June 22nd, 2009
I bought SPD-SL system for the cleats
smurfhunter Seattle, WA 6/22/2009
4 5
Gift: No
Pros: Adjustable, Good Platform, Increases Pedaling Efficiency
Cons: Unreliable Entry/Exit
Best Uses: Road Biking
Describe Yourself: Avid Cyclist
I have a few bikes that I ride regularly. Up until purchasing these Ultegra pedals all were equipped with some form of CrankBrothers eggbeater pedals. My previous setup was practical - one pair of shoes for 3 bikes.
I bought these pedals (and corresponding 3 bolt road shoes) to replace a pair of CrankBrother Candy C pedals that stripped a spindle during a hilly century ride.
I did not expect these to be practical for stop and go riding through the city, but needed something that would be good for the really long distance rides: 1 day STP, RAMROD, etc.
I do like the larger platform compared with most MTB style cleats. Exit entry is certainly more difficult than MTB systems, but I’m getting better acquainted, and the cleats may be “breaking in”, resulting in quicker engagement and disengagement.
My biggest reason for going with Shimano SPD-SL system compared with LOOK was the cleat. The Shimano cleat is relatively lower profile, and has some rubber pads attached for traction. In practice you walk around like you’re going uphill, but at least the cleat is not terribly slippery on wood or tile floors.
These are my first “road” pedals and bought the Ultegra because they were on sale for only $10 more than the 105 model. In most cases 105 is my group of choice in terms of value of the dollar. I can’t say if I’d like the lesser Shimano SPD-SL more or less, but these are a tick lighter with a bit more “bling”.
I had over 8000 miles on my old Candy’s before they failed spectacularly. If these are working as good in 2 years then these will become the “best” pedals I’ve owned.
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June 19th, 2009
Check out this google spreadsheet I made.
That’s the read-only version, but you get the idea of how you could do this yourself. Rather than look at the entire 200 mile ride and say “geez, I hope I average 15.5mph the whole way” - this sets specific check point goals. Major meal stops take longer, so I’ve accounted for that by lowering the pace.
Personally I like to work things like this on a fairly structured schedule. I’m not going to cry if I’m an hour late getting to a checkpoint, but if possible I’ll try to make up some of that time later.
You may have noticed that I plan to ride from my house, rather than roll out of UW Husky Stadium. To all you haters, I’m not cheating. I have it all worked out that I’ll ride 24 miles between my house and REI Corporate HQ in Kent. From that point on, I’ll stick to the standard route and my mileage will be (within a mile or so) in synch with the other 9,999 cyclists. I’ll have traveled 200 miles when I arrive in Holladay park in Portland.
Reasons I’m doing this:
At the present time I’m riding solo - no meet up @ UW planned
I can sleep in longer (because waking up at 4am, instead of 3am means sleeping in)
The first 5-10 miles of STP are horrible. Crowds, bad roads and slow speeds.
I live in close proximity to the route along West Valley HWY
I’m special
The next thing to solve is get my Garmin 305 cyclocomputer to last longer than 10 hours.
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May 19th, 2009
After several months of not logging in, I’ve decided it’s time to give blogging another shot.  I’ve updated the blog software, and cleaned out a few hundred thousand spam comments. In the age of Tweets, FaceBook status and other play by play digital alerts, I’ve come to enjoy reading long form articles more than I used to.
If this post is any evidence, writing is not that easy - at least not easy for most people. Any bozo can post “tired, need coffee” on tweeter. That’s not writing, that’s like a weirdo on the public bus telling you about his cat.
I don’t mean to rant, I just want to inspire myself to produce some half-way readable content. If you are into reading adventure blogs, check out Dave Liddell’s latest epic detailing his travels by bicycle through southern Peru.
Enjoy.
-Sean
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February 15th, 2009
Thank you, more than words, to everyone that prayed for my Dad this week. As many of you know, he had a major heart scare that was fixed by two stents. Please pray for his continued health and that we all learn the lesson from this scare and take the necessary steps to keep this tragedy from taking any of us or causing hurt or harm. Please let this serve as a reminder to tell your loved ones how you feel, to not have any regrets! Thank you! I know prayers made the difference!
Sometimes a hug gives you the strength to keep standing
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September 22nd, 2008
Thank you for praying for Mara and her family. She passed away this morning after a strong and courageous battle with a brain tumor, DIPG. Please hug and kiss your kids.
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