Kissing the Clipless
It’s been a while since I’ve ridden a “proper”bike. Back in September, to replace my previously stolen road bike, I bought a Dahon Cadenza Solo – a kind of Jazz Hybrid of a bicycle. It folds, but still has 26″wheels so doesn’t look too much like a silly folder.
So, when on Sunday my beautiful Dahon was stolen, I cursed and swore like sailor, lamenting my case toy all who would listen (and some who would not) but my kind and generous boss offered to lend me his racer!
Now, this is a fairly nice bit of kit. It’s a few years old, but hardly ridden. There was a lot of adapting to do from the ride I was used to. The Dahon had just one gear – perfect for London – so I had to adjust fairly quickly to having 27 of them to play with! Couple with that the fact that the new bike has clipless pedals, and a properly racey riding position and it was a fairly steep learning curve!
The clipless pedals were the hardest thing to adjust to. It only takes a moment of forgetfulness and chaos can ensue. I had just one hairy moment, slowing to a stop at a set of lights only to then remember that I need to unclip my shoe from the pedal to avoid falling right over and causing a world of pain and damage to myself and the bike (neither of which would go down too well!)
That all said, it was a great ride. The bike itself isn’t really suited to the commute (it’s a little too racy) but the clipless pedals made for a much easier, smoother ride. Accelerating is an amazing experience. It really feels like you are running, but with a bicycle strapped to your feet. Great stuff. Remarkably liberating.
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