Just a couple of shots from my training ride on Mt. Diablo today. I actually did the climb twice in two different sets of pedals and shoes. The first I did in some casual $25.00 hiking boots, $25.00 platform pedals with Power Grip straps and the second I did with my $100.00 Look Keo pedals and $150.00 Specialized road shoes.
Looking up the road from the first 1,000 feet of climbing, it looks darn steep. But, when you are riding up this section, it really isn't nearly as bad as it looks from this view.
The 3,000 foot sign is within about 2 miles of the top. The picture at the top is looking north towards Davis. The second climb was about 15 minutes faster. The lighter pedals and shoes helped. Not sure the extra $200 is worth it though. In total, it was about 50 miles of riding and 7,000 feet of elevation gain.
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ReplyDeleteMy guess is that day in, day out on your cross-country ride, it'll be a HUGE difference. If nothing else, the cleats will protect your feet better from damage from the pedals. And with full support, you can just send your human shoes on ahead. :-) (I did an unsupported tour once in touring shoes and toeclips, but I only did 1100 miles in a month, with a fair bit of hiking on the side.)
ReplyDeleteCarl
Hi Carl....well, if I hadn't been struggling from Jan. through early March with toes going numb, I might agree with you. I was ~15 mins faster on the 2nd climb with my more expensive pedals and shoes. But, the tour company actually recommends platform pedals and 'normal' shoes. And, I really had to make some large adjustments in my road shoes -- I drilled new holes in the bottom to move the 3-bolt cleat back to get the ball of my foot over the front of the pedal spindle. That helped immensely. Kind of a risky modification to a $150 pair of shoes though! But, it worked. Well, almost. Because of the design of the shoe's sole, I had a choice to compromise the cleat inboard or outboard a wee bit and I choose wrong; inboard. My foot is just touching the crank arm ever so slightly now. I added a couple of washers to push the pedal out from the crank arm but don't like the idea of pedaling 3,500 miles with 3mm of pedal unthreaded into the crank arm. I am working on some ways to fix that.
ReplyDeleteGreat view Mark, reminds me of riding the motorcycle and feeling like I was one with nature. Wishing you the best as you go forward to obtain your dreams. Rhonda Carter
ReplyDeleteThanks for the good wishes, Rhonda. I am probably going to wish I had a 'motor' (a gasoline one and not my own legs) on my bicycle soon enough ;)
DeleteMark, I'm a little disappointed you only chose to climb Mt. Diablo twice. If you remember, I believe it was in 2006, you and I climbed Mt. Diablo three times in one day as part of our training for the Markleeville Death Ride. What a memorable day, it gave me a whole new appreciation for numb feet and saddle sores. Anyway, glad to hear about your upcoming bike adventure, sorry I can't be there in person for the experience. Nevertheless, I will anxiously follow your adventure by way of this blog.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy!!!
Scott
Hi Scott. Thanks. Yeah, was thinking of that ride the second time I started up Mt. Diablo last weekend. In truth, I started the day with my heart set on doing it thrice. But, then, all I would have done is tie our 2006 ride and it was late in the day and seemed like a lot more work just to break even ;). I still can't believe we did it 3 times once. Guess I can always try to do Mix twice. I can't believe the last time you and I actually got together for a ride was 18 months ago on your Ione route. Yeah, we rode together for a few minutes on the Auburn Century last summer but that seems like ages ago.
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