ShutUpLegs

I've had trouble, until I switched to Shimano and will probably never go back. I got the Shimano R260s in wide and they are money! Plus scored them brand new online for $100. I'd definitely recommend either of their new line up shoes, R171s, R260s or R321s

ShutUpLegs

I've been back and forth since I switched shoes and pedals (speedplay to Shimano). What I've noticed is that when my cleats were more forward, yes I may have had some more initial power, but I would get fatigued much quicker and couldn't sustain the power as much as when my cleats are more rearward. I've settled on cleats most of the way back and it's been the best solution. I can sustain power for much longer and I feel like out of the saddle I have more leverage.

carpediemracing 

Trying to put the drops in the right position without a custom stem.

Based on my short legs, my drops need to be at about tire height. I've been scanning some old pictures and have been keeping an eye out to see if I'm smoking crack or if my bars have always been pretty low. They've been low, primarily because in an out of saddle sprint I want the bars to be about that height relative to the cranks (no other contact points other than pedals and drops). With the bars 3 cm higher (same horizontal reach) I struggled to control the bike in the sprint. There was one bike where the bars weren't as low but that was because I was so fat that I couldn't clear my stomach, so I got a bike that was something like 7 cm higher up front.

1989 or so.


2014. Note the -32 stem because of the compact bars, aka 3 cm less reach, 3 cm less drop than the bars in the 1989 picture. I'm actually using the bars from the above picture to experiment with a longer position. Depending on how it feels on the road I may raise the bars 1 cm or so, with the longer reach.

carpediemracing 

I used to put my cleats super far forward. This really stressed my calves. I did have some good top end but I cramped often and didn't have much sustainable power. Nowadays my cleats are further back. I've lost a tremendous amount of speed anyway (20% down in top speed in fast conditions, the only metric I could measure in the old days). However now I hardly ever cramp. I have more sustained power but that may be because I'm older as well as my cleat position. I'm still weak FTP wise, but at least my muscles aren't giving out.

globecanvas

First hard ride today with the cleats further forward. The cleats are in the middle of the possible fore/aft range now, which is about 1cm forward from where I've always had them. It felt pretty good, I didn't notice any extra fatigue over a 2 hour hammerfest, and managed a good sprint at the end, probably the best sprint I've ever done after one of these rides. I think I need to move the saddle forward too though, but hoping the stem can stay where it is.

spectastic

I have that problem too. I ride with spec wide, but have to go half size up to make room in the toe box. Shimano shoes are even wider you say? What about arch support, i have medium high arch. What made you decide on the r260s?

topflightpro

May I suggest you go ahead and buy 2-3 more pair if you like them.

I spent a long time trying to find wide shoes I liked. I found a pair of Specialized Pro that didn't fit great, but worked. After a couple of years in them, I really liked them. Then they broke - I pulled the upper off the carbon sole (too many watts I guess.) Anyway, I ordered the new version of the same shoe. They didn't fit anywhere near the same. I used them for a few years, while ordering and trying on new shoes every couple of months.

I eventually ended up with semi-custom Riivo's, which are far from cheap.

The Lakes I tried (236) fit great, but the BOA system was a disaster for me.

I didn't like wide Shimano shoes. If anyone is interested, I have a pair of 44 wide 320s with about 6-months worth of riding on them. I'd sell them cheap.

globecanvas

Great advice, and I am absolutely going to do that if I still like them in a month. Years ago when Bontrager first came out with road shoes, and they actually fit me, I bought 2 identical pairs, one of which is now completely dead and the other is on the way out.

The Shimanos fit me OK width wise but they bugged me where the tongue hits the front of the ankle.

How so?

topflightpro

I could never get the shoes to stay tight. During sprints or any hard effort when I would be pulling up on the pedal, my heel would slip in the shoe while the BOA would clamp down on my toes. It's my only experience with BOA, and I wonder if it had anything to do with the BOA dial being located behind the heel.

I have a friend who also had those shoes, and he voiced a similar complaint.

I believe the 237 has the dial in a normal position.

revchuck

I just ordered a 2015 Ridley Fenix frameset which I found on closeout. Just about everything from my Allez Comp Race will transfer over...except the seatpost, which is 31.6 on the Fenix. Recommendations for a 20mm setback seatpost?

Wylde06

I don't know the setback off hand, but I have, what should be, a 31.6 Pro Vibe S seatpost that I cant use anymore..I would let it go cheap

echappist

Could someone with both a SRM and an Edge 520 confirm the following:

-Whether auto-zero can be turned off. I assume this function still exists in the latest firmware?

-Whether the unit can read battery info from SRM

thanks in advance!

hubcyclist

Thinking of trying wider bars, I have 40cm now which I put a few years back, and maybe it's because I haven't been out a lot and conditioned but yesterday was a bit of a pain in my lower neck area (I was also wearing a cheap helmet I had around because my regular one was in my wife's car so I think I had to left my head more to have good vision). By chance I had stopped at shop and was checking out a synapse and just got over it and grabbed the hoods and was really liked the feel, which I'm attributing in part to the width, although the geometry and spacers may have had the bars up higher than on mine as well. So I may try out a wider pair, but reality is I should just get an actual fitting, or more appropriately get a proper fitting as clearly I'm not very good at self assessing fit lol

shovelhd

If you post a video of yourself riding the trainer or rollers, you'll get lots of free fitting advice right here.

carpediemracing 

Fixed that for you. I include myself in those giving unwanted/inaccurate advice.

carpediemracing 

Wider bars for me have always been more comfortable when stationary, and even on regular JRA rides. I used to swap in a wide bar for off season training (longer rides in the fall and early spring). However when it comes to making efforts I found that wider bars weren't my favorite. I prefer narrower bars. My shoulders are solidly 42 cm range. I used to ride 42s and 44s, and even tried 46s once (when Lemond used some absurdly wide bars). However within a few years I was using 40s normally and 42s for winter. Now I'm using a bar that measures a touch under 40? I should check it. It's labeled a 40 cm, but c-c is 39 or something. I also have a 42 that measures almost the same, it's only about 0.5 cm wider (same manufacturer, same model).

I think wide bars make my bike feel like an SUV. There's some comfort in the slower speed stability and the leverage if you really need to torque on the bars (like huge pothole or massive front tire touch), but the reality is that for me is that I prefer the narrower bars if I'm racing. I am fine with the leverage I have on the narrower bars.

canuckbelle

My Stages is dying. Anyone know of a used SRM or Quarq? (172.5mm, BB86, Shimano ultegra groupset)

TheKillerPenguin

I've been sold on dem aero wing bar gainz. Likely swapping my round bars out for Specialized Aeroflys...

revchuck

Other possibilities in that price range are Power2Max and Powertap chainrings (if you have a five bolt 110 BCD crankset).

canuckbelle

I'm likely looking for used, which is why I posted here. Sorry if it wasn't clear.

dz_nuzz

One of Us! One of Us!

topflightpro

You didn't go with the Verve Infocrank?

I have found that Craigslist is often the best place to find things like that used. I found a great deal on a Cannondale SRM (from LA) and a NOS Caad 10 frameset (from Austin) that way. I had to search CL listings in cities across the US, then email the person. Once I got a response, I then asked if they would be willing to do a transaction through PayPal and mail. I insisted that they bill me via PayPal to protect both of us in the transaction.

It worked out well for me.

canuckbelle

Infocrank is ~$1400 vs hoping to spend around $600 for a used SRM or Quarq.

Thanks for the suggestion

carpediemracing 

Not to shill Power2Max but you can get an arm/spider for $630 (FSA) (*edit $610). For a spider-based PM that's a killer price. You'd need a Garmin or some other Ant+ head.

I love my SRM's reliability overall but mine is wired. You can get a used wired SRM but they have some fixed/regular costs. The wires do go bad, no matter how much care you take in installing and attaching/detaching the head. Based on the fact that I have to wiggle the wire just under the head to me indicates that's about where the wire fails. Wiring harness is $65 and figure you buy one every 1-2 years. You have to detach it to download or charge it so no getting around that. There's a proprietary download cable that costs money, another $70-100 (not on the website, maybe it's no longer available). If you like to solder then battery replacements aren't a big deal, but if you don't then it's $100 do get a spider battery done, a little less for the computer head. So that $500 used SRM suddenly costs $70-250+/year to maintain (wiring harness at minimum, battery for spider + wiring harness + battery for head unit). You're limited to about 6 hours of data in the wired at 1s intervals. If you don't charge it it'll be discharged after 6-8 days of riding. It does NOT charge when you plug it in to download data.

The wireless SRM (PC7, PC8 compatible - I wouldn't get the stepchild PC6 version) uses a micro-USB cable, so a normal download cable that you have for your phones, cameras, etc. Wireless so no wired harness on bike. Immediately you eliminate the two known recurring proprietary points of failure.

However, to go wireless would be somewhat more costly. They do offer an upgrade for owners of wired SRMs but they need to check your spider. My generation of Cannondale SI SRM spiders aren't upgradeable. If it were I'd be looking at something similar in cost ($650 or so for upgrade including a refurbished PC7 head), plus some extras (wireless pick ups or something I think).

SRM omg what a stupid website. You can't drop down into the US store because when you move your cursor over toward "US Store" it deselects the online store drop down. go to store.srm.de, should resolve to US if US IP address.

At any rate I wouldn't get a wired SRM without careful consideration. It's accurate and reliable when it has a good spider-battery/computer-head-battery/harness/download-cable but it has very high maintenance costs compared to other powermeters.

TheKillerPenguin

They're so inexpensive right now that it'd be silly not to! The down side is it is one less excuse I can fall back on!