Archive for June 2007
Good Buy – Recumbent Cycling Shorts
Sierra Trading Post is having a sale on what they call fitness shorts. These Polyester/Lycra shorts with no liner or pad are just the right thing for Recumbent Cycling in Hot Weather. They have a very small rear pocket but nothing that will interfere with butt comfort and them do come in industrial sizes. Take a look at Craft Trail Fitness Shorts (For Men), they are on sale now for $24.95.
These aren’t the great buy you can sometimes get on Duofold Poly Fitness Shorts, but I haven’t seen the Duofolds for a few years and these are half the price of the similar Nike shorts I usually buy.
Another Cycling Sandal – Nashbar Ragster
Follow on 4/16/08 – Best Cleated Sandal Yet
Update: 7/28/08
The more I wear these sandals the less I like them. They are serviceable with socks but that is about it. It is too bad that the well made sandals from Shimano and Lake hurt my feet.
Update 4/24/08 -It has been unseasonably warm this week and I have been wearing the Ragsters without socks. Not so good without socks, as expected the foot bed is pretty rough on bare feet. It is too bad that they couldn’t have made these sandals just a little better, but that seems to be typical of Nashbar clothing. These are still the only cleated sandal I can wear but I wouldn’t recommend riding with out socks.
I don’t wear anything but sandals even in the Winter in NH and have tried all kinds of sandals. So far I haven’t found a comfortable cycling sandal that accepts cycling cleats. The big disappointments have been the Shamino and Lake sandals. The both share the same problem, they do not allow the wearer to adjust the position of the foot front to back in the sandal. The result is that the toe ridge presses on a nerve in my foot making them unwearable for me. Both are nicely make, the Shimano looking particularity good.
I am now checking other brands’ last winter I bought a pair of Nashbar cycling sandals with provisions for cleats. These sandals are lowest priced scandals I have tried and like most Nashbar brand goods pretty shoddy looking, But surprisingly they do allow adjustment of the forward to aft foot position. They feel OK and offer some hope of finding a cleated cycling sandal I can wear.
I will do a follow up after some road testing. I am hopeful but suspect I will have to replace the foot pad to make them really usable.
The Nahbar Ragster Sandals are currently on sale at Nashbar for $49.99. N.B., these shoes run small and narrow, expect to order a size larger that your Birkenstock’s.
Good Buy – Recumbent Cycling Jersey – Safety Yellow
The Duofold Poly tee shirt is my warm weather cycling jersey and undergarment of choice in cooler weather. I really love Duofold poly tees and Hydrid shorts. Nothing extra in these garments but they perform very well, none of the clamminess of cotton, have flat seams and the prices are good. They are comfortable and cool, what more could you ask for? Plus at these prices when you get a grease stain on them from the bike or that after ride pizza you don’t feel bad.
Campmor is having a sale on the Duofold Short Sleeve Tech Jersey. I usually wait and buy the straight poly tee when the price hits $2.95; but I love the Safety Yellow color on these jerseys and at $9.95 I am buying. This is a great cycling color and a safety plus.
Cleat Positioning – Follow Up
Follow up on previous post Positioning Cleats
I have moved my cleats back as far as possible as suggested in the previous post and agree that seems to be a better position as suggested in the linked discussions.
I have taken the next step and gotten the trusty Dremel Tool out and lengthened the slots in my Kato shoes. As soon as the Monsoon ends I’ll give you an update on how moving the cleats even further back works out.
6/6/07 update
Moving the cleats back an additional 1/4 using a Dremel Tool helped significantly on the right foot but left foot still needs to move further back.
