Day at the BentUpCycles

Today I went back to the BentUpCycles and spent couple hours test riding bents.

I rode HP Velo Scorpion FX and FS. There is my take on them:

Both are good trikes, but as I pedal they seem very sensitive to steering. I had to constantly work on keeping them going straight. That was not fun. On a smooth surface, FX is just fine until you tried the FS version. It is very smooth on the any suface. Pretty amazing stuff once you compare it to a non-suspension trike.

I also rode SWB steel frame Barcroft - owned and manufactured by BentUpCycles.

Barcroft is a fun bike, but I am spoiled by my rear suspension on Cannondale. I would not own a bike without a rear suspension on a recumbent. Barcroft, as zippy and fun, was hard on my tush riding over the hard stuff. Also, I was not in love with the handlebars - they were way too close and just after 10 minute test ride my hands were already little tired. There is an aero bar option for the Barcroft, but I still would want a rear shock on my bent.

Dana (guy in a red shirt) and Kate were super helpful and informative, too bad they did not have a HP Velo Grasshopper FX on display to try. And, according to Dana, they will not carry it anymore. The Grasshopper just did not sell well. He said that many dealers are not carrying the Grasshopper FX anymore because of that. And, even with the wheels off Grasshopper does not fit into a suitcase. It is just too bulky. So much for my "suitcase bent".

BentUp folks were building up a HP Velo Streetmachine GTe for a customer, but they did not have one to ride. So I could see it, but I could not experience the ride. Hence, I played with the Barcroft.

The Keen cycle shoes work well in cool weather. They keep feet a little warm, but while riding there is enough ventilation through the slats. My feet were comfortable. To put them on and off is also a cinch - thanks to the stretchable construction. Thumbs up so far, but let's see how long they will last.

So I am starting to lean towards a Streetmachine, especially if I could figure out how to transport in my car. Grasshopper folded should fit in a trunk. Again, more testing is required.

My take on bicycle shoes

I found out that riding bicycle for more than couple miles with soft soled running shoes quickly transitions into a foot pain.

I have purchased single sided Shimano PD-M324 SPD pedals for my Specialized Allez. I tried two different shoes - Sidi road shoe (over a $100 in 2008) and Cannondale mountain bike shoes ($40).

Sidi road shoe was a road shoe - on the bike they were ok but not comfortable, eventually giving me a knee pain. I tried riding them for about a month, after that they went back to REI.

Cannondales were more practical, but not that useful. Their soles were not stiff enough and after riding for a while my foot would start getting sore. So after another month, Cannondale MTB shoes went back to REI. I decided to continue using my Chaco Z1 sandals.

Chaco Z1s have pretty stiff soles so the pressure from the pedal gets distributed evenly and I would not get sore spots in my feet. They work very well in dry weather. When the weather got wet (doesn't happen too much in Santa Monica) the rubber becomes slippery, and you have to be careful not to let the foot slip off the pedal. Because my pedals are not that high on Long Base Compact recumbent, I did not have too much of a problem. But I realized that one slip could be my last, so I started looking for a better solution.

This is what I want: I would like to have Chaco sandals, but with SPD plates. Too bad Chaco doesn't have a product like that. Other sandals were made by Shimano ($99), Nashbar ($50) and Lake ($77) and Keen ($70).

I tried a pair of Lake sandals at BentUpCycles, and I did not like them too much. They were pretty hard on the top, just didn't feel super comfortable.

I did research on the net, and ended up ordering Keen Commuter Shoes.

Today they came in, and I was glad to notice that their soles had good traction and stiffness. I rode my Cannondale Bent to work and the soles almost felt glued to the pedals, even before SPD plates were attached. They were OK for walking too - I am sitting with them at my desk right now. On the downside they do not have the ventilation of Chaco Z1s- I can feel my feet getting clammy inside. I think I will wear them for riding, but will have a pair of real open sandals for walking and work.

I will take Keens on a longer ride on Saturday and see how they feel with SPD plates attached.

11-14-10 Update:

I have been using Keens all the time for commuting. So far - great cycling "shandal" - it is not quite a sandal due to closed toe box. But now as weather is getting colder, that is a benefit.