Getting Darker...

Peter Grange said:

If any 'bent riders have any experience with riding without clipless pedals I'd be interested to
hear, good or bad.

Very little. I ordered my SMGT with pedals that are SPD on one side, platform on the other. But the
only reason for having the platform side was so that I could easily let people have a go. I've used
the platform sides occasionally over very short distances.

If you use platform pedals then to an extent you have to counteract gravity to prevent your feet
losing contact with the pedals. That takes energy and concentration. It also puts you at increased
risk of leg suck (that's where your foot contacts the ground before you stop, effectively resulting
in your leg being dragged behind the bike). It's much easier and safer to have your feet clipped
into a pair of clipless pedals.

Of course, you don't want to be getting used to clipless pedals at the same time as getting used to
riding a bent. You've got 4 weeks before you get the bent (let's make that 6 weeks if my experience
is anything to go by), so I'd seriously recommend getting a set of clipless pedals and appropriate
shoes this weekend and learning to use them before the SMGT arrives.

--
Danny Colyer (remove safety to reply) ( juggler.netdannyOpen ↗ ) Recumbent cycle page:
speedy5.freeserve.co.ukrecumbentsOpen ↗ "He who dares not offend cannot be honest." -
Thomas Paine

In article <[email hidden]>, Danny Colyer <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Peter Grange said:

If any 'bent riders have any experience with riding without clipless pedals I'd be interested to
hear, good or bad.

Of course, you don't want to be getting used to clipless pedals at the same time as getting used to
riding a bent. You've got 4 weeks before you get the bent (let's make that 6 weeks if my experience
is anything to go by), so I'd seriously recommend getting a set of clipless pedals and appropriate
shoes this weekend and learning to use them before the SMGT arrives.

--
Danny Colyer (remove safety to reply) ( juggler.netdannyOpen ↗ ) Recumbent cycle page:
speedy5.freeserve.co.ukrecumbentsOpen ↗ "He who dares not offend cannot be honest." -
Thomas Paine

Thanks for the advice Danny. Problem is that clipless pedals are pretty much out for me due to foot
problems. I can just about manage by buying two pairs of different size trainers & throwing two away
(can't do that with cycling shoes, I need one shoe to give a lot), but have yet to steel myself to
spend the best part of a grand to get made-to-measure.

--

Remove crude Spam trap to reply.

Peter Grange

Peter Grange said:

Took my first steps towards the Dark Side, ordered a Street Machine yesterday, should have it in 4
weeks or so.

Thats the bike which inspired me to build my own, as I couldn't afford
it. It took about four weeks, aswell.

Quoted message said:

If any 'bent riders have any experience with riding without clipless pedals I'd be interested to
hear, good or bad.

When I was looking into all this, I noticed someone doing some kind of heel supports to add to
pedals. There is an issue with keeping your foot on the pedals when they are out in front of you and
you are e.g. stopped at lights with one foot on the floor. Also, I found you could use more leg
extension, which for mee meant less sore knees, using clipless pedals. I ended up using Looks with
platforms on the reverse side in the end. I never get to use the platform bits, though, because of
the way the Looks hang down (you may just about be able to see in the photo link below). They can be
ridden in regular shoes, but they're a bit lumpy like that.

--
Jim Price

jimprice.dsl.pipex.comjimprice.dsl.pipex.comOpen ↗

Conscientious objection is hard work in an economic war.

Peter Grange said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Danny Colyer <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Peter Grange said:

If any 'bent riders have any experience with riding without clipless pedals I'd be interested
to hear, good or bad.

Of course, you don't want to be getting used to clipless pedals at the same time as getting used
to riding a bent. You've got 4 weeks before you get the bent (let's make that 6 weeks if my
experience is anything to go by), so I'd seriously recommend getting a set of clipless pedals and
appropriate shoes this weekend and learning to use them before the SMGT arrives.

--
Danny Colyer (remove safety to reply) ( juggler.netdannyOpen ↗ ) Recumbent cycle page:
speedy5.freeserve.co.ukrecumbentsOpen ↗ "He who dares not offend cannot be honest." -
Thomas Paine

Thanks for the advice Danny. Problem is that clipless pedals are pretty much out for me due to
foot problems. I can just about manage by buying two pairs of different size trainers & throwing
two away (can't do that with cycling shoes, I need one shoe to give a lot), but have yet to steel
myself to spend the best part of a grand to get made-to-measure.

I think I've seen a kind of pedal attachment that comes out the back of the pedal and curves up to
support the rear of the foot. Perhaps someone else knows what these are called.

I have occasionally ridden around on my bent without clipless and find it scary, as if your foot
slips off you have a real problem if your leg gets pulled back under the machine - aka leg suck.
I've heard it can be crippling.

That said I ride a trike so it may not be quite so bad on bents yet to grow up to three wheels ;-)

John B

Danny Colyer said:

Of course, you don't want to be getting used to clipless pedals at the same time as getting used to
riding a bent. You've got 4 weeks before you get the bent (let's make that 6 weeks if my experience
is anything to go by), so I'd seriously recommend getting a set of clipless pedals and appropriate
shoes this weekend and learning to use them before the SMGT arrives.

I did it the other way around. Borrowed my boyfriend's Streetmachine and used his shimano sandals
with clips but without clipping them in.

First short ride was about getting going, steering and using brakes, second somewhat longer ride was
about shifting gears and using the rearview mirror and letting go of the handle bars with one hand
long enough to signal. Then did a longer ride and realised that my legs were getting more tired than
necessary from having to keep them on the pedals, so I started to use the clips on easy quiet
straight stretches of road once I had some speed. It certainly would have helped to have some
experience with the clips beforehand, to know what sort of twist and push is needed to clip them in
or out. Of course, it didn't help that those sandals are somewhat too big for me which means that I
can twist my foot *without* the clip releasing...

Roos

Try contacting ice.hpv.co.ukice.hpv.co.ukOpen ↗ as I beleive they supplied the heel retainers.

SW

"Peter Grange" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Took my first steps towards the Dark Side, ordered a Street Machine yesterday, should have it in 4
weeks or so.

If any 'bent riders have any experience with riding without clipless pedals I'd be interested to
hear, good or bad.

--

Remove crude Spam trap to reply.

Peter Grange

JohnB said:

I think I've seen a kind of pedal attachment that comes out the back of the pedal and curves up to
support the rear of the foot. Perhaps someone else knows what these are called.

There was a photo of something like that in on of the last issues of Velovision, but I think they
were made locally. The pedals also had toe clips (without the straps) IIRC.

Mark van Gorkom.

JohnB said:

Peter Grange wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Thanks for the advice Danny. Problem is that clipless pedals are pretty much out for me due to
foot problems. I can just about manage by buying two pairs of different size trainers & throwing
two away (can't do that with cycling shoes, I need one shoe to give a lot), but have yet to
steel myself to spend the best part of a grand to get made-to-measure.

I think I've seen a kind of pedal attachment that comes out the back of the pedal and curves up to
support the rear of the foot. Perhaps someone else knows what these are called.

I don't think they have a specific name, but they used to be made by ICE (the trice people).

I don't know if they still make them these days but it might be worth asking - [email hidden]

Failing that, Ben at Kinetics might be able to help - they do a fair bit of making custom stuff -
[email hidden]

--
Carol Hague "There is no problem that cannot be solved by chocolate." - Buffy, BtVS

Erm... What is a "bent" please? Slim

"Peter Grange" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Took my first steps towards the Dark Side, ordered a Street Machine yesterday, should have it in 4
weeks or so.

If any 'bent riders have any experience with riding without clipless pedals I'd be interested to
hear, good or bad.

--

Remove crude Spam trap to reply.

Peter Grange

TheRealSlimShady said:

Erm... What is a "bent" please?

HeHe...I'm a newbie here and had to go look it up as well. It's a RecumBENT bike....one of those
things where you sit back and stick your legs out front, and sometimes steer with handlebars
under the seat.

Bryan.

Bryan Anderson said:

TheRealSlimShady said:

Erm... What is a "bent" please?

HeHe...I'm a newbie here and had to go look it up as well. It's a RecumBENT bike...

Oi you... your research is seriously lacking.

The 'real' ones one's have _three_ wheels.

John B

TheRealSlimShady said:

Erm... What is a "bent" please?

Slight piece of syntactic pedantry, it should be 'bent, as it's a contraction of recumbent.

But yes, it's a cycle that's actually genuinely comfortable (as opposed to "comfortable enough"😉.
Number of wheels doesn't technically affect whether it's a 'bent or not, though spiritually some
prefer certain numbers of wheels.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

Peter Grange said:

Thanks for the advice Danny. Problem is that clipless pedals are pretty much out for me due to
foot problems. I can just about manage by buying two pairs of different size trainers & throwing
two away (can't do that with cycling shoes, I need one shoe to give a lot), but have yet to steel
myself to spend the best part of a grand to get made-to-measure.

Hase do some pedals with heel straps: see kinetics-online.co.ukspecials.htmlOpen ↗ (and
not surprisingly from that URL, Kinetics can get you a pair, and as Carol suggests may be worth
having a word with Darth Ben in any case). How easy it is to eject I don't know... it wouldn't be a
problem on a Hase Kettwiesel, 'cause that's a trike! More expense, but you may wish to go down the
asymmetric route with one side using a SPuD (or SPuD-u-like, I use ATACs) and the other with a
clip/strap and support, if it turns out that disengaging is a bit of a faff.

I learnt to ride my first 'bent with platform pedals, so it's certainly possible and not really a
problem on short trips, but for anything long I think it would be a bit of a bore holding your feet
up (as Roos seemed to find).

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

Peter Grange said:

Thanks for the advice Danny. Problem is that clipless pedals are pretty much out for me due to
foot problems.

OK, that sounds awkward. The foot plates suggested by other people sound like a good idea (and not
something that I was aware of before. Anything that helps to hold your foot on the pedal against
gravity is likely to be beneficial.

--
Danny Colyer (remove safety to reply) ( juggler.netdannyOpen ↗ ) Recumbent cycle page:
speedy5.freeserve.co.ukrecumbentsOpen ↗ "He who dares not offend cannot be honest." -
Thomas Paine

Peter Clinch said:

Slight piece of syntactic pedantry, it should be 'bent, as it's a contraction of recumbent.

Unless you reach the conclusion that it's become popular enough (at least in usenet cycling circles)
to be used as a word in its own right. Like "phone", which appears in the OED without an apostrophe.

That's the conclusion I reached a couple of years ago, anyway, and is why I no longer bother with
the apostrophe, although I can't see "bent" appearing in the OED any time soon as an abbreviation of
"recumbent".

--
Danny Colyer (remove safety to reply) ( juggler.netdannyOpen ↗ ) Recumbent cycle page:
speedy5.freeserve.co.ukrecumbentsOpen ↗ "He who dares not offend cannot be honest." -
Thomas Paine

Danny Colyer said:

Unless you reach the conclusion that it's become popular enough (at least in usenet cycling
circles) to be used as a word in its own right. Like "phone", which appears in the OED without an
apostrophe.

Fairy Nuff, I'm just the sort of saddo who still used a 'phone, and even likes the sound
of a 'cello!

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

Peter Clinch said:

Slight piece of syntactic pedantry, it should be 'bent, as it's a contraction of recumbent.

Slight piece of syntactic pedantry, it should be "/hateful/ contraction of recumbent invented by
idle American dolts"

Dave Larrington - legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uklegslarry.beerdrinkers.co.ukOpen ↗
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
bhpc.org.ukbhpc.org.ukOpen ↗
===========================================================

Dave Larrington said:

Slight piece of syntactic pedantry, it should be "/hateful/ contraction of recumbent invented by
idle American dolts"

You've been talking to that Mike Burrows, haven't you?

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. chapmancentral.comchapmancentral.comOpen ↗ New!
Improved!! Now with added extra Demon!

In article said:

Took my first steps towards the Dark Side, ordered a Street Machine yesterday, should have it in 4
weeks or so.

If any 'bent riders have any experience with riding without clipless pedals I'd be interested to
hear, good or bad.

Bad on the times I've tried. I can see that its dangerous on a trike as you don't want to run over
your feet. I found that without clipless I had to really support my legs, which hurt my knees after
a while. The clipless pedals are quite supporting, and I don't find lack of rotation (OK, is it 5
degrees for SPD) a problem on a trike. My knees are a lot better on the trike than the upright,
where I don't use clipless because of rotation. I have also learned to pedal faster in lower gear.
I've noticed some people commenting here that pushing hard on a trike in high gear is bad for the
knees (but fun down big hills).

I'd be interested in how the Street Machine goes. I've just ordered a reconditioned 2002 ICE XL
Narrow Track. My wife will have a Pioneer (mini tourer) and the bank manager will have a fit. That
said, the two together are still cheaper than a second car, will be very cheap to service and have
no fuel tax, car tax or MOT. Extra bonus if congestion charging finally hits here. The machine we're
riding at the moment goes back to its owners soon, who've been very kind to lend us it.

Which combination of wheel size, seat hight, angle and such was a difficult choice, as all were fun
to ride. The more upright may be more comfortable longer on the neck, but in later tests of
Greenspeed machines I found I really liked being more laid back - pity as the Greenspeed Suitcase
Trike is an excellent idea but quite upright. I like the couplings they use. Steering was very
different between all the machines I tried. I'm getting quite used to Greenspeed steering now, but
preferred the softer feel of the ICE when I started testing.

I went small wheel for carrying (tent, sleeping bag, equipment) in the end, and narrow track for our
cycle lanes. I've measured the local A-Frames at about 80cm wide (give or take a bit, they vary in
width and shape) at wheel height off the ground so should fit through them.

- Richard

--
_/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ Richard dot Corfield at ntlworld dot com _/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/ _/ _/ Time is a
one way street, _/ _/ _/_/ _/_/_/ Except in the Twighlight Zone.