What have you bought for the bike today ?

[CXRAndy]

52v 13.5 Amp Shark battery

 

[newts]

Cone spanners, my balls had been rattling around causing a bit of wobble when riding the former best bike. Stilsons & pliers just don't cut the mustard to get things spinning freely.

 

[Grant Fondo]

5 years with 105 pedals so time to now match the groupset

Cleats are sh*gged so there's the quid pro quo. The new Ultegras should see me through to my dotage.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Carbon layback seatpost

 

[DCLane]

Neither Halfords nor Dewsbury's LBS stock straddle cables any more - the L-shaped ones - and I needed 2.

So to have some for stock 8 are on their way via eBay. They may be 'old tech' but if there's a shortage I need some spares.

And having started the process of upgrading the shifters from Gripshift I've found the front and rear derailleurs need replacing as well. OK, so it's used in all weathers and the rear is 23 years old, but still ...

 

[flatflr]

Just bought a Genesis Croix de Fer frame for a build. Going to use a Sram 1x groupset that arrived in the post today from @Alex1982 .
Next buy will be the wheels.

 

[ColinJ]

My old cycling shoes are literally falling apart. I have reglued them 3 or 4 times but the interval between repairs has fallen from every 5 or 6 rides to every 1 or 2 now. The straps are not going to last much longer and the metal loops they pass through are breaking - I have replaced 2 broken loops with loops of cable tie.

So, it was time to buy new shoes. I'm skint so they had to be cheap but I didn't want to risk some unknown Chinese brand on eBay. I have had problems with Shimano shoes being way too tight but I have taken a chance and ordered a bargain pair I found at Chain Reaction Cycles - THESE. To be on the safe side I have gone up 2 shoes sizes, on the grounds that the last pair were too tight, 1 size above my usual.

I'll report back when they arrive in a few days time.

The shoes came in 2 days, which is pretty quick for free delivery!

I bought the grey/blue type because they were £15.50 cheaper than the black/white ones. The grey will probably look tatty once I have got a few oil or mud stains on the shoes, but I can't afford to spend the extra cash just to get better-looking shoes.

My old shoes were light - 375 g per shoe, cleats included. At 465 g per shoe, the new ones are 90 g heavier. Surprisingly, I can feel the difference in weight when pedalling but it is no big deal. The plus side is that the soles on the new shoes are stiffer. I used to suffer the 'SPD hot spot' problem with the old shoes when they flexed under the effort of tackling steep climbs. No such problem now.

My feet are UK size 10, are quite wide, and I have a high instep. I know from past experience with Shimano shoes that they are too narrow for my feet if I choose my normal size (EU 44-45) or even 1 size bigger so I went for a 47 this time. The shoes are definitely longer than they need to be (I can slide a finger down between my heel and the heel of the shoe) but the width and height of the shoes are perfect. I can minimise movement of my feet in the shoes by careful adjustment of the straps. I don't think the excess shoe length will be a problem but if I experience rubbing at the heel I will buy/make some heel pads to take up the slack.

One subtle potential problem that I noticed is that the right cleat feels slightly too far forward. I have both cleats as far back as they will go so I can't just move the cleat to a new position. It looks to me that there is a difference of about 2 mm between the mounting plate positions on the 2 shoes.

I am doing a fairly tough 100 mile ride tomorrow so that will tell me if the shoes are ok the way that they are. I'll add heel pads later if I need to. If the cleat position turns out to be a problem then I will file the mounting slots on the right side shoe to allow a few extra mm of setback.

PS I actually rode 103 miles in the shoes that day. Some of the slack was taken up as my feet swelled up slightly through the day. The fit felt okay for me - no discomfort from it, and it was nice not having the feeling that my toes were being squashed. One thing though - it was quite a warm day and I noticed my feet getting a bit sweaty because the shoes are not as well ventilated as my old pair. The new shoes will probably be more comfortable in chilly or wet conditions than the old ones.


Summary: Bargain SPD shoes - buy while stocks last! Unless you have tried Shimano shoes before and know what size you need, I suggest going up 1 size, even 1.5 to 2 sizes if you have chunky feet (but be prepared to add heel pads if needed)!

 

[crossfire]

Neither Halfords nor Dewsbury's LBS stock straddle cables any more - the L-shaped ones -[/QUOTE

Hi I got mine from Decathlon £3.99 ref 8158438, for my Scott Timber, fancy ones with allen key to lock them to cable, shame I am in the process of converting it to V brakes

 

[Johnno260]

I am doing a fairly tough 100 mile ride tomorrow so that will tell me if the shoes are ok the way that they are. I'll add heel pads later if I need to. If the cleat position turns out to be a problem then I will file the mounting slots on the right side shoe to allow a few extra mm of setback.

take an allen key to adjust the cleats if you get any knee pain on your century ride

 

[ColinJ]

take an allen key to adjust the cleats if you get any knee pain on your century ride

That's good advice - As a novice, I made the mistake of doing a long ride with cleats set to the wrong angle, no tools to adjust them, and DID end up with knee pain. I always carry a multitool these days so I can make adjustments out on the road.

On my test ride last night I found that the R cleat was slightly twisted round. I adjusted that and it feels ok now, just a smidge forward of where I would like it. Actually, because I have spare length in the shoes, I may be able to loosen the straps on the R shoe slightly to allow my foot to move forward enough to sort that out, without my foot moving in the shoe and my heel rubbing.

The reason I have been going on about Shimano shoe sizing is because I bought a pair my nominal size once and went straight out on a ride in them. They squeezed my feet horribly and I suffered discomfort for over a month after that. (I sold those shoes!) I bought a pair a size bigger but they still squeezed my feet. (I gave those shoes to my cousin.) Ideally, I probably need a Shimano size 46-1/2 to 46-3/4 but Chain Reaction Cycles were not selling half sizes.

 

[Johnno260]

Shimano sizing is on the small side I found, I have some and I think they’re a size larger than my usual shoe size.

Specialized do some good shoes and they have a good range of inserts to help.

 

[ColinJ]

Shimano sizing is on the small side I found, I have some and I think they’re a size larger than my usual shoe size.

Specialized do some good shoes and they have a good range of inserts to help.

Yes, but funds are limited and these were a bargain price - £32!

 

[Johnno260]

Yes, but funds are limited and these were a bargain price - £32!

ah ok well watch Evans I got my shoes dirt cheap as ex demo

 

[ColinJ]

ah ok well watch Evans I got my shoes dirt cheap as ex demo

I was spending too much time searching for bargains, and not enough time riding!

Also... my old shoes were in danger of falling apart mid-ride so it was getting critical.

Hopefully, by the time I need to buy another pair I will be able to afford NOT to have to bargain hunt!

 

[alicat]

take an allen key to adjust the cleats if you get any knee pain on your century ride

Yes, it is. I have a permanent knee injury from just one ride with the cleat slightly wrong.