Did you ride today?

[jembourbe]

Made it to the dirt in short order. Bunny hopped a tiny pebble in the trail.

Rode something that wasn't as sketchy as it first looked

The shadows got long

So I went home.

25 miles of dirt today.

 

[nonstopbike]

Only my second day riding since the new year. Been super cold in the desert so far this year.

Did a new loop I’ve been wanting to do for awhile. Bunch of hike-a-bike.

Also my first day riding my MTB clipless…. Had a few falls.

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This looks like a fun loop.

New setup all together? Have you fit cleats/clipless before?


Sure this is unsolicited and may already know so forgive me.
There are some ways to angle them to help out, but body mechanics/fit is priority with main focus on knee health.
Make sure those cleats are mega tight, and springs on the pedals ( both sides if applicable) are loosened to comfort.

 

[jembourbe]

This looks like a fun loop.

New setup all together? Have you fit cleats/clipless before?


Sure this is unsolicited and may already know so forgive me.
There are some ways to angle them to help out, but body mechanics/fit is priority with main focus on knee health.
Make sure those cleats are mega tight, and springs on the pedals ( both sides if applicable) are loosened to comfort.

Good advice for sure. Beno rides with bunch of crunchy pros, so I'm thinkin' they steer him straight.

 

[nonstopbike]

Ya, right on jem. figured he was just putting himself to the test on new dirt with a new setup. Saw some clippy type folks in some posts, but we know how the industry has moved towards flat pedals and loose clothes for even the crunchiest pros.

I run my left at a steeper angle and lighter tension (faster release with less knee twist) due to a left leg injury. Mainly it was for cross when there were lots of rapid/successive dismounts and muscle fatigue could mean greater damage to a repairs ankle joint.

 

[OGBeno]

This looks like a fun loop.

New setup all together? Have you fit cleats/clipless before?


Sure this is unsolicited and may already know so forgive me.
There are some ways to angle them to help out, but body mechanics/fit is priority with main focus on knee health.
Make sure those cleats are mega tight, and springs on the pedals ( both sides if applicable) are loosened to comfort.

Super fun loop.

New pedals and shoes with the clipless thingies.

Been riding flats my entire (short) bike career.

Been riding clipless on my gravel steed but that’s different than hardtail and rough terrain. So lots of learning.

And thanks for the suggestions! Appreciate it!

Been toying with different angles on the SPD and stiffness for clicking in and out on the XTs.

 

[nonstopbike]

Nice, so you've got most of the exposure to them already.

On MTB, make sure your seat height adjusts with the overall stack increase you just added with the cleat/pedals. If you run a dropper, still good to get your saddle height set for maximum efficiency/comfort.

Running this shorter or lower while you get used to being on rougher/more uneven terrain will allow you to flatfoot to the ground (which typically is a toe point at a stop on a gravel/road bike).

That said, new cleats have sharp edges that will smooth out as you ride and make it a bit easier. Also, a cleat with less float will feel more distinct in when/where it disengages but of course is less friendly to your soft tissue.

Having your heel further from the chainstay should result in a more rapid clip-out. This should look like the cleat is pointed more at the big toe from underneath. Want to aware of how your body reacts to these changes as it can allow use of muscles you haven't when on another bike/fit.

 

[OGBeno]

Nice, so you've got most of the exposure to them already.

On MTB, make sure your seat height adjusts with the overall stack increase you just added with the cleat/pedals. If you run a dropper, still good to get your saddle height set for maximum efficiency/comfort.

Running this shorter or lower while you get used to being on rougher/more uneven terrain will allow you to flatfoot to the ground (which typically is a toe point at a stop on a gravel/road bike).

That said, new cleats have sharp edges that will smooth out as you ride and make it a bit easier. Also, a cleat with less float will feel more distinct in when/where it disengages but of course is less friendly to your soft tissue.

Having your heel further from the chainstay should result in a more rapid clip-out. This should look like the cleat is pointed more at the big toe from underneath. Want to aware of how your body reacts to these changes as it can allow use of muscles you haven't when on another bike/fit.

Very good advice and suggestions. You must know all of my friends!

 

[nonstopbike]

Very good advice and suggestions. You must know all of my friends!

I saw some familiar faces in some of your ride reports.

I was a cyclocross and road mechanic for a few Portland based team many years ago.

Which XT pedals you running? Anything with some platform body to it? Assuming double sided. Having more to stand on may help you out in the gnarlier patches or unclipping and standing on the instep of your shoe to remain free and clear to bail/dabble a foot.

Your shoes look like full tread with a cleat recess, so this should improve overall grip if modifying your riding style. My full carbon shoes needed a piece of cut tire to give me something to stand on when performing my modified (instep) dismount.

 

[OGBeno]

I saw some familiar faces in some of your ride reports.

I was a cyclocross and road mechanic for a few Portland based team many years ago.

Which XT pedals you running? Anything with some platform body to it? Assuming double sided. Having more to stand on may help you out in the gnarlier patches or unclipping and standing on the instep of your shoe to remain free and clear to bail/dabble a foot.

Your shoes look like full tread with a cleat recess, so this should improve overall grip if modifying your riding style. My full carbon shoes needed a piece of cut tire to give me something to stand on when performing my modified (instep) dismount.

Nice. Guess the pro bike world is pretty small especially in the niche disciplines like cyclocross.

M8120’s. They do have flats and they are double-sided.

Yup. Everything else you mentioned is correct!

 

[nonstopbike]

Nice. Guess the pro bike world is pretty small especially in the niche disciplines like cyclocross.

M8120’s. They do have flats and they are double-sided.

Yup. Everything else you mentioned is correct!

Right on, only other thing you can add is some pedal-friendly knee pads d3O is the ticket.

 

[bkfj40]

Super fun loop.

New pedals and shoes with the clipless thingies.

Been riding flats my entire (short) bike career.

Been riding clipless on my gravel steed but that’s different than hardtail and rough terrain. So lots of learning.

The first time I rode clipless on my new to me road bike was probably 8 or 10 years ago and we decided to go up into Shenandoah National Park and ride skyline drive for a 25 mile out and back. A few miles into it, my wife stops and says look at the bears off on the shoulder. I slowed down and stopped and proceeded to fall over, forgetting that my feet were attached to my pedals. All I could think of was that bear and cub were gonna eat me Thankfully the black bears were not into old fat white guys (too much grislte) and decided that the berries would be a better choice and down the trial they went. Wish this was the last time I fell over from not getting my feet onto the ground, but it wasn't. I stick with the flat pedals on my mtn bike as I'm hiking with it too often

 

[OGBeno]

Wolf Moon Ride with the townie ladies…

 

[nonstopbike]

Very chill. Rode with the kiddo to school this am , 33* and foggy. Has to re-install the poggies on the radwagon for the season.
We have a short commute, and while I'm unemployed, didn't feel like firing up the van and defogging/heating to sit in angry parent traffic.

 

[Paddler Ed]

Went out for the 3rd or 4th ride post arrival of new (human) project.

Good 30km with some of the club, and one of the riders out today was racing when Swanny was killed (she was the one who I could see cut her ride short). She's not in a good space for sure, and was much more subdued than normal; it was her first ride as a group/with the club since. Didn't push her on anything, and we made sure we kept her with us (she's a strong rider so not a problem) and on the return had her in the middle of the pack (we were a group of 5).

Swanny's funeral is on Friday, as I didn't know him I was umming and ahhing about going, but after riding today, I will go.

 

[nonstopbike]

Went out for the 3rd or 4th ride post arrival of new (human) project.

Good 30km with some of the club, and one of the riders out today was racing when Swanny was killed (she was the one who I could see cut her ride short). She's not in a good space for sure, and was much more subdued than normal; it was her first ride as a group/with the club since. Didn't push her on anything, and we made sure we kept her with us (she's a strong rider so not a problem) and on the return had her in the middle of the pack (we were a group of 5).

Swanny's funeral is on Friday, as I didn't know him I was umming and ahhing about going, but after riding today, I will go.

Congrats on the new human, and for getting back on the bike.

Condolences to your riding community on the loss of a member. Nice of you to shoulder some of that grief with that rider.

 

[nonstopbike]

Some solid e-mtb with my neighbor and his pup, Theo.
New trails to me. Lost a small part of my dropper lever and had to field dress it to give my left thumb its familiar resting spot. Had to run in full down or near full up at each trail direction change.

https://strava.app.link/ydS2b3CMbQb

 

[nonstopbike]

An ai edit from insta360 mobile app of a 11gb file (wowzer)

 

[OGBeno]

Nice afternoon spin.

 

[little_joe]

Been riding around suburbia virtually every day this past week, and spotted a magic stick:

 

[jembourbe]

Part 1: Today I was taken to some trails I'd never ridden before. It was cold. Really cold, and there was a brisk north wind blowing.

Most of the trails were super buff:

But there were rock gardens here and there. Otherwise these trails could be ridden on a road bike.

There were fossils

And there was moss like a Louisiana swamp

And there was this iguana humping a dead log