Mrs Take the SPD Plunge (literally)

madmole

Well after 2 years of pestering her, I finally managed to find a pair of SPD shoes that the wife actually liked and would be seen out in (Answer Duellers) and even better CRC were selling her size at œ20 (bargain)

So yesterday saw Shimano 424's mounted on her Marin FS and off we set down the towpath from Laleham to Runnymede

All went well for the first 6 miles or so, Was trying to get her to bunnyhop and pogo but she is still not very good

and then we got to the big puddle just past Staines!!! it was quite deep due to last weeks rain, I always wall of death the bank side at speed, Sally normally just splashes through (she is like a big kid and always goes straight through any mud), but suddenly I saw her hesitate and slow, obviously her brain suddenly realised she didnt want to get her nice new boots dirty, what should she do? wall of death, too slow now, skirt round edge between puddle and Thames, yes, ok oh its narrow!! OK. stop. Put foot down, arrrghhhhh its clipped in

SPLOP! tips sideways right into the puddle, still clipped in! Totally layed out right in middle of the quagmire. Oh how concerned I was (PMSL)

Got to have been one of the best and funniest SPD off's I have seen, if only I had had a video. Still no harm done and a very soggy and muddy Sally rides off

Unfortunately second dismount was a little later on gravel and her knee suffered more than her pride that time.

Good news is she is still talking to me and she hasnt ordered the SPD's be removed and cast into the hottest fire so she seems to be happy

PS she says the Duellers are very comfy and has been wearing then for normal shoes all day. The cleats dont touch the floor so no clicking every step. Today I'd better clean the mud off I suppose

Marin Mount Vision 2005. Hope Pro 2/Mavic XC717/DT rev. Cinders 2.1, XT, Easton 70 bars, ODI rogues, KMC Chain, various bling

davepiggott13

Laughed so much i cried thank you. Glad she's sticking with it. Reminds me of a story in Bike magazine a few months ago about a guy who had an off from his motorbike at traffic lights. Just fell straight over, feet still on the pegs. Guy behind (article writer) got out of his car to help pick the guy and bike back up. Story is that that the rider had 25 years experience of biking, and all of them were with a sidecar. He'd taken his sidecar off that morning and was on the bike 'solo' for the first time ever. LMAO. Best thing is it was apparently the SECOND time he'd done it that morning.

If you're not living life on the edge, you're taking up too much space.

futon river crossing

I've riding with SPDs for about 15 years (not exactly sure - memory fades!) - last sumer I did a buffoon special into a large pool of whater - fortunately no one saw it happen.

My Bike

http://angelafung.net/my_bike.jpg

Aux1

I was with my SPD shoes at work once, and I climbed the window frame to close an old window properly, and then I jumped down. WHAMMMMM!!! Sounded like artillery when my cleats hit the wooden floor! I had to explain to the boss what the SPDs were for, he said they were cool lol [:D]

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<font size="1">To clip or not to clip, that is the question. Whether tis nobler in the mind of men to suffer the dings and contusions of unclipp'd riding, or to bind thy feet against a sea of gnarly singletrack and by these contraptions, ride o'er them with ease. To clip... to slip no more, and by clipping to end the buttache and the thousand natural shocks that ryders are heir to; tis a consummation devoutly to be honed. No clip - to slip perchance to be thrashed most heinously...</font id="size1">

KTM Ultra Flite 2007

Johnnymunro

Yep, let's all cough our buffoon spd off's. Last summer after about 25miles off road and not paying particular attention to the tow path, pheasant spooks out in front of me I'm off into 1metre high nettles stung from head to toe!

carlos-g

Last week on a short local ride , there's a gap where a dry stone wall has mostly collapsed and a pathway has evolved , my front wheel got stuck , cue comedy cartwheel the bike span over my head with both feet still attached and then released as th back wheel touched back down , only superficial bruises and a dented ego [:D] , that was the first time in about 3 years.

P.S. hope your mrs is feeling ok and can laugh about it.



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