[sanspeur]

Well I finally broke down and got me a road bike. Interesting experience riding a road bike. Did it, liked it. Decided to get me some road shoes and pedals. So I put them on today, adjusted the cleats, got my helmet put on the new shoes and headed for the door. It was just going to be a lil trip around the neighboorhood, but took the helmet just to be safe. You know an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and all. I got as far as the second stair down. Bike in hand, helmet on head, sun in the sky. I noticed the cars on the road and my 350 lb neighboor in his 25 year old Astro Van. But it is ok because I have my bike and I wont end up like that. So where was I, Oh yeah the second stair down. At that point I realised that stupid roadie shoes have no friggin grip. My ass sliped down five or six of the remaining steps, bounced the back wheel off of the stairs, and somehow caught my self. Saw fat man laughing, regained my composure and fell down the last two stairs. Still, I had my new shoes and my helmet on. You know the stairs were behind me now I was safe. I through my leg over my bike, excited at the prospect of trying out my new shoes/pedals when my foot on the ground slipped giving me a prison cell encounter with the end of my saddle. By this point the neighbor is having the time of his life. I gather up the tatters of my dignity and wheel myself to the edge of the curb, one foot on the pedal, the other carefully pushing myself along. The front wheel goes off the curb, the rear clatters off, revealing to me the snakebite puncture that I got when I fell the first time on the stairs. So back I go past the neighboor to the foot of the stairs where I pretend that removing ones shoes before climbing the apartment stairs while carrying a bike is just the most normal thing to do in the world.
Kinda reminds me of the Calvin and Hobbes strip where he has the bad day and the last pic is something like, "Some days even rocketship underpants dont help" Just thought I would lighten ya'll's day. Enjoy.

 

[lifelover]

Love to see the video! nm

nm nm nm

 

[633]

Man, hate to hear that. Probably was pretty funny for your neighbor, but maybe not so much for you.

Hint - many of us dedicated roadies wear MTB shoes for better walkability. I ride road way more than off-road, but I do it in my Sidi Dominators with EggBeaters. Only a small segment of the roadie population (the tiny, but loud, "arrogant roadie p***k" faction) really cares what you wear. If you show up for a group ride and somebody comments on your MTB shoes, he's probably compensating for something.

 

[sstaurus]

Ah, I remember that clip. Calvin&Hobbes was (is) the best

 

[Berkeley Mike]

Awesome tale

Just too real!

 

[cohenfive]

very funny, thanks for sharing. sort of like everyone's got a story about the first time they used clip in pedals. i fell over at an intersection with a car full of people just sitting there...i just couldn't figure out how to get out in time before keeling over while stopped. it was pretty embarrassing for them to ask me whether i was ok!!

i use the same shoes on my road bike, just got spd pedals for it as well. i like my mtn shoes and didn't want to get a seperate pair just for the road bike...

 

[wooglin]

And people say roadies have no skilz...

 

[DM-SC]

BT,DT and I had the bruises to prove it!

It's been quite a number of years back, but I did the exact same thing. I didn't even think about it when I started down the front steps. I didn't have the pleasure of an audience, however.

One good thing is, this is one of those "lessons" that 99.9% of people only have to learn once!

 

[Hecubus]

One of the reasons I got a set of Shimano SPD-SL pedals for my roadbike. They have rubber bumpers at the 3 ends of the LOOK style cleat precisley to to make walking, possible without slipping all over the place. They also came in handy that one time I suffered 4 punctures in one ride and had to walk 5 miles before getting picked up.

 

[J_B]

Man, hate to hear that. Probably was pretty funny for your neighbor, but maybe not so much for you.

Hint - many of us dedicated roadies wear MTB shoes for better walkability. I ride road way more than off-road, but I do it in my Sidi Dominators with EggBeaters. Only a small segment of the roadie population (the tiny, but loud, "arrogant roadie p***k" faction) really cares what you wear. If you show up for a group ride and somebody comments on your MTB shoes, he's probably compensating for something.

I wear dedicated road shoes only because my brother in law works for a bike shop and he gave me the hook up. I hate those guys who think they are better than you because they are wearing their team jerseys or whatever. They hate it when I show up on my Trek Postal Edition, wearing a sleeveless plain white jersey instead of the standard issue Postal gear. They get even more mad when they get dropped off the back.

 

[Nat]

I've been riding my road bike with mtb shoes, but I just got my first pair of genuine road shoes today. Nervous...

 

[hardtail6]

yeah, but think about...

how funny that neighbor would look getting the kicked out of him by a guy in spandex.

Invest in some cleat covers. They have saved my butt... literally.

 

[WR304]

After a few years the rubber heel pads wear away and you take the rubber pads of the cleats for better float whilst riding.

The classic one for road shoes is when you're at a race HQ in a Sports Centre.

Tile floors on slopes...

It's more like roller skating than walking. My record is a good 2-3metres sliding on one foot!LOL

And don't even think about walking back when your bike breaks...

 

[STrackMike]

Man, hate to hear that. Probably was pretty funny for your neighbor, but maybe not so much for you.

Hint - many of us dedicated roadies wear MTB shoes for better walkability. I ride road way more than off-road, but I do it in my Sidi Dominators with EggBeaters. Only a small segment of the roadie population (the tiny, but loud, "arrogant roadie p***k" faction) really cares what you wear. If you show up for a group ride and somebody comments on your MTB shoes, he's probably compensating for something.

Gotta agree with this. When I get around to building myself a road bike, I plan on staying with my current shoes and Time cleats and just put atac carbon pedals on it. I can't see a real reason to get different shoes, cleats and pedals.

 

[Panacea]

That's Halarious!!

Thanx for that. I needed a laugh

 

[quarkman]

yeah, butt....

you get to laugh at Fat Bastard every time you look at him.

Saw fat man laughing ... By this point the neighbor is having the time of his life.