The cycling thread

[manic-road]

With the cleats, think about your riding style and how much walking you might be doing as well before purchasing pedals and shoes.

SPD’s. (The ones your probably mentioned) are two screw metal plates with pedals that can be one sided (normally with flat) or dual sided. They are mostly looked at as gravel / mtb ones but I would recommend these if will be walking more or just tootling along rather than exerting with speed. Go for ones with a wider platform for support as the smaller cleat area can cause hotspots on your feet. The cleats are normally recessed slightly on most shoes.

SPD-SL’s are more for racing and the cleats are exposed more. They are normally three bolt ans made from durable plastic, but will wear more with walking, plus awkward to walk in anyway. Go for these if wanting more performance.

As you are going defy which is more endurance then speed, I’m guessing the former is the ones you need.

Thanks for the Info

[TonyD]

Cleats are the way to go.
They do a lot of things. 
Keeps your feet in the right place on the pedal.
Gives you confidence to push hard knowing you’re never going to slip out.
And for me they improved my cadence.  I used to pedal in bursts. Now it’s a nice steady cadence. 
Plus you don’t have to hook the pedal up when you ride off. 

I’m not looking to break any speed records.  So I use these:
https://www.wiggle.com/p/shimano-m324-combination-pedals?utm_source=google&utm_term=&utm_campaign=&utm_medium=base&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvbLjtYHr_wIVUZvVCh1csgszEAQYASABEgLFKfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

You can clip out both ways with them.

Shoe wise I’ve always gone for North Wave.  Good for wider feet.  Lots of cycling shoes tend to be a narrow fit.   These are good value  https://www.alpinetrek.co.uk/northwave-escape-evo-cycling-shoes/?aid=fef7546ece63c8d446cec606fabf9d1e&pid=10004&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIoufdioLr_wIVxuPtCh2SYgAxEAQYIyABEgJl_PD_BwE&wt_mc=uk.pla.google_uk.18006637156..#galleryid-1.pictureid-3

[TonyD]

TdF tomorrow. 
Love it. 

[UK Redsox]

Yep, repeat-record set for the ITV4 highlights

[SteveN]

p
TdF tomorrow. 
Love it. 

Hope Pogacar is fully recovered to take on Vinegaard and Jumbo Visma. And of course a stage win for Cav.

[Villa Lew]

Is there any chance of a British winner?

[SteveN]

Is there any chance of a British winner?

Tom Piddock, the Yates brothers, Cav and Fred Wright for a possible stage win. 

[Somniloquism]

It will be interesting if TdF is affected by the riots. After all the Police are normally heavy handed with any disruptions of it in normal times.

[charlatan]

They don't spend much time trundling through the banlieues

[TonyD]

Yates and Yates
1st and 2nd!
Fukin awesome. 

[TonyD]

Should have put a bet on.
In hindsight that route was a series of nasty little climbs.
Like we get in England especially south Devon. 

[CT Villan]

Who is the favorite on here for the GC win in Paris ? Not close enough to it to know who is in form etc...

The course looks brutal though !

[Jon Crofts]

Should have put a bet on.
In hindsight that route was a series of nasty little climbs.
Like we get in England especially south Devon. 

It’s the Dartmoor Classic this weekend if you want nasty little climbs all day. Only other place I’ve come across anything like it was the Tour of Flanders sportive, relentless punchy climbs all day.

[TopDeck113]

Yates and Yates
1st and 2nd!
Fukin awesome. 

Bury's most successful sporting siblings since the Nevilles.

[TonyD]

Should have put a bet on.
In hindsight that route was a series of nasty little climbs.
Like we get in England especially south Devon. 

It’s the Dartmoor Classic this weekend if you want nasty little climbs all day. Only other place I’ve come across anything like it was the Tour of Flanders sportive, relentless punchy climbs all day.

Dartmoor itself is fine. .
But try going clockwise say from Okehampton and skirt Dartmoor going on NCS 28.  Then on to Modbury and then around the South Hams.   
I’ve cycled all over the place. But that area is truly hideous.  Especially with c12 kgs of camping gear.  I’m never ever going back to ride that part of the world.  And I quite like hills.

I thought Flanders was flatter than flat.