Well guys, everything's here!
I've only been able to take it for a few short testing rides around the block...I really want to take it out for a real ride but time hasn't been on my side.
I've already had my fall though...LOL. Wasn't even outside or on a ride.
I brought the bike back in after riding to make some adjustments. I was sitting on the bike clipped in, holding onto a chair for support, trying to figure out seat height. Started falling away from the chair and BAM...fell right into the coffee table. Someone should have been filming that...
I found that I used to ride with the pedal more under the arch of my foot rather than closer to the ball like these clipless pedals do. It may be because that was the only way I could get good retention, I don't know. This dramatically changed my riding position and I found that I had to move my seat height up...A LOT. On the order of several inches! Thus, my indoor adjustment and fall...
Anyway, even on my short rides I can already tell a difference. Really, the whole experience is different than the strength I developed using platforms. Likely, not only due to the inherent benefits of clipless but because of the difference it made to my riding position through seat adjustments and foot alignment. The handlebars are now much lower in relation to the seat than they were before. Everything feels good there, so I'll leave it alone...but I'm definitely in a more aero position and thus works things differently.
I can't describe it, but I definitely feel more efficient...this may be due in part both to the pedals and shoes and the new position...I feel myself applying power all the way through the stroke and thus I'm able to maintain faster speeds more easily it seems. Don't really feel a difference in accelerating from a stop, in fact I may have been slightly faster with platforms. But cruising and higher speed acceleration feel significantly improved. Feels like I'm flying and barely trying, although I'd almost gotten to that feeling with platforms too. Could be due to adjustments or the pedals/shoes, or both.
Oddly enough, my shifting has gotten smoother. I know the changes couldn't have made an actual physical change there, but my theory is that when I'm riding I'm focusing less (not at all now) on foot position and retention and able to keep better in tune with the sounds coming from the rear derailleur, making better adjustments with the friction shifters as I go along.
Overall, feeling connected to the bike is nice. I felt more as though I were a driver of the bike and less like I was the physical labor behind it...as I didn't get tired at all even though I was pushing along pretty fast. Definitely felt fast and capable of traversing long distances with minimal effort...I hope that proves to be true. I plan on piling the miles on my Denali this year.
Overall pretty positive changes and impressions so far. Hope to fit in a nice ride in at some point tomorrow. If not, I'll get one in on Monday...
Forgot to mention, I think I may have mentioned somewhere in the previous pages that the Denali with 23C tires was a bit of a rough ride. I was running the tires at the max rated pressure of 125 psi. I decided to lower it to a somewhat more normal pressure for 23C tires of 105-110 psi. The result is that the ride is MUCH smoother, and no flats so far. Still not quite as smooth as the Sovereign, but it's not bad at all. 1425 miles on the Denali now. I really hope to be putting on 100+ miles per week this spring/summer...
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