Rule 8: It’s Gotta Be The Shoes
What Gianni humbly omitted from his last article is that once he finishes ranting about sock color (actually, the lack of need for any color other than than white), he recovers quickly and we wrap up the Keepers executive board meeting with him tearing our legs off on the ride home from the bar with his magnificent stroke. Because after all, he is Rule #72.
But I digress. All the chit-chat Gianni’s article generated, and the timing of it with a new shoe purchase on my end, has me ruminating on Rule #8. Matching saddle, handlebar tape, and tires is, for the Velominatus at least, quite the no-brainer as it were. The only really poignant question I recall ever being raised is whether Vittoria Open Pave’s have an exemption because they are awesome and scream hardman tire (I think they are acceptable).
But what of shoes? They are the one piece of kit that most often throws a rider’s coordination out of sync. Of course this has traditionally been fine as shoes are such a personal matter that expecting one to match one’s shoes with the rest of one’s kit is hopeful at best. That being said, I wonder if shoes are less kit and more equipment. They transfer power directly from rider to bike and thus they are mechanical, they are engineered by smart people using fancy computers, and they render the machine virtually unrideable without them. In fact, I’ve often wondered why retailers list them under “clothing” and why online review forums don’t put them under “drivetrain” instead of “clothing and accessories”.
So if you don’t accept my premise, at least humor me here. If shoes are equipment and not kit, why would anyone buy a pair that didn’t match the rest of their bike? Surely, with the abundance of shoe choices on the market these days I would think one could make every effort to find a pair that fits, has the features and performance characteristics sought, falls within price range, and matches the rest of the bike.
I happened upon this concept casually deliberately this week. You see, I’ve been sporting considerable carbone over Fi’zi:k’s new shoe line ever since they were introduced (you might say I have a thing for shoes). So when a new pair of R3’s fell into my lap for number 1 I was forced to shift the Yellow Princesses over to number 3. The yellow decals and accents on the Serotta look awesome with the YP’s and the new R3’s are oh so sublime with the BMC. Splendid, indeed.
So I’ll put it to you, the Velominati. Does Rule #8 need amending? Are shoes equipment and not clothing? Do we, perhaps, need a new rule pertaining to shoe/bike matching (I think not but a suggestion might be in order). These are the things that keep the Keepers up at night.
@scaler911
Here is a little inspiration for you:
@Nate
Sooo fucking HARD. No leg warmers, snow piled up in his helmet vents. I’m tough, but not THAT tough.
@scaler911
The V generates its own warmth.
Dudes, you’ve all straightened me out on a lot of details with the Rules … but I gotta say … you’ve gone a bit too far with this one. SIDI is the ONLY shoe in cycling … end of story … read Rule #5 a bit more … and realize that when your climbing … you need a shoe that is not loose in the heel. SIDI is the only shoe that has figured this out in my experience. I spent $200 on sale for some Mavic furies for cyclocross and I might as be wearing ballet slippers … back to Rule #5 I guess …
@Burger
Being a Sidi man myself, I agree 100%. And white, of course.
Also, always remember: climbing is easy. All you have to do is go harder.
@scaler911
How was your ride?
Shoes are in fact kit and should at all times match or co-ordinate with your kit. The ONLY exception to this rule is when they match the bike which does not match the kit. If the shoes match neither the rider shall meet with scorn and derision from his or her bunch companions.
@Nate
Well as it goes around here, the weatherman got it wrong. It was cold, wet roads, but didn’t rain or snow on us. http://app.strava.com/rides/2380100
Check these out. These should be the official shoes of the Velominati! A big fucking V right on the arch strap! http://pezcyclingnews.com/cgi/gallerypicget.asp?pic=http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/photos/tech/vittoriashoes/vslarge.jpg
@Mikel Pearce
Yup, they got spied by @Sgt during his mission at Interbike…pretty sure there was a guest article on the whole visit a couple of months back.
@Mikael Liddy, @Mikel Pearce
Frank posted the following picture of the lineup on “Gear”, page 16. I have yet to find the version on the far right anywhere except in this picture, including the Vittoria page.
(post from frank)
Was just trawling through some back-articles & found this pic from the Cyclops VSP article. Look how the man in the Yellow Princesses has no matching kit, but has yellow themed tyres to match the shoes perfectly.
He obviously thinks they’re equipment.
@Burger
Your first mistake was not upscaling to the Chasms. Much better heel cup and support as well as a stiffer Carbon sole.
I liked them so much that I ended up getting the Pro’s when I got my new road shoes.
Something else I have in common with Big Maggie… he loves his Bonts too !
“First few rides in my new BONT shoes done. Man they are stiff. Such a different pedal stroke with them on. POWER!!!!!”
See, I told you so ;-)
Oh my word…
@Marko
proof that not every thing coming out of Italia is fashionable.
@Marko
I’ve seen many, many pairs of shoes in my time, but those . . . those are quite, quite, quite . . . ? I guess if you’re an Italian pimp they might work, but otherwise, no. Can you imagine asking for a pair of cycling shoes from Santa and he brought those? Not even the finest actor in the world could disguise their horror.
@Marko
Did you see the new Fizik models in all white leather and a separate lightweight racing version? Sweet!
@G’rilla
Totally gorgeous. Baby Kangaroos look nice in white. White Babies? And the tunable saddle, must try.
May I present, “Orange Sunshine”. My new Carnacs are actually quite good. (Maybe not as fine a shoe as my Sidi 6.6’s, but they look AWESOME, and they’re actually pretty comfy once I put some decent insoles in them.
Ummm, can I get a Keeper to rotate these pics for me? Fo some reason the uploader doesn’t like to save orientation…
Or the actual pics, evidently…
Let’s try this:
Pic 1
Pic 2
@sgt
Very nice. and your rocking the new bib shorts.
@sgt
Now you just need a new frame/bike to match the kit…
I kind of dig those Colnagos, the red leather and yellow could look sweet if the design were different IMO.
shoes can only be 1 colour….. black !!! just sayin !
@Peter Cairns
Well, they can actually be lot’s of colors. But how pro that any color is is subject to debate.
@Peter Cairns
Sorry, but cycling shoes kind of remind me of the US Navy. White in the summer, black in the winter. Any other color? No.
It was painful to have to buy new shoes last week. Not that the new shoes (Sidi S-Pro’s) aren’t nice, but that it meant the end for my 11 year old Lakes.
Those gray, red and yellow non-rule compliant lace-up Lakes still have many, many miles left in them, well worn with a fit like slippers. But until I can figure out how to get the last of the cleat bolts unfrozen from the broken plate inside the sole…
Gee-zus!
No Sidi’s for me!
My baby kangas finally arrived. I’ve been calling them the “Quicksilvers”. Still going through the micro-cleat adjustment phase and only have 150km on them but they wear more like road slippers than road shoes.
Nice new shoes! So the all silver Sidi 2s are the Silver Bullets, I think, and those are the Quicksilvers, eh.
I like those red gatorskin Colnagos! Those are awesome. Would look great with the faux denim Shit Kit from Carrera. Red gator shoes and a full denim jumper. Class!
Of course, I did receive “most unique sense of style” honors in the high school yearbook.
One does have to wonder about the marketing “gurus” at Sidi. I like their shoes, but a skinny, oiled up lad wearing nothing doesn’t really make me want to buy their shoes. Have to wonder the target audience with that one. Then again, the cooking commercial on Eurosport, which begins with the skateboarding scene, is a weird one too.
@Ron
I’m female and I’m loving my Sidis even more now! ;-)
@Mikel Pearce
Contacted Vittoria USA and provided local dealer info. Hora! Hora! (image)
http://www.vittoria-shoes.com/products-dett.php?id_art=13&cat=STRADA
@Marko
Marko, I recently rode with a mate who had a pair of Yellow Princesses and it became immediately apparent that I should buy a pair to match my frame. I’ve even since bought a pair of the matching yellow Mavic socks. My Cycling Sensei described the set-up as ‘factory’, my wife on the other hand said I looked like a clown. But what does she know
Thought you might appreciate this… *waits for abuse for unshaven guns*
@Ali McKee
Not to mention the gross violations going on in the stem/steerer department. Double violation points for the front skewer being on the wrong side of the bike. Trim the leg hair and the steerer!
@wiscot
Ha! You’ll have to excuse me as I am only a Pedalwan in his third year on the road
I was aware of the stem/steerer violation – it’s on the agenda. Wasn’t aware of the front skewer one – what Rule is that? (Rules page isn’t loading for me for some reason)
@Ali McKee
Admittedly Rule #41 doesn’t address which side of the bike skewers go on because it is just one of those things that is unsaid: they go on the left. This is because the rear skewer always goes on the left so that it doesn’t interfere with the rear derailleur; the front follows the same location. That skewers go on the left is just . . . . how it is. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Skewers go on the left. Stick around here long enough and you’ll become a raving neurotic about your bike, its set-up and how you look/dress on the bike. It’s all part of the fun.
But seriously, shave those guns.
@wiscot
Understood. I will attend to the skewer. Steerer will require my Cycling Sensei’s assistance.
Gun shaving is still a big hurdle for me to get over, nevermind my wife, but the neuroticism is growing so maybe it’s just a matter of time!
@Ali McKee
Clear up the steerectile dysfunction as well. STAT.
@Ali McKee
Recently took the plunge and worth it. Tan easier, feels great, and although I’m not sure the wife 100% approves, she hasn’t really complained, either. Showed up to a group ride last week, and although 90% of the riders were blatant multiple rule violators (ignorance is bliss, I guess), the leader picked me out and told me ‘don’t be afraid to go ahead of us as you look like you’re a serious rider.’ Although I am not, as the Keepers found out in Europe, the Rules work! ps – I did stay at the front for the ride.
@wiscot
A good explanation but my inner pedant takes exception with describing the sides of the bicycle as “right” and “left.” Proper terminology is “drive side” and “non-drive side.”
@Nate
My apologies for the erroneous nomenclature. Twenty lashes for me tonight with a non-drive side skewer!
@frank
Affirmative. The stem and bars were a donation to my build from my cycling sensei. Plan is to replace them with Ritchey WCS to match my saddle and seatpost. Don’t quite understand how I’m going to flatten stem and keep spacers to 10mm max and still make it fit right – will it just lower my upper body to a racier position?
@Tartan1749
I know this is an often debated topic. I’m an ex motocrosser and mtb’er so it’s a big step!! And my wife is already complaining about my cycling obsession as it is (which I interpret to mean I’m on my way to la Vie Velominatus)
@Ali McKee
Nothing wrong with the stem, just flip it and see how it feels. Give your self some time to adjust and see if you like being lower. You can always put the other spacers back under the stem to come back up a bit. But in all seriousness, don’t do it if its not comfortable.
You may find, however, that you’re more flexible than you think (many people just *think* they can’t go down) and you’ll also find that with the lower position, not only are you more aero, but more stable. For me, when I finally went really low, my back pain went away – the back pain wasn’t, as I though, from reach or from bending over too much, it was from not bending over ENOUGH – with the higher center of mass, I had to stabilize the bike more with my lower back and that was causing the back pain.
@wiscot
Now that could leave a mark.
I think that in addition to flexibility, another thing that gets overlooked in maintaining a low position is good functional core strength. If you’ve got a strong core, its your core that is holding much your upper body in position, not your arms. It is also doing much of the work stabilizing you on the bike. I see so many cyclists (including one every time I look in the mirror) with complaints of shoulder and back pain, much if which could most likely be alleviated by a dedicated regimen of core work. After a lower back injury last season, I know its something I’m really trying to focus on improving this year.
Back to the shoes – what the fuck is with these smurf-kickers?
Check out the special fizik R1s Alessandro Ballan is kicking for il Giro:
@The Oracle
No fun if there’s no pain!
@Nate
Is there a map of Denmark on the other side?
@The Oracle
Looks like no.