ian0789

So 1st things 1st, just wanted to say hello to the fellow cyclist and must say I have been loving this sport. Well I am a reader of the bike forums and clearly not a big poster i figured I should say hello and give some background.

I am 5'10 float around the 150-160 Range and like to keep my BF% nice and low! I come from a Power Lifting / Body Building Background and since I can no longer get my lift on due to a cervical herniation I made my dream of buying a bike come true. As much as I cant wait to get back into the gym again a few days a week to keep building more muscle, I just cant see my self giving up cycling any time soon.

I will say my road bike is no all CF dream or anything like that. Its a Bikesdirect Dawes 1200 and I dont care what anyone has to say I freaking love the thing and its a dream bike in my eyes. I love every bit of it and am really happy with the bike for my 1st road cycle. My mountain bike is a CL steal. Pro-flex Reptile fully rebuilt with some nice components and serves me well for my needs.

I have been even ditching my car and have been riding my bikes to work to save some cash and pollute a bit less. Putting in 15-30 miles a ride 3-4 days a week on the road and even getting my hands dirty playing with my Nashbar rollers on crappy days. Hitting some very light but fun trails on my mtb since my neck is feeling a bit better and is not getting aggravated from them.

Well this is one thing I am getting stumped on and hopefully someone with some XP can help me out. When you see my bikes below you will see that I am using platforms on both bikes. I know cleats and all that jazz will help me with pedaling but in all honesty I am slowly recovering from a really bad neck injury that left my left arm almost none functional and I am not looking to clip my self into my bikes at this point in time. I am a noob as well and still have much to learn and as of right now I am not rolling in cash and just am enjoying the fact I can get on my bikes and love riding.

I have been using vibrams since that is the only thing I use for shoes and I turned my running vibrams into my cycling shoes. But since using them I am getting pain in the top of my foot / ankle and Its probably due to my feet getting so much pressure put on them in such a small space. I am trying to find a touring shoe that can be used for my road and mtb that both have platforms. I think I still have a pair of nike running style shoes at my parents house I could give a go but I am thinking a MTB style shoe would be better suited for my needs. Since if down the road I wanna use some SPD pedals it wont be to hard to make the switch.

My Bikes!:

brianogilvie 

Welcome to the world of cycling! I have oddly shaped feet (very high on top, though my arch is normal), and the only shoes I currently have that are comfortable over long distances are Keen sandals. I've tried a few cycling shoes and the tops of my feet get numb in them after about 10 miles. Keen makes sandals that are SPD compatible, so you could try those. I find that with the right socks I can wear sandals down to 35 degrees F, and if I put neoprene covers over them, I can wear them in the winter. For cold rain, I prefer thick Smartwool socks, which keep my feet warm even when they're wet, or Sealskinz socks if it's cold and windy.

Sandals might seem counterintuitive for bad weather, but I find that shoes let water in and then your feet swim in it until they dry out. Sandals let the water out, so your feet dry more quickly when the rain stops. Keens have closed toes, so your tootsies are protected.

chaadster

I'm sorry, but what's the question?

That Pro Flex is some classic, vintage iron! Cool to see, and looks to be in great shape.

ian0789

I ended up getting a set of Pearl Izumi X-Road Mountain Shoes, I was looking at the Keen shoes and sandals but I was a bit off for spending the cash on them. I then tried on a pair of the Pearl Izumi's in Dick's to see how they felt and after looking on Nashbar I snagged a pair for only 40 bucks so going to see how they work out!

They have the stiffness needed and as well they are nice to walk in. So I figured might as well snag them if I end up using clips and until then I can use them on my platforms!
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It was about shoes for platform pedals! Yeah I tend to ramble a bit in long posts. Thanks I love the Pro Flex, I snagged in on CL for 150 and I am very happy with the buy. The guy bought the bike to rebuild for his wife. He rebuilt the bike from head to toe. Even found the tires from a company who made the same ones that came on the bike. He added a few mods to the bike that wouldnt have normally fit and did a damn good job on it. Ends up his wife took it out and didnt like it, he road it a few times on the trails for ****s and giggles and ended up just wanting to recoop his loses.

There is a small bit of scuffs on the frame but other then the daily use of it as a old school mountain bike the thing is freaking flawless. No dents, digs, bends in the frame or rust. It looks like it was not even used much