Hello!

[oliglynn]

Hi there - I'm new to the forum - been getting into some semi-serious riding recently - started with the need to ride to work about half a year ago (it's only a mile but walking is just sooooo slow, and hardly worth the money to run a car for!) but my cranky 10yo raleigh mountain bike was all I had... put up with it for a month or 2 and got really fed up with it so got a trek 7.3FX hybrid and shazam... my passion for cycling was re-ignited.
Have been attending spin classes once a week for a while now, and that really seems to make quite a difference to speed / stamina... I now go out on 10-20 mile rides after work / on weekends.

Currently pondering getting some SPDs at the moment, as pulling up in spin class (with shoes in straps) seems to help or at least provide an alternative when your legs are tired from pushing... just wondering how much difference they make on the road?

Also wondering if any other trek fx riders are having issues with the handlebar grips rotating out of position during rides, and if there are any quick & cheap fixes for it?

Cheers
Oli

 

[rh100]

hi and welcome

 

[Sittingduck]

Hi Oli!

SPD's will be a revalation... You'll never go back to normal pedals again.

 

[oliglynn]

Gotta get me some SPDs then I guess... i hear there's mtb and road SPDs, but what's the difference? Would either do, riding a hybrid as I do (almost always on road)? And do spinning bikes usually take one or the other or both? I should really check next time I go...

Agh... I hate shoe shopping... I'm sure it'll be a nightmare to find any bike shop with SPD shoes big enough to fit my size 13 clodhoppers!

 

[accountantpete]

spd's are easier to walk in but not as good for transmitting power into the pedal, whilst the reverse is true for the spd-sl system (also Look Keo).

Spinning involves turning the pedal as you would a handle- push down,pull back,pull up and push forward all in one continuous movement.

 

[Sittingduck]

I use SPD's (even on my road bike) because I like the way you can just clip into them on either side of the pedal - not having to flip the pedals over to one side before clipping in, when pushing off from stationary...

 

[arallsopp]

Pedal argument is eternal here, but I normally chip in around now to confuse things by saying "Time ATAC".

Grips are another thing altogether. I used to have set that slowly span (or slid off) on my MTB. A hot glue gun soon solved that.

Welcome, btw

 

[numbnuts]

no advice, but

 

[oliglynn]

cheers... nice tips! will get the hot melt gun on those pesky rotating grips at work tomoz then - did you put the glue on the bar or in the grip?

Have checked the clips on the spin bikes and they're all normal SPD clips, not SPD SI. May get some SPDs cos of that and the fact they look easier to release your foot from.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Hello and welcome abroad

 

[Crankarm]

Welcome.

Start with SPDs then if you want a firmer more secure pedal attachment try a cleat based mechanism such as SPD SL, not that SPDs aren't secure, cleats are just more secure and take a bit more getting used to. I wouldn't recomment them to a novice cyclist. Get a Shimano SPD pedal that you can clip into/out of on both sides not just one. I think Shimano M52O pedals are double sided if not the A540s are.

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/mountain-bike-pedals/shimano-bike-pedals/shimano-m520-spd-pedal.html