Silly season

[peetee]

I though it would be a jolly wheeze to recount tales of gaffs, woe long forgotten, and general "did I really do that" from your early days in the saddle.
I'll start it off with my choice of footwear. I started serious cycling when I was 17 in the early 80's. I was skint (of course) and wanted all the performance for no expense. I had used clips and straps from the start and about 3 months in my trainers felt awful and were ruined - they were just too wide and rubbed against the crank arm. Knowing the pro's used minimalist shoes with cleats and rigid soles and resided to the fact that I could never hope to buy a pair I took a chance, and took a spanner to the studs on my never-to-be-used-again football boots.
Once the sides of my foot got accustomed to the toestrap buckle I was happy as larry. The soles bulged down slightly where the studs would have fitted and this was just right to hook over the pedal backplate. With the straps tight my foot was going nowhere. I could now give it maximum welly. I was on the way.... On the way to contented athletic mediocrity.

 

[bagpuss]

Re:

Before over shoes.....Plastic bags inside shoes to keep feet dry . Still cheap at 5p a bag. :idea:
A Torch strapped to my handle bars for a good front light.

My older brother ....8 up on a mates fathers tandem and ladder rack side car :shock:

 

[Pionir]

Re:

"mind those wet leaves"

"what wet leaves? "

" arrrrggghhhhhh"

 

[jackosbournesnr]

Re:

I though it would be a jolly wheeze to recount tales of gaffs, woe long forgotten, and general "did I really do that" from your early days in the saddle.
I'll start it off with my choice of footwear. I started serious cycling when I was 17 in the early 80's. I was skint (of course) and wanted all the performance for no expense. I had used clips and straps from the start and about 3 months in my trainers felt awful and were ruined - they were just too wide and rubbed against the crank arm. Knowing the pro's used minimalist shoes with cleats and rigid soles and resided to the fact that I could never hope to buy a pair I took a chance, and took a spanner to the studs on my never-to-be-used-again football boots.
Once the sides of my foot got accustomed to the toestrap buckle I was happy as larry. The soles bulged down slightly where the studs would have fitted and this was just right to hook over the pedal backplate. With the straps tight my foot was going nowhere. I could now give it maximum welly. I was on the way.... On the way to contented athletic mediocrity.

Are you me? Were they Puma football boots?

I rode this way for over a year before I had saved up enough for a pair of (reduced to clear at my LBS) white Specialized shoes with Turquoise accents of the type that you could only get in the '80's.

they worked with my Bianchi... Honestly, they did.

 

[Pionir]

Lace up or Velcro? I had lace up

 

[jackosbournesnr]

Re:

My football boots were lace up.

The girly Spesh shoes were velcro... I think.

 

[peetee]

Re:

HA HA.
They were Adidas I think. Black with three white bands. Lace up of course (double knotted and tucked in the front loop) I'm too old for velcro on footy boots :cry:

 

[Mike Muz]

Re:

my first lycra cycling shorts didn't have a chamois! :shock: :facepalm:

I learnt fast!

 

[Pionir]

Re: Re:

HA HA.
They were Adidas I think. Black with three white bands. Lace up of course (double knotted and tucked in the front loop) I'm too old for velcro on footy boots :cry:

A chap at my club had those with white time pedals (and a nice bike with a Chorus groupset).

 

[Old Ned]

I rode my first 25 mile time trial in 1961 wearing khaki shorts with underpants, a 'white' teeshirt, green socks and school shoes. This was July when the school holidays started. For various reasons I didn't ride anything else until early the next year by which time I had obtained a pair of Reg Harris shoes with shoeplates, satin cotton 'proper' shorts (with chamois!) and a club jersey. I then considered that I was now a real racing cyclist!