[papalalu]

i just came back from a 100 mile ride - you're a nutter to be doing it without cleats - you lose so much energy and it's asking for foot/ankle problems if you don't have stiff soles. i hope you had straps at least.

as for the lycra i have to say i feel the same way.. it stays underneath or is replaced by too-expensive rapha stuff where applicable.

nice tshirts anyway.

[randomknowledge]

That isn't actually true. Cleats or no, the power comes from the down stroke not the up stroke: see http://roadcyclinguk.com/riding/bike-fitting-the-myth-of-the... . While there are good reasons to use cleats (mostly so your feet won't come off the pedals), I haven't seen any evidence of significant efficiency gains. Furthermore there are plenty of ordinary shoes with sufficiently stiff soles to cycle in.

[papalalu]

that's interesting.. i would have said from feel that accelerating and especially sprinting up hills i was pulling up - but perhaps the benefit is just that my feet are stuck to the pedal at the top rather than lifting off.

[tobiasu]

What is it with being scared of modern synthetic materials? Sure, if you have more money than sense wear the same stuff made from merino wool, but otherwise, why would you not take advantage of modern clothing technology that keeps you dry and warm? Not to mention the decrease in wind resistance, which is _the_ main factor in going fast on a bike.

[papalalu]

i'm not! the rapha stuff is pretty high tech, merino/synthetic blend - i just wear shorts over the bottom half, partly because i feel somewhat exposed in just lycra, partly because it's kind of drafty without. another benefit is more pockets for longer rides. i'm not sure what the shorts are made from, but they're not straight cotton anyway - they don't seem to absorb sweat.

[dredmorbius]

Pockets on your legs mean a lot of extra energy expended raising and lowering what's in those pockets. Panniers or a jersey pocket FTW.

[papalalu]

i feel "panniers lol" is an appropriate response here.

my jersey pockets are full, that's the point.