Clipless Pedals
Stats for today's ride:
Time: 45 minutes
Distance: 6.87 miles
Rode: Snowmobile trails and fire roads near FOMBA site. FOMBA "Sampler" and "Red Pine" (but no Log Roll)
Thanks to a work bonus, I had some money to spend on some bike gear. I picked up some much-needed maintenance equipment, including a pump, and took the plunge on clipless pedals. Once again the wonderful folks at Naults hooked me up with tons of useful information and efficient service. On my ride today I split my use of the clipless - I clipped in riding the fire roads and snowmobile trails, but did not clip in when riding the actual FOMBA trails.
Earlier in the week I picked up "Mountain Bike Like a Champion" from Ned Overend. During my mystery fever on Wednesday and my two-hour trip to the doctor's office, I got a chance to read through it several times. I picked this up because it had been recommended to me on the MTBR forums. This is probably the best primer for a cyclist like myself who is transitioning from road cycling to mountain biking. Ned covers just about every aspect of choosing a bike, technique, and competition training. It is written in an excellent conversational style that doesn't talk down to the reader, and is peppered with tales from Ned's racing career to illustrate his example.
I mention this because on my ride today I used the tips and techniques in the book many times, as well as a novice like myself could use them. I almost felt Ned's voice in the back of my head telling me what I should be doing next. Thanks to what I read, with a little help from the clipless pedals, my actual trail ride was much more enjoyable and much less uneventful than previous trail rides. I got more confident with taking the bike over obstacles like small rocks and roots, as well as looking ahead to find my line rather than looking at the ground two feet in front of me. I was putting my feet down much less and actually got some flow going at parts. After hitting Red Pine I decided to ride the snowmobile trails to get my legs shook out, and was going to go back for a second try at it, but when I started down the fire road, I felt like I didn't have enough for another ride, so I headed back to the car.
Although it was threatening rain all day, my ride was dry and uneventful.
Time: 45 minutes
Distance: 6.87 miles
Rode: Snowmobile trails and fire roads near FOMBA site. FOMBA "Sampler" and "Red Pine" (but no Log Roll)
Thanks to a work bonus, I had some money to spend on some bike gear. I picked up some much-needed maintenance equipment, including a pump, and took the plunge on clipless pedals. Once again the wonderful folks at Naults hooked me up with tons of useful information and efficient service. On my ride today I split my use of the clipless - I clipped in riding the fire roads and snowmobile trails, but did not clip in when riding the actual FOMBA trails.
Earlier in the week I picked up "Mountain Bike Like a Champion" from Ned Overend. During my mystery fever on Wednesday and my two-hour trip to the doctor's office, I got a chance to read through it several times. I picked this up because it had been recommended to me on the MTBR forums. This is probably the best primer for a cyclist like myself who is transitioning from road cycling to mountain biking. Ned covers just about every aspect of choosing a bike, technique, and competition training. It is written in an excellent conversational style that doesn't talk down to the reader, and is peppered with tales from Ned's racing career to illustrate his example.
I mention this because on my ride today I used the tips and techniques in the book many times, as well as a novice like myself could use them. I almost felt Ned's voice in the back of my head telling me what I should be doing next. Thanks to what I read, with a little help from the clipless pedals, my actual trail ride was much more enjoyable and much less uneventful than previous trail rides. I got more confident with taking the bike over obstacles like small rocks and roots, as well as looking ahead to find my line rather than looking at the ground two feet in front of me. I was putting my feet down much less and actually got some flow going at parts. After hitting Red Pine I decided to ride the snowmobile trails to get my legs shook out, and was going to go back for a second try at it, but when I started down the fire road, I felt like I didn't have enough for another ride, so I headed back to the car.
Although it was threatening rain all day, my ride was dry and uneventful.
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