P is for...

P is for Panda but, in this case, it isn't actually for panda. I merely liked the image of the panda and nabbed it from a Google Images search. P is for Plagiarism. I wish I had a superb panda/cycling related anecdote to share but I don't. If you'd like to write such a tale yourself and share it with me, please do so in the comments section (below). The best answer wins absolutely nothing (as does the worst and all the non-answers).

My P this time is for Purchasing. Yes, I've done that one before but sure this whole blog is nothing but repeated rambling witters about vaguely cycling related bits and bobs. Don't start complaining now. If you weren't moaning right at the start, you're too late.

Being the exciting chap I am, I've recently bought some stuff. Please excuse my technical terminology. I have (as already noted) bought a new bike (albeit for my beloved/other half/'er indoors etc. etc.) and some wheels recently but I'll write about other stuff rather than cover them again.

I decided I'd share my first impressions on some of the stuff I've bought. To call these reviews would be very flattering; they're more gibbering thoughts than anything. Maybe they'll be useful, maybe they won't. Either way, they fill space, give me something to do and prove I'm still alive.

Time I-CLIC Carbon pedals
(NB that link goes to information on this year's version of the pedals. They're not terribly different from the pedals I bought)
 

I'd been using Look A5.1 pedals for the past while and, although they were fine at the time, they're a tad antiquated and heavy by today's standards. That being the case, I decided to change to something more modern. Would I stay with Look pedals and go Keo, choose Shimano SPD SL, maybe Speedplay  and their zany pedal clips into the cleat craziness (obviously I didn't do any of those and the questions were rhetorical) or possibly the likes of Time? The world was my oxter. 

So, off I popped to some local bike shops (that could be the start of an awful rhyme) to see what each pedal had to offer. It appears they primarily offered something very similar; a large triangular plastic cleat. Speedplay, of course, was different but we'll mention their twisted perversions no longer. Ultimately my choice of Time hinged on three points:

a) Absolutely lovely guy in shop (and his equally charming brother in their other shop) said he'd been using Time because he suffered knee problems in the past and found Time pedals good for alleviating that. That led me to think "Hmmm. I've had a bit of knee bother myself..." (who hasn't?) "...they might be a suitable choice for me too".

b) I'd tried Look (albeit not Keo) and my good lady has Shimano SPD SL on her bicycle. I wanted to try out a make I had no experience with.

c) This is probably the most important point; I thought they looked good. They're black, pointy and sleek looking. I wanted to see them on my bike. Even if I can't pedal to any level, I want my bike to look as good as I can on the budget I have. It spends the vast majority of its time sitting around hoping I don't get back on it or pleading to be cleaned. Why not let it look as good as it can during those times?

Time it was then. £134GBP later (I know I could have got them for cheaper online but the shop I bought them from was absolutely excellent and I wanted to give them my business) and I was the proud owner of a pair of Time I-CLIC Carbon pedals and their associated cleats. 

This is all leads to the important question; Are they any good? 

So far, I've done four journeys on them for a total of slightly over 170 miles (275 Km if you're a bit more advanced than me and my imperial ways). Of course that's not enough to fully judge any pedals on but, so far, I've noticed them being a bit easier to push than the heavy old Looks were. I'd like to think modern Look (and other brands) pedals would also compare favourable against a close to ten years old pair of Looks with Delta cleats (not to be confused with Delta Goodrem who, it appears, doesn't click into any type of pedal).

Clipping in and out seems very easy. I'd say it's more natural than I've found it to be with the Look Deltas. There's less of an almighty click. As is to be expected, it takes me a little while to acclimatise myself with the slightly different pedal position when clipping in but I think I've got used to already. Despite the lack of thunderclap click (I'm getting carried away now), my feet don't seem like they might unclip of their own accord. I'm pretty sure they're solidly held in place when clipped in. Like any new pedal, some cleat microadjustments had to be made to get me comfortable but I'd imagine that's going to be the case with every pedal on the market. The only particular nuance one might wish to be aware of with Times is their more shallow cleat. They clip in about half a centimetre lower than other cleats. I had to lower my saddle a tiny amount to allow for this. Prior to that, I'd experienced a little pain in my right (which is my weaker side) hamstring and think that may have been due to the change in position. Since microadjusting the cleats and the seatpost, I've found them very comfortable.

Without meaning to make a terrible pun, time will tell how the new pedals and I fare as a couple. So far so good. They're light, comfortable (once adjusted, as with any pedal), easy to clip and out of while secure and (most importantly) they look great. They're the Venger of the pedal world. One downside some people might be wary of is Time only makes one type of cleat for their I-CLIC pedals. If you'd like the choice of different amounts of float in your cleat, Time might not be for you. Thankfully it seems (to date) to be for me. I found all the standard adjustments (cleat positioning on the shoe, saddle height etc.) catered for my needs.

Rather than witter on (and I certainly did) about another item I've recently bought, I'll stop here and do that at a later point. That will give you something to look forward to; a reason for living.

Just before I go, I've been out cycling with (the slow group of) a club recently. I've enjoyed it but noticed something which slightly baffles me. A few times, people have said something along the lines of "When you get into cycling you'll find..." or something in a similar vein. There seems to be an assumption a person can't be into cycling without going out cycling with a club. In actual fact, they're one of at least six clubs I've been out cycling with over the course of about the last eight or nine years. I just find it kind of funny and maybe a little patronising the way some people speak to one when s/he is a new member of their club. Mustn't grumble really. Other than that microscopically tiny niggle, they're an excellent bunch and I'm thoroughly enjoying my time cycling with them. I can definitely see many advantages to cycling in a group.

Dogs, clowns and Sir Jimmy Savile

The other day I did something I'm not sure whether to be ashamed of or not. While we were cycling along, a dog ran out and angrily made its way toward us barking. I shouted at it to try to get it to go back but it kept coming so (here's the potentially shameful part) I spat and my spittle hit it on the nose. When this happened it immediately stopped in its tracks, shut up, looked a bit confused, then turned around and went back into its abode.

I don't know if spitting on dogs is a great pastime but it seemed effective in that case. I suppose it doesn't harm the dog and I can be sure its nose has been immersed in much worse than a little bit of saliva. If it stops the dog from running out in front of a bike or, potentially worse, biting one of us, is it a good practice to partake in? I really don't know.

I feel like a bit of a shit for spitting on the poor dog but, at the same time, I didn't do it any harm and was getting pretty desperate in my attempts to stop it. It's considerably more humane than giving the dog a kick or anything horrid like that. Ultimately the dog shouldn't have been able to get out onto the road to bark at us in the first place. If the owner even vaguely cared about their pet, they would make sure it was kept in and safe.

I was petty with another dog today. It's a Jack Russell (I think) which almost always runs up beside the road, jumps out of a hedge and barks at me. I was travelling the opposite direction from normal today (I'm a terrible creature of habit) and came upon the dog... Good grief! No! Not in that way! I draw the line at spitting. Anyway, I chanced upon the dog and he hadn't noticed I was there. So, being childish and (as mentioned) petty, I waited until I was quite close to him and barked at him. He was suitably raging but couldn't get anywhere near me as my usual uphill pass of him was now downhill. I'm sure the guys working on a big shed across the road thought I was an arsehole. They're probably right.

When I see/read about someone successfully taking undertaking an activity I also attempt, I try to analyse their, work out where I could improve and copy them. Needless to say, I often get it completely wrong. What I'm most prone to doing is looking at, for example, someone cycling and thinking 'Oh, they appear to have their knees and toes 'in' a little. I'll have to do that too'. That's all good and well if I didn't completely overdo it until I end up cycling with form like some sort of clown lampooning a cyclist. All I ended up doing was giving myself knee problems.

Another clown's problem I have while cycling is the old hook foot. Rather than realising my ankles let me pivot my foot up and down, I often find I've kind of stuck my foot into a toe down position. That's not good; either for my output or my hamstrings. Just on that subject, our neighbour told me cycling can shorten one's hamstrings. I think he could be correct.

Some of the elder statesmen of cycling round here (who have been cycling for over sixty years) walk in a manner which suggests their hamstrings are a tad tighter than a non-cyclist of a similar vintage may be. Of course, they've probably got much better hearts, fat content, etc. etc. than many less active people too and they really are incredible for their age. Any of the particular gents I'm thinking of would be much stronger on a bike than I am and I'm not even forty yet. All the same, it makes me think I should do plenty of hamstring stretches. I'd like to be healthy in as many ways as possible for as long as possible. Note to self: be aware of form on the bike and stretch plenty off.

'Come on, get to the bit where you shoehorn in some rubbish about Jimmy Savile'. That's what we all want, isn't it? Of course it is. I'm sorry to say it's nothing from personal experience, just a wee fact (at least I hope it's accurate) which I discovered while nerding about the internet recently: Sir Jimmy Savile (who a friend of mine once accidentally referred to as Jammy Civil) rode in the 1951 Tour of Britain as a semi-professional. Blimey! You can see a scan of a relevant newspaper article here. For some reason The Duke (no, Davids Dickinson and Bowie weren't in the race too, as far as I know) is referred to as Oscar Savile. That's confusing. I'd imagine Óscar Sevilla is named after him. This seems to confirm the participant is indeed Sir James.

I knew about his marathon running and wrestling but he seems to have been an all-round athlete. If we're to trust the accuracy of Wikipedia, here's a quote from the man himself on just that subject:

"If you look at the athletics of it, I've done over 300 professional bike races, 212 marathons and 107 pro fights." He proudly announces that he lost 35 of his first 35 fights. "No wrestler wanted to go back home and say a long-haired disc jockey had put him down. So from start to finish I got a good hiding. I've broken every bone in my body. I loved it."

I've got a new found respect for the slightly creepy old cigar-chomping weirdo now. Reading further on Wikipedia, I guess his being involved in raising over forty million pounds for charity probably deserves a little hint of credit too. Maybe I'm the creepy weirdo by being more impressed by his Tour of Britain ride.

Oh, while on the subject of the Tour of Britain, couldn't they shove another couple of more difficult mountains in it? I know Britain doesn't have the sorts of climbs one would find in France, Italy or Spain but surely there are some tough climbs which aren't getting a look in and which could make it more exciting. Aren't there?