New Look pedals and Nike Ventoux shoes.
What a dramatic difference!
Set pedals to have the least tension, and am using the red cleats (I
beleive this gives 9deg float). I'm sure someone will tell me if
otherwise.
On Wedneday I took, the old A74, 7 miles north to Moffat. My
confidence was good. spinning the pedals seemed much easier, and the
journey was quicker than usual. I really niticed the push/pull effect
An odd sensation at first, but soon second nature.
My feet felt _much_ cooler that using trainers, I could feel the air
circulating around my feet, which was a fantastic feeling as the sky
was completely blue with not a cloud in sight all day. Temperature was
~24degC.
My first real challenge was Moffat town centre. I was nervous of this
as I'd be stopping/starting at junctions to get onto the Selkirk road.
Luckilly, I managed to get through two right turns to get onto the
road I wanted without stopping, phew!
Getting a bit weary at this point, I should have stopped for a 5min
rest, but feeling confident, especially as things had gone so well, I
ploughed on...this was my downfall, literally.
I should have realised when an RAF jet screamed overhead, so low that
swear that I could feel the heat of the jetstream (ok a little
exageration), that things were going to go to to hell...
The first thing to come to on the Selkirk road (A708) is a hill which
has a farm half way up on the RHS of the road as you head East. But
what a hill! This is extremely steep, and turned to the right. As I
started climbing a couple of cars passed, courtiously giving me a wide
bearth.
This is where my legs gave up :-( I realised that I wasn't going to
make it, so stopped just above the farm in a small gateway and
dismounted to straighten my back, get a breather and a drink of water.
The view looking down the hill was terrific. There were a pair of
buzzards circling above (or there they vultures?).
Ok whimp, get up the hill! Got on the bike shoe locked in right pedal,
PUSH!. The bike didn't move. Aargh, not only that it was tipping over,
into the road., because of the angle I was at I found it impossible to
remove my shoe and put my foot down.
So lying in the middle of the road, I frantically threw the bike off
me (at which point the shoe disengaged) and got up and pulled the
bike back into the gateway. I quickly looked around to see if there
were any witnesses - none :-). I looked back at the gears - 4th gear!
WTF, I was sure I was in first when I stopped.
Once at the top, there is a long winding drop, and your heart sinks,
knowing that you will have to climb back up that sucker. Fortunately,
as it is a longer, slower drop, the return climb is easy.
The road is a constant series of hils/drips as it runs allong the
valley. The road is narrow, and has a surprising amount of heavy goods
traffic. About 5 miles further along the road it narrows through a
wooded section. No sunlight here, the tree coverage is quite dense.
I notice an oncomming oil tanker ahead pull to a stop and pull
slightly into the verge. I then hear a car behind me. Then I see,
directly ahead of me, a large road drain and I kid you not, sunk about
6" below the road surface. Christ, I can't hit that! I pull on the
anchors, and move into erroded edge of the road to stop and let the
car& caravan get past. This is obviously, why the oil tanker stopped.
Mistake #2. As I stop, the bike tries to fall off the edge of the
road, I pull it back, by then my speed is zero, my right pedal
position is behind me. Again I cannot get my shoe released (I think
this is just a matter of training, twisting of the foot, is not the
first thing that yet springs to mind when wanting to put my foot
down). The inevitable happens, the caravan thunders past, as it does,
I cowpe over into the road again. Close one, that! This really shakes
me up. This time there is a witness - the tanker driver. I pick myself
up, as I do the tanker driver pulls allongside to check if I'm OK.
Bless him.
I tell him that my pride is mortally wounded, he laughs and pulls
away.
Anyway, when you fall off a horse, as the saying goes, the best thing
to do is shoot the horse ;-)
As I cycle onward, I realise that all is not well. The rhs brake/gear
selector has twisted about 20deg on the bars. [censored]. I stop and pull it
back into its normall position.
Onward and upward. Once passed the wooded area, we are in open
country, and finally afer ~10miles from Moffat, we end up the Grey
Mares Tail. This is (at times) a spectacular waterfall. There is
parking to visitors, and those inclined, can walk to the small Loch
Skeen at the top of the waterfall (those not wearing cycle shoes that
is). Mountain goats can be seen on the hills, as can the omnipresent
black faced sheep. I stop and consider wether to continue or turn
back.
The fact that 7miles further on there is St. Marys Loch, with an
establishment serving refreshments by the pint is a stong driving
force in my decision making. Onward to St Marys. This is a lovely
place. Quiet, a Loch to rest weary feet in, and the previously
mentioned refreshments. I lay down at the loch side and sunbathe for a
while and decide wether to go back via Megat water/Devils Beef Tub or
the road I just came along.
Discretion, they say, is the better part of valour. Between you and
me, I just chikened out.
So back, westward, along the Selkirk road, back towards Moffat.
Thankfully much less eventful. Apart from the odd tourist bus and
timber lorry thundering past at an incredible speed for such a narrow,
blind road.
The hill that "got me" on the way out, was easy to climb from the
other direction. The run down the steep side was FUN.
Through Moffat and back onto the A74, I was getting weary again, I
trundled along, past Beattock using the A74 (not the cycle path as it
is atrocious). I was a tad embarrased then a couple, a pretty woman
and presumably her partner breezed passed me, as I struggled up the
incline out of Beattock. They went out of sight. My feet were starting
hurt now. I freewheeled down the hong hill to rest myself, then cought
sight of the couple in the distance. An incentive! I pushed hard to
catch. After about a couple of miles, I was behind them. They seemed
to nitice and picked up the pace :-) Just what I needed, pacemakers.
About 2 miles from home, they gave up and pulled over into a layby. I
went past and tried to push on but I couldn't seem to keep the pace up
when there was nobody to chase :-(.
Final strech. Used the hill at Annandale water to speed up and take me
over the Motorway flyover and cruised down to Dinwoodie Lodge Hotel
(about 300 yards from my home). Refreshment time again ;-)
Got home, walked dogs for a mile or so. Sat in garden watching the
shadows get longer and with a nice bottle of Merlot by the garden
chair. Bliss. Sleep....
Oh, the point of all this - pedals/shoes work.