Just 13 years into the second phase of my bike life, I purchased a pair of bike shoes.
When I bought my first recumbent and was unsure of my balance, I told other bikers who suggested bike shoes would help my biking that I wanted to get my feet on the ground as fast as I could if I lost my balance. (more on this later)
I did purchase some shoe toe holds to keep my feet on the pedals and not fly off very often. It was better than nothing.
This year, with a new advanced bike and goals for a big ride later this summer, I realized I need to maximize my limited bike abilities as much as possible. Which meant bike shoes.
The shoe is fitted with a cleat that clicks into each special pedal. You click the shoe in and when you anticipate a stop and the need to control balance, you flick your heel away from the bike center, it releases the shoe and your feet are free for other uses.
While locked in, though, your feet and legs are part of the bike. Not only is there the downforce of each pedal stroke, you gain speed as you pull your foot back to you. Instead of getting power one foot at a time, each leg is powering the bike all the time you pedal.
As soon as I took off on my maiden ride in bike shoes, I felt the difference.
On level ground it was 3 - 5 miles an hour quicker.
Going uphill, the higher efficiency with each stroke moved me up the hill faster than what used to be my normal.
I want to improve my hill climbing.
If you've watched a bike race, or ridden your bike up a hill, you'll understand. On an upright or regular bike, bikers stand up on their pedals and exert extra power into each stroke to climb the hill.
On a recumbent, there is no standing. You can push back against the seat as you try to increase the cadence, but it's been hard for me to see much improvement. The promise of moving the chain with both feet, every time my feet go around, I believe will make a difference. That and lots of practice.As my inaugural ride wrapped up I was very happy with the investment in bike shoes and pedals.
There was a left turn signal flashing yellow as I approached. I slowed before planning to make the turn when it changed to red.
I was going to slow!
I wasn't fast enough clicking out of the right pedal.
In slow motion, I started leaning right.
Then farther, until I stopped leaning when my right calf and right hand hit the asphalt. The bike fell on my leg. Which seemed, ironically, to be enough to release both my shoes.
I sat for a second with more bruises to my ego than my body when I realized I had a car behind me waiting to make a left turn.
At least she wasn't laughing at me.
Slowly I picked myself up then moved the bike and waved her around. I remounted the bike and finished the ride home... sorer and wiser.
Ride on!
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