(no subject)

[meanfreepath]

While trying to do some long-overdue maintenance on my bike after dance tonight, and in particular while inspecting and adjusting my front brakes, I discovered that my front wheel might be slightly out of true, possibly as a result of the pothole crash. It'll have to go in to the shop eventually, as I have neither the knowledge nor the wherewithal to retrue my own wheels.

I am thinking I'll bring my bike in to the Broadway Bicycle School and use a combination of stand/tool rental and staff assistance when the time comes later this summer for a thorough tune-up. I should check with a chain measuring tool, but I would not be surprised if the chain and cassette need replacing after a year of all-weather usage. I'm not sure if bearing overhauls -- front and rear hubs, headset, and bottom bracket -- are necessary right now.

Also, I am seriously considering replacing my nylon pedals with more durable metal platforms, to which I would mount Power Grips. They're an inexpensive way to get power from the upstroke and are considerably more appealing to me than straps and toe clips, which would be nearly impossible to use optimally when riding in traffic with frequent stops. I don't want to switch to clipless pedals, used with cycling shoes that have a cleat on the bottom, as I don't want to always have to carry whatever shoes I'm going to need for the day. Shimano makes a pedal that is clipless on one side and platform on the other, but it is not cheap, and I don't envision myself using the clipless side for commuting or utility riding, the bulk of what I do. So springing for clipless capability when I'd only use it occasionally for recreational rides doesn't seem wise to me. Anyone have experience with or opinions on Power Grips, or feel strongly that I should try clipless?

Comments

[playfulfordian.livejournal.com]

I have never heard of Power Grips, so I can't be of help there.

I also have never tried clipless, and probably won't. (Because I'm a die hard commuter and wear actual people clothes whenever I'm biking... with the exception of a spare t-shirt if it's hot out).

Toe clips and straps are things I wouldn't be able to live without (well, it would feel really weird!). They work for me, even in stop-and-go city traffic (keep the right one always on my foot and flip in and out of the left one as needed).

[irilyth]

I have clipless pedals, and like them a lot. I have shoes that you can actually wear indoors too -- the cleat is in a groove down the middle of the shoe, and there's enough rubber in the sole around it that you can walk around without the cleat digging into the ground. Much; they scrape a little on hard surfaces like stone, and I'd worry about them on nice hardwood floors. But you can wear them into a restaurant, or a supermarket, or whatever, which is nice. I have a small bag on a rack over the rear wheel where I can stick a pair of real shoes, although that works particularly well with Birks or Fivefingers, which are nice and flat -- my boots wouldn't fit into that bag. (But they do fit into my panniers, so that works well enough for me.)