RandoTips

Folding Bikes

So you like riding children’s bikes?

That’s the feeling I get whenever I see these diminutive creations of the hardcore commuting crowd.

I had a foldable bike once, it was really cheap and was a prize at the company annual dinner.

It did not leave a good impression with me. The steering was twitchy, I felt like I’d pull a wheely with the slightest touch and it was just too damn small.

I don’t understand the trend here in Taiwan for people to buy these teeny tiny bikes over normal bikes. My local bike shop told me that sales of the Giant Halfway (locally produced, so cheap) are great and many people want to get them. I wouldn’t ride one for more than short-distance transport, but I have been considering one for just that purpose.

STRIDA

The STRIDA is my first love for foldable bikes, because it does that one thing really well. It folds bloody small.

That triangle is NOT a bike that folds, it is a folding thing made to work like a bike. They retail for around US$600 here in Taiwan for a new one. I’ve found second hand ranging from US$140 to US$300.

Quite expensive for a tiny bike, but it does include disk brakes, it only has one gear and is rated for speeds up to 20km/h according to their website.

The folded version is almost totally non-bikey and can be pushed around like a small pushcart.

Dahon

Very popular but also very expensive (I think that about all these bikes).

The Dahon Vitesse D7 is pictured above and is typical of all their bikes and most other foldables. It has a few gears, 20″ wheels and folds up fairly small.

The bike still needs to be packed to be taken on trains and stuff because even when folded it is quite big, unlike the STRIDA.

Layout is more like a traditional bike, which gives it handling that is more typical and less of the penny-farthing style position of the STRIDA.

My folding bike that I had for a while (I gave it away ’cause it wasn’t too useful) was similar in layout to this. I will need to be convinced that this is a good ride if I ever get one.

Bike Friday Tikit

The Tikit is another popular, but even more expensive option. Bike Friday have a range of folding bikes going from tandems to carbon road bikes to super-folding bikes like the Tikit above.

There is a pretty strong following and community around these bikes, but at over $1000 for a tikit is it really that cool to be small?

No foldy for me

Although I had my heart set on a second hand STRIDA for around $140, I’ve actually scrapped the idea.

Why?

Because I just don’t do enough commuting to warrant it. I stay 5 minutes by bike from my office and both my office and home have somewhere I can put my bike. Any other place I’d ride to also has a place to put my bike, and if it doesn’t, I won’t ride there.

Abundance of public transport when necessary, and a scooter (motorbike kind) there is really no need.

I would definitely go for a STRIDA if I was ever to get a folder, but for now the money will go into a cool seat.

Do you have one? Would you get one?

Eating For The Long Haul

I don’t eat during rides.

I’ve had this mental block against consuming anything but plain water for the duration of long and short rides. It’s been that way since as far back as I remember. Friends would swear by energy drinks, but not me.

Well, I’ve changed.

I’ve realized what a drastic mistake that was.

A few weeks back while gathering more details on riding long distances I ran across this article on nutrition during long rides at ultracycling.

Whoow, that’s not what I think is best. But she quoted a lot of fancy numbers and names of organizations I’ve never heard of so she must be onto something.

Eating in the morning

First thing to change was my habit of not eating before morning training. I’ve always thought “no food, so I’ll use up more energy, which will burn fat.” Go figure.

So I added a sandwich, readily available at 7-11, before my morning ride. It’s about 300 calories, goes down well and doesn’t taste half bad.

I’ve pretty much stuck with this habit, which has been acceptable so far.

Occasionally I’ll have a Snickers and a sandwich, or spread the two out by half an hour or so.

During the ride

Not eating before rides was not a deal-breaker and I would eat before rides sometimes. But eating during my ride was a once in a blue moon activity.

So I started with chocolate and sandwiches.

Warning! Don’t store sandwiches in your bike bag, especially if they have egg or something else that can go bad really quick.

After a slightly upset stomach up a very long hill after 5 hours of riding I will only eat them fresh. If you love sandwiches, then get something with non-perishables, like peanut butter or jam.

Chocolate and mango

So now I’m onto chocolate and mango.

The reason for the chocolate is because it has a lot of calories. One bar has more calories than a sandwich and is not nearly as filling. But getting the energy is the main point, so that will do.

It’s also a wonderful, guilt-free way to eat chocolate without worrying about gaining weight.

I eat less mango than other stuff, but it does go down easy and have a lot of carbohydrates. However, beware of the side-effects of any dried fruit and make sure there’s a bathroom nearby if you insist on eating lots.

So that’s my current regime.

Combined with energy drinks this give me enough energy to manage 7 hours straight (maximum so far) without hitting the wall. Previously this would happen after 4 or 5 hours.

What (if anything) do you eat before/during your rides?

Shimano MTB Cycling Shoes Review

Happy feet equals happy rider. Through the years I’ve burned through a few pairs of decent cycling shoes. Only one pair has lasted more than two years.

Cycling shoes take quite a bit of battering, they’re exposed to the elements, they become super-filthy because of their proximity to the street, getting the biggest splashes and becoming encrusted with mud on wet offroad rides.

Wet Feet Not Good

In the South African Karkloof classic offroad ride there is a single river crossing which is about knee to waist high. The first year I was the brave man and tried to just wade through, you know the drill, I’m being tough, but the rest of the ride knocked me back down to size. The remaining 60km had my feet squishing in my shoes the whole time. The next year I had the sense to completely remove my shoes and socks and put them on after wading through the river. 5 minutes lost, but more than gained back from happy feet for the remaining 60km.

So, where am I going with this?

As much as I’d like to think that any old thing on my feet will do, snug fitting and comfortable shoes make a difference when riding. This difference becomes most apparent when riding further, and although it might not contribute huge gains in time or performance, the comfort gained during long rides is priceless.

A little shoe history

Shimano LX (can’t remember the number, circa 1995), with one strap and laces, which were comfy enough, but the sole cracked on a very tame bit of offroad. The broken sole was a major pain, but the shoes themselves were good in most other respects. They were a budget model and didn’t shine beyond that classification.

Switched brands to Gaerne. Not pleasant. The single rollerblade style clip made a single pressure point so the shoes were either too loose , with my feet swimming around, or just tight enough and cutting into my feet from the pressure on the single point.

Sidi which I got from my brother. The width of the sole was a little too narrow and I didn’t ride these for long because the size was a little too small too (not the fault of the shoes, my brothers feet were a tad smaller).

My Shimano babies

I’d heard from friends who owned Shimano shoes with 3 straps that they were comfy and reliable (no sole cracking). I decided to go one further and get the top of the range model with only 2 straps which were out of my price range a bit, but I figured to be worth it.

Best decision I ever made.

From the outset they were comfortable. The garish, bright red color did make me a bit unsure, but I’ve never had any fashion sense and favor comfort and reliability over looks any day of the week.

Initially they were paired with Shimano 747 pedals, until the bike with those was stolen, and then switched back to 525s for a while. I rode the shoes for four years in South Africa before heading off to Taiwan. After moving I bought a bike with Time A.T.A.C. pedals, and switched the cleats over. The thread was still fine after all these years. They’ve been matched with these pedals for a further 8 years now.

The two straps, despite seeming like too little, hold my feet perfectly. Laces were my favorite before, but came undone and would loosen over the course of a ride. To date, after 12 years of use, the velcro on this pair is still strong and still holds together as well as it did when I first got them.

The rubber soles of the shoes are still intact, there are signs of obvious wear and I don’t do any walking or portaging in them, but in comparison, the soles of my Gaernes starting just crumbling after a year and my older Shimanoes soles just started peeling off.

The comfort is unparalleled.

Inside the shoes my feet have everything they need. The leather is soft enough to not hurt my feet, while not being so soft that they feel like my foot is in a big inner tube. The inner sole is thin and tough, has stayed totally intact. It just feels good.

The overall construction cannot be faulted and none of the seams or gluing or any other part has been broken. The leather than is sewn onto the top of the straps has broken away quite a bit, but it appears that the leather part is only cosmetic anyway, so doesn’t affect performance.

Despite my reluctance to spend oodles of cash on the top-of-the-range products, there shoes remind me that there is huge value in just shelling out the cash for a guaranteed winner. Although costing more than double what my other shoes cost, the Shimanoes have outlasted them all by more than a decade.

Thank you Shimano. These were (and still are) real winners. And until further notice, these will remain my sole pair of riding shoes.