Nice first ride in the COLD.

 

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Mine seems to "cut" through the headwinds, rather than "push" against them.  I think the way the physics work is that turbulence (created by the bike and, especially, the rider) is actually what generates most of the drag you encounter in a headwind.  It may feel like you're "pushing" into the wind, but a lot of it is really that turbulence "pulling" you.  A 'bent, a good "tucked" postion, and aerobars deal with headwind by presenting a reduced cross-section to the front.  A fairing (and you can get/make one for an upright, too) smooths the airflow that you do hit, and lets it flow in a less turbulent manner to the rear.  I've been using mine since last spring, and it seems like I'm going about the same speeds I was this time last year, feeling a lot less beat up afterwards.  Since I also seem to still be "getting the hang of it," I think this should continue to improve in the months/years ahead. 

   

Thoroughly enjoyed this video. I have a similar riding style. The barista at the end was hilarious.

Michael Perez said:

Last night was a fun ride until i got sick

Just rode the LFT from downtown to Irving Park. The cool weather sure did speed everyone up.

Yes.  No problem.

Yes! And loved it!

Yes. And it was moist.

Yes, tons of fun. The only part of me that was damp was my beard, which is precisely why it is there. First ride with clipless as well, and it made a very comfortable difference. 

Nope. Ankle still sprained :( I miss being able to say yes! 

Now Im even more afraid of clipless - how bad would my crash have been if i couldnt put my foot down? I might have a cracked head instead of a sprained ankle...

I fell without being able to put my foot down not too long ago. I was on a fixie in stop-and-go traffic behind some guy who didn't have working brake lights or turn signals. He stopped suddenly to make a turn while I was speeding up because I expected him to go straight. Unfortunately as I hit the brake my crank was in a position that made it very difficult to remove my foot and it being a fixed gear going very slowly I couldn't turn the crank to get into a better position. I went down for a slow and uncomfortable fall in the middle of the street feet attached. The combination of fixie + clipless + slow traffic can be very dangerous. I had a sprained foot for a month and the whole situation shook my confidence quite a bit. The good news was my foot only hurt when I walked on it, not when I rode, so the whole situation made me ride even more :)

I haven't given up on clipless but I only use them on predictable trails. I've got a new non-fixie bike coming so maybe I'll give clipless on the street another go but for now it's flat peddles for me.



Michelle said:

Nope. Ankle still sprained :( I miss being able to say yes! 

Now Im even more afraid of clipless - how bad would my crash have been if i couldnt put my foot down? I might have a cracked head instead of a sprained ankle...

A bit wet this morning, but I made it in one piece. It was nice having the Lake Front Trail practically all to my self.

SPD has a "quick release" version and you can adjust it to allow your foot to come out more easily - especially in an emergency. When I first transitioned, I had a few nasty falls (not being able to unclip in time), switched to quick release, and I stopped falling. 

Now it feels more natural and I kept popping out of the pedals when sprinting so I had them adjusted to a tighter setting.

totally agree. I like mine looser, esp in this weather.

Yasmeen said:

SPD has a "quick release" version and you can adjust it to allow your foot to come out more easily - especially in an emergency. When I first transitioned, I had a few nasty falls (not being able to unclip in time), switched to quick release, and I stopped falling. 

Now it feels more natural and I kept popping out of the pedals when sprinting so I had them adjusted to a tighter setting.

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