"Cracked Up"

A young friend pointed out a web article that he found on the internet entitled "Five Reasons Riding A Bike Is A Most Humiliating Exercise".  It is supposed to be funny (if you're a ten year old male) but it does give one pause for thought.  A lot of things that cyclists take for granted are kind of weird.

Take for example attaching your feet to the bike pedals.  Now there is a very logical reason for doing so.  It increases pedalling efficiency.  You not only push down on the pedal but you can pull up as well.  I remember my first year of using "clipless" pedals and I had quite a few wipeouts when I wasn't able to unfasten my feet from my pedals fast enough when stopping.  Turns out my adjustment was too tight.  Since switching to higher quality Shimanos and loosening the "clips", I've had no problems.

The Cracked article makes fun of cycling shoes and when you look at them, they are rather specialized.  Let's face it, they aren't meant for walking.  They don't flex and they make a hell of a racket when walking on a hard surface.I do like walking into Timmy Ho's after my morning commute and I enjoy the looks I get from early morning coffee addicts startled my the loud clapping the soles of my biking shoes make on the tiled floor.

And the fun Cracked pokes at cycling shorts.  They're right.  When you really examine cycling shorts (especially the insides), they are strange as well.  Can you think of any other situation that you would wear these garments?  My wife says that the bright orange padding on my shorts looks like a babboons butt. I would agree with her if I wore the shorts inside out!

Cracked suggests that these shorts be worn "commando".  That doesn't work for me.  I was unhappy with my comfort level until I noticed on the MS Tour that women were wearing underclothing beneath their spandex shorts.  I tried it and liked it. (Wearing the male version).  Boxers are out of the question but you might want to try jockeys if you're a dude.

In my next blog I'll investigate some other aspects of the Cracked web article.....