshift and keeping my feet on the pedals, which seemed to hamper my previous attempt. Up I went. Every pedal stroke smooth and consistant. As I stepped on the pedals and slowly climbed, I noticed the little pile of rocks off the shoulder of the road that I set up last time marking my previous stopping point on my previous attempt. While I still didn't make it to the top, I did make it about 50 feet past my previous attempt. Baby steps my friends. I will make it. Clip ins will certainly help, but I also need to get my fitness and strength back, not to mention shedding about 15 pounds. hahaha
Good news is I set a new best time for this ride with an avergae speed of 20.8 mph. Frustratingly, I was right at a 21 mph ave but got slowed by a small group of about a dozen riders out for a Sunday morning ride right near the end of the bike trail and could not get around them. I just don't understand people that ride 4 across on an 8-10 foot wide trail. AND they don't respond to multiple call outs of "on your left" or "share the path" or "rider back". When I finally did get past them, they did respond however to my aerial gesture telling them they were all #1 accompanied by my verbal expalantion. hahaha
I can only think if having my clip in pedals would have gotten my farther or even to the top. We will just have to wait for the next attempt.
As mentioned, I don't yet have my GoPro, but I have been logging these rides with my Map My Ride app on my iPhone. You should be able to check them out at www.mapmyride.com. User name is the same: JAE1969.
Good news is I am home next weekend and trust that I will have my clip in pedals installed and will be making another run at the ORC. I might even have the GoPro by then??????????
Stay tuned.
I don't have my GoPro yet, but it is on order. That will be awesome to share some video and possible live feed of my rides with you all.
Well, after my last posts asking about clip in pedals, I made the decision this morning that today was going to be the day to get clipped in. I felt like "fthills" this morning. I was in my garage with my bike shoes, Speedplay pedals, tools and lube. I got them lubed as best I could and they seemed to be moving well after being on the shelf for almost 5 years. I was running low on time so I gathered my tools and my gear and headed out to the starting point.
That was the beginning of the end of my plan. I should have just changed out my pedals in my garage when I had all my tools at my fingertips. Long story short, I brought the wrong freakin' wrench and couldn't get the mountian bike pedals off to install the Speedplays. %$^^*$^&&^#&*$^
My plan was to install the Speedplays and make another run at the Wild Horse Creek Rd climb (WHCC) or the Ossenfort Rd climb (ORC), knowing the clip ins would give me more power and control.
Well, I didn't even attempt the WHCC but chose to save that energy for the ORC. I was pushing the entire outbound ride and was setting a great pace. As I passed the WHCC I just shook my head in frustration but I know in due time I will be cresting the top with a huge smile on my face soon enough.
As I hit the base of the ORC, I got out of the big ring and focussed on keeping a steady downshift and keeping my feet on the pedals, which seemed to hamper my previous attempt. Up I went. Every pedal stroke smooth and consistant. As I stepped on the pedals and slowly climbed, I noticed the little pile of rocks off the shoulder of the road that I set up last time marking my previous stopping point on my previous attempt. While I still didn't make it to the top, I did make it about 50 feet past my previous attempt. Baby steps my friends. I will make it. Clip ins will certainly help, but I also need to get my fitness and strength back, not to mention shedding about 15 pounds. hahaha
Good news is I set a new best time for this ride with an avergae speed of 20.8 mph. Frustratingly, I was right at a 21 mph ave but got slowed by a small group of about a dozen riders out for a Sunday morning ride right near the end of the bike trail and could not get around them. I just don't understand people that ride 4 across on an 8-10 foot wide trail. AND they don't respond to multiple call outs of "on your left" or "share the path" or "rider back". When I finally did get past them, they did respond however to my aerial gesture telling them they were all #1 accompanied by my verbal expalantion. hahaha
I can only think if having my clip in pedals would have gotten my farther or even to the top. We will just have to wait for the next attempt.
As mentioned, I don't yet have my GoPro, but I have been logging these rides with my Map My Ride app on my iPhone. You should be able to check them out at www.mapmyride.com. User name is the same: JAE1969.
Good news is I am home next weekend and trust that I will have my clip in pedals installed and will be making another run at the ORC. I might even have the GoPro by then??????????
Stay tuned.
JAE1969
Member
My apologies!! I thought it
My apologies!! I thought it would be simply searching user name and checking out the ride. I just got online and checked it out. If you go to the website www.mapmyride.com, in the top header there is option for COMMUNITY, then a drop down appears and select MEMBERS. Search for JAE1969 and it should show you my profile and maps. You may need to register or become a memebr (free) to view maps and workout details. Sorry about that.
I messed with it a little more and not sure if this link will take you there or not. It may still require you to registe first before you can view.
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/141660163
or try this
http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/188014351
My apologies!! I thought it would be simply searching user name and checking out the ride. I just got online and checked it out. If you go to the website www.mapmyride.com, in the top header there is option for COMMUNITY, then a drop down appears and select MEMBERS. Search for JAE1969 and it should show you my profile and maps. You may need to register or become a memebr (free) to view maps and workout details. Sorry about that.
I messed with it a little more and not sure if this link will take you there or not. It may still require you to registe first before you can view.
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/141660163
or try this
http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/188014351
JAE1969
Member
I will work on getting some
I will work on getting some photos. I will see if I can get my iPhone attached to the handle bars and set up to take photos every 5 minutes or so.
But the real deal will be when my GoPro shows up!!!!!
Also, "fthills", I believe I got a friend request from you on Map My Ride, which of course I accepted! Or at least I think it was you. haha
I will work on getting some photos. I will see if I can get my iPhone attached to the handle bars and set up to take photos every 5 minutes or so.
But the real deal will be when my GoPro shows up!!!!!
Also, "fthills", I believe I got a friend request from you on Map My Ride, which of course I accepted! Or at least I think it was you. haha
JAE1969
Member
Great ride today. Had the
Great ride today. Had the clip ins and they were awesome. I think it actually helped reduce the pedal steering. It was a bit gnarly as about 8 miles in the sky opened up and it down poured on me. So it held me back from hitting my goal of averaging 21mph, but I wasn't going to let it stop me from increasing my ride distance. I ended up riding 29.72 miles and averaged a little over 19.8mph. I feel real good about that given the condition. I knew I was not going to attempt the WHCC, but was pretty sure I was going to give the OCR another shot. But as I approached the OCR, I had an epiphany...why not attempt the WHCC from the other direction! It still has a good incline and climb, but a little less steep. I made it about 75% of the way up before it got me. Due to the wet, slick road conditions, my front wheel was slipping pretty bad and it slowed me too much so I had to stop. But instead of turning around, I got off and walked up about 300 feet and then got back on and took off. The awesome thing was I was able to experience the long, fast downhill and what the V had to offer. It was a bit nerving since the road was pretty slick and wet, but I just rode smart. All in all it was a grreat ride. I am still looking for the opportunity to ride with some people. In due time. Following is the ride profile. http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/189264313
Great ride today. Had the clip ins and they were awesome. I think it actually helped reduce the pedal steering. It was a bit gnarly as about 8 miles in the sky opened up and it down poured on me. So it held me back from hitting my goal of averaging 21mph, but I wasn't going to let it stop me from increasing my ride distance. I ended up riding 29.72 miles and averaged a little over 19.8mph. I feel real good about that given the condition. I knew I was not going to attempt the WHCC, but was pretty sure I was going to give the OCR another shot. But as I approached the OCR, I had an epiphany...why not attempt the WHCC from the other direction! It still has a good incline and climb, but a little less steep. I made it about 75% of the way up before it got me. Due to the wet, slick road conditions, my front wheel was slipping pretty bad and it slowed me too much so I had to stop. But instead of turning around, I got off and walked up about 300 feet and then got back on and took off. The awesome thing was I was able to experience the long, fast downhill and what the V had to offer. It was a bit nerving since the road was pretty slick and wet, but I just rode smart. All in all it was a grreat ride. I am still looking for the opportunity to ride with some people. In due time. Following is the ride profile. http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/189264313
Wow, reading your story was
Wow, reading your story was so intense, I actually felt that if I could learn to ride a Vendetta, I can do anything, including fulfilling my wish to have a career in technology. I haven't ridden this type of bike until now, but it seems its name is well chosen - Vendetta means Revenge, from what I know.
Wow, reading your story was so intense, I actually felt that if I could learn to ride a Vendetta, I can do anything, including fulfilling my wish to have a career in technology. I haven't ridden this type of bike until now, but it seems its name is well chosen - Vendetta means Revenge, from what I know.
John Tolhurst
Zen MBB Master
Chanelle,
you can indeed
Chanelle,
you can indeed learn to ride it, many many have.
you can indeed
Chanelle,
you can indeed learn to ride it, many many have.
John Dorlon
Guru
I lost 25 pounds (all I
I lost 25 pounds (all I needed to lose) when I started cycling and eating healthier foods a few years ago. I think Cruzbikes are great and I can't imagine riding anything else now that I've found them, but honestly, any bike can help you lose weight. Of course, Cruzbikes are more comfortable than regular bikes, so you'll be able to ride more if that's what you ride. The main thing is to just get out there and ride. Set a goal and work towards it, tracking your progress. After you achive your goal, set another.
I lost 25 pounds (all I needed to lose) when I started cycling and eating healthier foods a few years ago. I think Cruzbikes are great and I can't imagine riding anything else now that I've found them, but honestly, any bike can help you lose weight. Of course, Cruzbikes are more comfortable than regular bikes, so you'll be able to ride more if that's what you ride. The main thing is to just get out there and ride. Set a goal and work towards it, tracking your progress. After you achive your goal, set another.
