Some interesting snippets

The Shoes Ruse

(this is written for non-racers, and for riders who don't ride race-like. In other words, for recreational riders, tourists, commuters, general fitness riders...but not for racers or racer-likes. It is an opinion, a point of view not often presented as worth of consideration. No harm is intended, but no punches have been pulled, and as presented here, I believe in my bones that it is worthy of your undivided attention and serious consideration, contemplation, genuflection and more than all that, your experimentation.

If you're loving your clipless pedals, there's not much point in reading it, and certainly there's no point in changing what works for you. In that case, this article is not meant for you. But if you're not exactly in deep, passionate love with your shoe-pedal-system and are hoping there might be another way, read on!)

Read the rest here:


Shifting

FIRST, some things you should know about friction shifting, even if you don't know what friction shifting is. This will tell you that, too.


Friction shifting is shifting without indexing. In indexed shifting, there are notches in the shift lever that regulate the movement, and when everything is in harmony, a skill-less person shifts perfectly. Friction shifting is shifting without the notches. The shifter moves linearly, like a ramp rather than stairs, and so, in theory, you can move the shifter in between gears and not quite be in the gear. But this is a case in which the theory is scary and reality is not. The reality is, it takes five minutes to get good enough so you hardly ever goof up, and once you're there, lots of good things happen:

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Does this sound familiar?

“Bike commuters are rare to non existent in this town and our riding instead of driving a car always causes quite a commotion … Some cannot believe life is possible without a car. One man told me it was, ‘Un-American not to drive like a normal person’ and another well meaning man, assuming I had a DUI (drunk driving), told me, ‘With a good lawyer you can get your license back.’ Sometimes I feel like a stranger in my own country.”

Read the rest here:

Visit Tim and Cindie's main page here: http://downtheroad.org/

Plus

An American planning to cycle in Australia (and other stories): http://bicycletouringpro.com/blog/category/2/featured-articles/

Her blog is here: http://www.bicyclenewyork.blogspot.com/