OK, here it is:

I bought a Centurion Ironman a few months ago off eBay. This is only the second bicycle I've owned in my life, and is in fact only a year younger than I. The first bike is not worth mentioning, except for the fact that it was/is hideous and that I bought it long ago when I knew absolutely nothing about bikes; it cost me $35 and was a HUGE rip-off, seriously.

I learned how to ride a bicycle about a year ago, at the age of eighteen ...indeed, I was a very very unfortunate boy. Anyhow... looking though old bicycle books at my public library, I fell in love with the traditional steel diamond frame design. Absolutely! The bikes I most liked were from a late-eighties book on choosing a performance bicycle; Schwinn, Specialized, Univega, Nishiki, Trek, and finally... Centurion. Good thing I didn't see any Italian bikes in those books, I would surely have fainted.

So here's the problem: I have a beautiful bike made for performance, and am having a lot of trouble learning to use it. The biggest problem is not the thin wheels, as everyone who'd seen my bicycle had warned, but the damn pedals! It's very difficult to try and get my second foot in while also trying to maneuver the bike and not fall. Since I started riding, which was a few weeks ago, what I've done is tighten the strap all the way down on the left pedal—forcing the toe clip down against the platform—and ridden on the underside of it, which obviously has been frustrating. This is making it very difficult for me to learn, because I have to concentrate quite a bit to keep my foot on the pedal.

The Centurion is an '87 Dave Scott Ironman Expert, and it has the Shimano 105 groupset, with Biopace chainrings (42/52). The six-speed freewheel goes from 13 (15, 17, 19, 21) to 24. Right now, I obviously have it on 42/24. I've taken the bike out to a nearby, usually deserted, street. I ride up and down over and over, trying to get the hang of it. I'm about six feet tall, weigh approximately 215 .lbs, and the bike has a 58 cm seat tube. The bike seems to be my size, though a 57 cm would probably have been better. There is about a 1/2 inch clearance between my crotch and the top tupe (about an inch when it's cold), and I've got my seat up to where, with my heels on the undersides of the pedals, my legs are fully outstreched at the bottom of the pedal-stroke, and with my feet inside the pedals, about a 10° angle in my knees.

Jesus! Another problem is the fact that I'm riding with jeans! I learned one lesson real quick—to fold them up mid-calf on the right leg. I had one very nasty spill because of that. When I ride I notice that my flexibility is greatly affected because of them.

So should I go out and buy clipless shoes and pedals? Probably, but I can't afford it right now. Should I go out and buy a sweet jersey and some awesome shorts? Yes, but I can't afford it right now. And the most important question: Should I have bought a less responsive, less expensive, more novice-friendly bike? Probably, but I was overcome with the beautiful craftsmanship of the performance bicycles of yester-year, and I could not have accepted anything less.

Any advice? Thanks for listening!

Attentively,

Sebastián Peña

Well, at least you've got a grasp on where you are and where you want to go. Can't offer much advise on the toe-clips, I went to clipless pretty quick and the pedals I had before then were just platforms.

The Centurion IronMan is a good solid bike, a friend of mine has one in a 56cm size that he built up from spare parts we had around. I'm with you, I love the traditional steel frame look and I doubt you'll find anyone (in this forum anyways) that will disagree with you. The 58cm is indeed about the right size for you, depending on the length of your inseam. I'm 6' myself but have a bit extra length in the legs so I tend to ride a 58-60cm with a shorter stem. The skinny tires and position take a bit of adjusting to, but stick with it and you'll be a speed deamon in no time. One thing that helps is getting on longer roads where you're not constantly stopping or turning corners. Getting a feel for the motion of the bike on a straight away and being comfortable in that helps everything else I've found. I bought a lower end Centurion myself (several models below the IronMan) and recently completely rebuilt it and renamed it the 'Barracuda Mk.I' - I've yet to get any real milage on it but can't wait for the weather to warm up a tad so I can.

Get some cycling shorts, trust me, have the money or not, you'll thank yourself. I got a pair of the Nashbar shorts for about $20 on sale when I was ordering a few other things. I can't imagine how I rode so long when I was younger in jeans! Hit your local Walmart or athletic department store for a couple inexpensive shirts that are designed to wick moisture away. It's not quite a jersey, but at a fraction of the cost.

Hope someone with many more miles with toe-clips can give you some pointers with those, all the folks here in the classic vintage forum (and BF in general too) are always willing to share their knowledge.

dude! I'm a beginner - I always have been, always. don't lose that beginner mind, the fun kinda goes out of it when you do...

Just take the clips and straps off until you are really really comfortable riding your bike. Then you can make a choice between clips/straps, step-in pedals, or maybe you'll always like going commando (uh, no straps, no nuttin').

Spring for some shorts, though. jeans really suck for more than about 2 blocks. And...if you don't already have one...lay out for a helmet. I've broken nine, with my permanent beginner attitude. That is about 6 maiming injuries and three dead guys, all me, if I hadn't been wearing a helmet.

btw, once you get some experience, you'll probably find that a 58 might be a little small, even.

Thanks Jon! I'm actually thinking of going to my nearest bike shop, though they probably won't have anything I really like—but no big deal, right? Cycling isn't all THAT big down here (McAllen, TX), so there is currently only one bike shop in the city and they don't have much to choose from. Either way, something inexpensive will do for the meantime. That or I'll look on eBay for some sweet deals.

Again, thanks for the advice!

Sebastián

Yes, yes: I bought a Bell helmet about a week ago off eBay for $15—a lot less expensive than would be a serious head injury! The helmet's alright, I look like a dork, but that's the way it is.

Oh, I actually don't like the way the bigger frames look. I don't know why, they just look so big! But yeah, maybe. I'd like to build up a fixed gear commuter in the spring to ride to school, and was thinking of buying a 57cm frame, I guess I'll see just good I feel on this one, and once I make some cycling friends, I can try out some of their bikes, see how they feel. Thanks for the advice!

Oh, and Jon—your Barracuda Mk. 1 looks nice! I'll take pictures of my bike soon and post them, it truly is a beauty, really a shame I'm using it to learn. I hope I don't do anything stupid and ruin it.

Sebastián

Sebastian....please stick with your soon-to-be new addiction !
You will get it and it will take an act of Congress (Parliment?) to
get you off of your great bike !
I only ride toe clips because I am old, scared and suspect of anything
engineered after 1962. Keep the straps very loose until you perfect getting
your 'push off' foot up and in. Once you master the subtle art of tapping the
back of the pedal to get it to an angle you can slip your foot in it will become
second nature. YOu wont even think about it. Also, if you miss the first
time just keep pedaling until you get it. Try not to look down or alter
your pedal rythym when taking off. It will happen eventually, just
try to have faith 'til it does !!! Good luck, be safe !!!

Yes, take the toe clips off. You should not use any pedal attatchement system until you are a reasonably competant rider.
When you want a pedal system, toe clips are a good solution for intermediate cycling where you want some attatchment but still need the freedom to use any footwear. Use them with the straps lose.
Clipless pedals are esssential for racing, for fast sport riding and for very long, fast commutes but are overkill for slower, shorter rides. If people have them, they tend to use them for everything though.

I agree that at first, just take the toe clips off and ride until you get comfortable with the bike. I rode for years with toe clips, mostly on mountain bikes, and until I went to clipless a few years ago, I would adjust the toe clips so that they were snug around my foot but still fairly easy to get my foot into and out of. The main benefit, in my opinion, is that they hold your foot in place and keep it from skating around on the pedal. Later, I found a product called "power grips," which are similar to toe clips but are just a single, wide strap that is a lot like the toe straps that are found on most exercise bikes. You can get these from mail-order places like Performance or Bike Nashbar. I like these better than the traditional toe clips, because they're mounted diagonally across the pedal, so that when you put your foot in and start pedaling, the strap becomes a little tighter around your foot, and offers a little better perfomance than toe clips, and at the same time is actually easier to get into and out of.......And once you've messed around with all of this stuff, having become completely addicted to bicyling and wanting to get the best stuff you can find, you'll go with a clipless setup, and you'll have a few falls as you learn to use them, but in the end you'll keep them on because even after the first ride you'll realize they are so much better than flat pedals, toe clips, power grips, or anything else, you won't be able to go back. And by the way, I think you have chosen a great old bike-

Whoa, I didn't think I'd get these many responses. This is my first thread. Thanks everybody!

I don't know if using these pedals w/o toe clips and straps would be a good idea, they're not like the more conventional type of platform pedals, they're not like Campy. I don't know if any of you remember, but this is what these look like:



And sorta like this w/ toe straps and all:



So, as you can see in the first picture, the undersides of the pedals are sorta like this __./''''\.__ In other words, they curve up in the middle, so that if you're riding on the undersides...

Wait a second. Oh, ok, ok. I just need to flip them over right? Ok, ok. I get it, but still, I'll have to try on the underside of the left pedal till I get it.

Oh, and about clipless pedals, I think the nicest I've seen are the Shimano PD-6401 "Look" style pedals. I'd like to get some of those... But, yes, I do think that the shoes would be an inconvinience. I would probably use the clipless on the Centurion and use toe clips and straps on the commuter.

BTW, do any of you think a trainer would help me get a hang of the pedals?

Attentively,
Sebastián Peña

Oh, and WELL BIKED—the bike definitely looks great, so much so that I probably spend more time looking at at it than riding (!) But seriously, I think the craftmanship and design is excellent. Really one of the best I've seen. The yellow/white Ironmans were also quite pretty. Actually, I think Centurion used this color scheme (fork, top tupe, down tube, stays one color - head and seat tube another) on other models too, not just the Ironman.

sebastian,

You could always remove the clips/straps and just use the pedals
right side up.
alternately you could loosen the straps up and just slide your
foot in and out of the pedal/strap combo. I'd suggest a smoothish
soled shoe, maybe like a topsider and not a running shoe if using
the staps.

Marty

I think it would be pretty tough to ride on the 105's sans clips & straps, there's not much contact area there. I'd follow Lem's advice.

Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it before long. Maybe you can find a nice quiet parking lot where you can practice.

I think lotek has a good suggestion. To start with loosen up the straps to make slipping your feet in easier. Once you get the hang of it, then you can tighten them. I like them, they hold your feet to the pedals, but give you a little leeway on foot position.

As Lem said, there is a little art to it. And several ways to do it.

You can put one foot in the clip before starting, and then give yourself a power stroke and while coasting, flip the other pedal up by sliding your foot backwards on the little tab on the bottom of the pedal and sliding your foot forward as the clip comes over and around. Or you can just get started with your foot on the bottom of the pedal and give a push, then slip your other foot in the clip
, and push again, and slip your first foot in the clip. It takes a little getting used to, but in a couple of days, you should be comfortable.

And I've heard it said, that in cases of accident your feet shrink making it easy to get them out of the clips. ;o)

Sebastien,

I'm also a beginner, and I have the same pedals. I start with my first foot in the straps, loose or tightened, depending on how I feel, then just roll along slowly, slapping my other (left) foot onto the tab until I can get it up. One thing I realized after a while of trying is that the best part of the foot to hit the tab with to get a good consistent flip is more of the mid-foot, where the beginning of the arch is. I was trying to use the ball/toe area, but after a while, I realized that the "lower" part of the foot worked better. I still don't get it on the first try a lot, and I'm still pretty terrified of actually cinching down on both straps. Of course, I am in New York, with a light, intersection and cross-traffic at every 100 feet, so that kind of makes it feel dangerouuuuus.

good luck,

max

Thanks guys, I have been using the straps loose. And getting out of them is easy, it's really rather automatic. A couple of times I've tried holding on to a post while getting both my feet in the pedals, and taking off from there—once I stop, getting them out is easy. Jeez, I think one stupid thing is that the reflectors that came with the pedals are right where the little protruding things are for flipping the pedal, making them useless. So I'll remove those little reflectors later today, and I'll see how it goes when I take it out later this evening. Anyhow, trouble and all, I'm really enjoying riding this bike. I see myself relying on a bike and public transportation rather a car for about the next ten years of my life.

Sebastián

In a previous age, there was a TV show - Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In - which featured a recurrent gag skit by Arte Johnson. Short little guy, looked kinda like Albert Einstein, riding a much-too-small tricycle. He'd routinely be riding along, stop briefly, then simply tip over to one side. (Trust me, it was funny in 1967.)

You'll fall a bunch of times like that, as we all have done, until you master any sort of clip system (toeclips or "clipless"). It'll get better.

As I recall, proper etiquette at such times calls for faking an epileptic seizure while lying on the ground, then simply getting back up & riding off as if nothing had happened.

Max, why are you using the French spelling of my name?

Though I hadn't consciously identified it yet, I do remember that it usually doesn't flip till I use that middle part of my underfoot to do it. Now I won't bother using my toes. Believe me, I won't be tightening the straps any time soon!

Sebastián

If there's no one around, I'll sit on the ground for a while with the bike on its side. It's really too funny to get angry about, I usually just laugh a little and get back on. If there are people around, I'll get up immediately and look over my bike as if something were wrong with it mechanically, sort of rubbing my chin thinking about it

Sebastián

A lot less like a dork than you would in a wheelchair. A Guinness is calling me, right now...

It took me a while to get accustomed to the toe clips on my bike when I first got it at the beginning of the summer. I keep them off most of the time now, mainly because my rides start in the city and go out to the suburbs. too much stopping at lights to deal with it. this winter I'm going to get a pair of cycling shoes (I like the idea of touring shoes...I need the tread to walk on) and probably some new pedals (I've got the metal platofrm style pedals on my colnago at present). and then I'll have to learn to use cleats and all that. I'll do that at my parents's house out in the boonies where monster SUVs aren't likely to turn me into a road pancake.

my suggestion...invest in plain, inexpensive pedals and put those on. even if they are cheap plastic. get accustomed to the bike first then try the fancier pedals.