And, what a difference it makes. having a good pedal-shoe-cleat system that is working properly can change your ride experience from a tolerable one to an enjoyable one. I have let go of  trying to know how everything works and every detail of technology. I depend more and more on my local shop and mechanics. It’s not the mechanics fault that I grabbed the wrong cleats off the shelf. It’s mine. It’s a good idea to read the instructions or at least bring your bike or shoes with you and get the right part the first time. That way you can spend more time enjoying your ride .
I recommend the Speedplay Zero pedals, easy to get in and out when you want (as long as you have the right clips), float adjustment, light weight and low maintenance. Read more about them here >

Geoff Kabush (Team Maxxis/Rocky Mountain) adjusts himself to the race conditions

FONTANA, CA – The US National Mountain Bike Race Series kicked off in Southern California this weekend just an hour and a half outside Los Angeles in the industrial belly of Fontana, California. The Spring weather sunny and clear… but windy. The temperatures actually got above eighty degrees by race start time but the wind played a more major race factor blowing sand all over the course and into racer’s teeth. Some of the elite women were even blown off their bikes on the steep sandy climbs.

The wind was blustery enough to give Canadian racer Geoff Kabush a surprising slap in the face while he was trying to chill-lax pre-race outside his custom U-Haul trailer that acts as his team rig for Team Maxxis/Rocky Mountain. The experience left sand all the way from his lawn-chair to his sandals.

Upon getting up close and personal with a gail-forced dust devil he exclaimed, “I’ve been getting that from time to time all morning.” Kabush concluded that the wind might actually groom loose sand from the sketcher portions of the tail, “the corners might get a little more sticky,” he noted. Kabush was looking to win in Fontana for a fifth-consecutive year.

The wind gave it’s biggest due to the women sending their more petite frames scattered across the course. “I got blown off my bike on that one climb,” Willow Koerber (USA) Subaru-Gary reported after finishing third in her Shimano WM80′s.

Lene Byberg (Nor) racing for Specialized won the women’s field handily by over a minute. After the race she had a slight scratch above her left ankle but her Specialized Women’s BG Pro MTB Shoes looked unscathed.

From an overall footwear standpoint at this National level of Elite Pro Racing there were two surprises. One being how many feet Bontrager RLX race shoes were supporting, by far the most dominating shoe in both men’s and women’s Pro fields. Probably because Trek and Gary Fisher continue to be devoted to mountain bike racing in the US and sponsorships go further than just bike frames and jerseys.

There was also a surprising lack of Sidi shoes on Pro feet at this US National. While Sidi is currently the most popular shoemaker sold in the US, they aren’t appearing on Pro feet as much. So much so that you have to hunt to find them.

As the afternoon developed the wind subsided and the Elite Pro Men were called to the line. All the North American stars were in attendance including Jeremy Hogan-Kobelski, Ryan Trebon, Sid Taberlay, Todd Wells, Geoff Kabush, Eric Batty, Carl Decker, Barry Wicks and legendary veteran Tinker Juarez.

Just before staging I spied a sweet looking pair of Specialized S-Works on Todd Wells’ feet. I asked him if they were brand new but he confirmed that they were already three races old. Even though he was about to be called to the starting line he took time to explain how much he was enjoying his light-weight shoes and how easy they were to clean and keep their fresh look.

I asked Todd what size he wore. “I think they’re a 44,” he replied. Funny, I didn’t expect him to not be sure about his shoe size but he knew he was number one when he capped off his day with a big win.

It was a big day for Specialized and their shoes, both enjoying victories in the women’s and men’s elite races.

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US Pro XCT #1, Fontana, CA March 27, 2010

Men’s Results

Women’s Results

First they gave Twitter the figurative bird with a special sock that asked “who gives a f***?” on the instep.

Then their other pair honored the artwork of Hawaiian tattoo legend Sailor Jerry and his spiced rum. Wearing these socks are the ultimate chance to give your riding buddy a little FU on the final climb when you pass him and offer this “Aloha.” The socks are still white but hardcore enough for a little pre-ride posturing at any club ride lineup.

This isn’t the first time Sockguy has been known for hilariously commenting on cycling and society, their Dr. Fuentes classic would still be worthy of mainstream production. But unfortunately these special edition socks only show up once a year for insiders only and won’t be found for sale anywhere except in a lucky search on eBay.

Still, these socks are an example of Sockguy’s comfort and craftsmanship. A pair of Sockguy socks will keep your feet super cozy and cranking for years. Their crew socks like the Sailor Jerry’s wick away moisture keeping feet dry even when the heat is on. They are knit to eliminate wrinkles and hot spots so they feel as good as they fit. Besides a little more cuff up the leg is sometimes more fashionable and fun instead of common cycling sock. They are also a little warmer for early mornings and cooler temperatures.

Plus these socks are all examples of Sockguy’s ability to create a custom look for any shop or team kit. But Sockguy makes a wide range of colorful and fun footwear. With so many sock designs to choose from you’ll be sure to find a favorite style. Their socks come in two sizes and all Sockguy socks are made in the USA.

Sizes: S/M, L/XL
Price: $9.95

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The new service allows you to map turn by turn cycling directions, see the trails and bike lanes directly on the map, and drag and drop points to customize your route. Now you can avoid congested streets and large climbs on your commute. Check out this detailed video of the features. Happy Riding.

Made in Biella, Italy by Vittoria.
Available from in white, black, red, yellow, and blue colors.

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When Jim Wyker greeted me he slipped a pair of 2010 Aerlite S.B.S. on my feet and they felt relaxed and comfortable, so good they felt like they were a custom shoe. I was ready to ride.

The reason Northwave’s feel so comfy right out of the box might be partially because the insole is built on a wood foundation. Wood might not seem like an exotic material at first, and don’t worry the outsole is a well-ventilated Carbon epoxy, but wood is the way expensive dress shoes are made.

Then I met Northwave’s other heads of state. Desiree Moore and John McKone stopped and chatted for a while. John elaborated on the benefits of wood, “It’s an insulator to heat and road noise. You know what I mean by road noise don’t you?”

At first I thought I he was referring to dampening vibrations and shock transmitted by the pedals and cranks. But John went on to explain that the wood in Northwave shoes help create a quieter riding experience as well. I’ve never ridden shoes with wood insoles so I wonder what I’m missing.

Northwave’s wood insole is completely natural. The layers of wood are worked, thermoformed at high temperatures and treated with special bonding agents to protect the insole from sweat and water. The structure is broken down into two sections: a more flexible portion that adapts to the shape of your foot and a stiffer core to connect power transmission to the bike.

Northwave builds its shoes from a BioMap concept that analyzes how the body functions during physical activity. So the wood insoles are designed to transmit power directly to the pedals without wasting any energy.

But there is more to a pair of Northwave’s than just the wood intersole. Footbeds, the ventilated outsole, the enclosure and the Ultra Y heel system all work in congress as a complete design.

Check back with Cycling Shoes Online for a complete review.

Colors: black, blue and white
Sizes: 39-48, half sizes 39.5-45.5

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Feeling the rush of the excited crowds I wondered into the shoe and pedal side of the TIME booth for a first-hand peek at the new iCLIC pedals I had been hearing about. I wasn’t expecting a to run into a pro team mechanical manager, but that’s what I got. Straight from the drenched countryside of Northern France was Time’s Product Manager, Dominique Faure. His strong French accent made me sure of two things, I wasn’t about to beat him in a 200M sprint or in a fight for the ladies.  But that’s the magic of Interbike and I didn’t hold the language barrier between us to keep us from coming together as cyclists at heart. I came for the pedals but stayed for the conversation no matter how muddy it got.

THERMO MOLDING: INNOVATIVE RACING CONCEPTS

Dominique started by giving me a tour of Time’s pedals and the customizable shoes he’s been putting through the ringer for over a year just to get them ready for weekend warriors.  Most of the lessons he’s learned arrived from his personal experiences in the field supporting young-professional French racers on the Bbox Bouygues Telecom development team Vendée U.

Vendée U probably stands for Vendée University, as a place for the new crop of France’s next generation of racers to be cultivated in the Vendée region.  Northern France is known for having extremely wet and windy Spring seasons and the racing is notoriously uncomfortable. It doesn’t matter how fast you are the cold wind is going to make your ride miserable. That kind of Spring weather is something known to American Pro Tour racers as “getting Franced on” when referring to riding on an incredibly cold, windy and wet weather. The kind of day so wretched that staying inside on a set of rollers might actually seem attractive.

Dominique recalled one dreadful, wicked day when some of the young bucks on Vendée U came back after a harsh flooded ride and instinctively put their soaked Time shoes on top of the clothes dryer to dry them out and warm them up. Not long after their shoes had dried, the unattended kicks lost their custom fitting due to the extended exposure to the dryer’s heat. The racers called Dominique fearing the worst, that their premium shoes were probably ruined and worthless. But unlike some shoes that require a specific temperature process to mold from Dominique instructed the racers to refit the shoes themselves as they were without the need of driving into a big city bike shop.

To custom fit a pair of 2010 Time cycling shoes it doesn’t take a big production. The Time ULTEAM RS CARBON shoes have a THERMO SHAPE membrane (or TS SYSTEM) inside the upper. All you need is a hairdryer and four minutes to bring the shoes up to temperature and ready for fitting.

Hold a hairdryer at 45 degrees and 15cm from the entrance of the shoe for four minutes and then put the shoe on while wearing a pair of cycling socks. Then sit on a bike held by a rear-wheel trainer and clip in. Don’t pedal, just sit normally and patiently let the shoes cool. This idle position is beneficial because as Dominique notes, “your foot on a bike is not the same as it is walking or standing.”

After the shoe cools, the TS System has retained the shape of your foot and custom molding is complete. As for the racers Vendée U found out, these new Time shoes can be remolded and fitted repeatedly over and over. Dominique told me he molded his own pair every day for over a year while the Ulteam RS Carbon was in its developing process, “I’ve molded my own shoes well over 200 times,” he said.

And in case you forget, each pair of shoes comes with a nice instructional card inside each box. This can also be passed along with the shoes if you ever sell them or give them away giving new meaning to customization. “With the TS System you can feel the difference instantly,” Dominique added.

The TS membrane also helps with problem feet. The shoes don’t come in different widths yet, but the membrane is able to conform to almost any problem. Dominique told me one story of how he helped a racer finish an important stage race. The rider had fallen and had a severe foot injury that made pedaling very difficult and painful. Dominique went to work and after some bandage adjustments with foam and gauze he remolded his shoe using the same process allowing him to ride and finish the race for team Vendée U. Then as the rider’s foot healed they molded the shoes as the swollen foot went back down to its normal health and size.

Dominique has also learned a thing or two from triathletes like Cedric Fleureton. The lessons he has learned might help any racer ride survive a difficult effort when equipment not only needs to not just be working but performing outright.

Take for instance the external toe box on Time’s New ULTEAM TRI CARBON. Dominique noted how Cedric Fleureton once came out of the water only seconds behind the leaders and needed to keep his pace to stay in reach with them. Cedric’s weakest leg is on the bike and after he had a poor transition he couldn’t quite take the time to get his foot in his shoe. The only thing he could think about was pedaling so he rode with his foot on top of his shoe and kept his foot out for the first 10km. Because his Time shoe has a hard external toe box Cedric’s powerful legs didn’t crush the toe completely and when he had a chance he was able to slip his foot inside without being dropped or losing any time.

Listening to Dominique made me feel like I had been there myself and it was reassuring to know that most of the developments came directly from the frontlines of a pro team racing on the rainy roads of France by a product developer who has seen what it means to be race ready.

There is more to tell about Time’s shoes and pedal systems. Stay tuned and we’ll bring you more details from Time’s Interbike booth in part two of my discussion with Dominique.

Time Ulteam shoe sizes: 36 to 47 (half-sizes 40.5 to 45.5)

colors: Shiny White and Red (red sizes 39 to 47 and half sizes)

weight (size 42): 658 grams

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New cycling shoes and products will focus on customization like never before. If you’re going to buy a new pair of shoes in the coming year you can expect to have a plethora of cool styles to choose from. Needless to say the decision will be hard to make.

We’re gathering our notes now and will be bringing you the headliners soon. Until then consider these kicks a tease.

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