# Question from older lady



## Lady_Hawk (Mar 8, 2006)

Hello everyone. I am new here, and would like to know if there are any other women on here who are 60 or over. I am 61 and have been mtbing for about 2 years now. I would like to know if there are any ladies here in central Arkansas close to my age who would like to ride with me. I am not really good at it, but I am not bad either. I can handle trails here that much younger bkers cannot. I would also like to hear from some on the problems that they have encountered due to....age... Anyone????


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## Christine (Feb 11, 2004)

Welcome! 

I'm not yet 40 but sometimes feel about 100. There's a local guy who's in his 80s and he's still a force to be reckoned with. Rode with him a few weeks ago and was sweeping the group while he led.

Can't think of any Betties that I know over 45 or 50..........hmmm...............I'm sure they're around, though. I sure as hell plan on it


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## Neen (Sep 27, 2004)

You should definately try posting on your state's forum board if you're looking for others to ride with.
I sure hope I'm riding when I'm 61!  

Neen ~ currently 35, but creeking like a 70 year old!


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## oldbroad (Mar 19, 2004)

At 45, I think I may be one of the older women here. I also plan on still riding when I'm 61. 

I can't say I've noticed any age related problems, (other than the young whipper-snappers who work at the bike shops showing me the cruiser bikes). I am more cautious when riding a new technical feature on the trail, or sketchty down hill section, than my younger ride buddies, and I have no problem not riding something that makes me uneasy. With age comes wisdom, right?  
But I am better shape now than I was 20 years ago, and still feel 25 inside.


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## kmoodymz3 (Feb 8, 2006)

Wow that is so cool. I'm 42 this year and have been riding and racing for 2 years now. So I kinda took up mountain biking "later in life" but you are my hero. I plan to ride forever. 

I agree that "older is wiser" absolutely. If I am uncomfortable with a technical spot I have no problem getting off the bike, even in a race. Better to finish than to be airlifted out! I am by no means overly cautious but I know my limitations.

This said I still fall down occasionally and get beat up a bit and the biggest problem I have is that I don't recover from injuries like I did when I was 20. It just takes a little more patience some times. Oh and my colleagues all think I'm nuts but perhaps I am, a bit...

Karen


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## Lady_Hawk (Mar 8, 2006)

Yes, older is certainly wiser! And if you think your colleagues think you are nuts, you should try mine! lol! I moved to AR from Wyoming (2 years ago) where I was an avid mountain hiker for many years, and did a lot of snowmobiling and crosscountry skiing, so I have always stayed in pretty good shape. My son who is stationed in Germany got me interested in the mountain biking. He was here on leave last April and we went on the Womble trail together and I had a blast! Did a lot of crashing, but, hey, "no pain, no gain". And yes, I am very cautious, a lot more so than I would have been a few years ago. I am definitely not into the competive end of it. Just enjoyment! I have found it to be really addictive. And yep, healing takes a lot longer than it used to. Darn it! Kudos to the guy in his eighties. I plan on that too. Heh, heh, heh. Oh, and BTW, I don't crash so much now (hardly ever, unless I do something just plumb stupid) so I am getting a lot better at it.
I know this is going to really sound dumb, but so-bit-it......could someone please explain clipless pedals to me.....thanks, Lorna


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

clipsless.... yes the whole thing can be confusing! They are called "clipless" because they are TOE CLIp-less. Instead, you wear a shoe that had a cleat on the bottom of it that snaps into a pedal that has the mating clip on it. There are many different types of clips...SPD, eggbeaters, times to name a few. They all have thier advantages, disadvantages and lovers and haters.

There is no right or wrong answer to which is better, flat pedals ( no clipins or baskets) or clipless pedals ( matching shoes and pedals that clip together) Lovers of flats will tell you one thing, lovers of clips another.

In general, clips can make you a lot more efficeint climbing as you can use 100% of your pedal stroke. There is a definate learning curve to how to bail out of them when you crash.
Using flats makes it so you are never attached to your bike, easier to bail but you can lose a lot of efficiency when pedaling and climbing.

I'm sure others may have more to day on the subject.

Formica (46 this year and still going strong)


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## Lady_Hawk (Mar 8, 2006)

Hey thanks formica,
So then, I assume that flats is what I have, because they are just regular pedals and I can't hook my shoe to them in anyway, and I can use any shoe I want, which I ride with tennis shoes. If you attach your shoe in any way to your pedal, couldn't you then break your ankle or something if you crashed and your foot did not come off the pedal? That sounds scary to me. I can understand the concept of it, as the upstroke would be the same as a downstroke if you were clipped in, but it sounds dangerous to me, as I think I need to stick my foot out if I am about to fall, to catch myself. It is confusing. What do you use? So I guess with what is called clipless, you have to have the shoes and the pedals that go together. Sheeeeesh! I hate to sound so utterly stupid, but I guess I really am. Please have patience with me, gals. I am apparently not only old, but dumb too. Thanks to all, Lorna


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## connie (Mar 16, 2004)

Lady_Hawk said:


> That sounds scary to me. I can understand the concept of it, as the upstroke would be the same as a downstroke if you were clipped in, but it sounds dangerous to me, as I think I need to stick my foot out if I am about to fall, to catch myself. It is confusing.


They come unclipped pretty easily.  It's pretty rare to be stuck in your pedals once you're in mid-fall. If you go with clipless pedals, just spend some time leaning up against something (stationary) clipping in and out. Then ride around on grass or something soft and practice clipping in and out some more. If you're riding on something that is very easy where you can focus only on your feet and the pedals, it's actually very low risk. Keep practicing until it's second nature. THEN when you go out on trails, you won't even need to think about it. When you need to put a foot down suddenly it's such a small and quick motion with your ankle to unclip that you won't even notice it. It does take practice though - unless you don't mind falling, I wouldn't tell anyone to switch to clipless and then go out and ride a technical trail immediately - take your time and make it a habit first.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Connie is a good explainer.  

Practice, plus there are tension settings that you can adjust on some types of cleats. 

If it was that hard, they wouldn't be so popular! I do think all us who use clipless ( myself included) have had falls during the learning curve that resemble timmmbbeerrrrrr  

I do think that the learning curve is a small price to pay for the increase in efficient transfer of power from the foot to the pedal. Plus, tennies are so soft, don't your feet get sore?

~formica by the way, welcome aboard!!


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## pixy (Nov 8, 2005)

Hey Lady Hawk ... you are my hero too. Keep up the riding. I have met a few lady mountain biker racers that are your age, and they are awesome! There are so many oportunities for ladies in mountain biking because we are an elite few. Have fun and don't be afraid to flaunt it.

I am not quite 50 yet, but have really had no problems with age yet either. If anything, because I am much older than most, I have been more motivated. Also, the more mature you are, the more confidence you have. And I am not talking about just the confidence to ride a drop, but confidence to be ok if you decide not too.  

Perfect explanation on clippless from Connie!! Another plus to being clipped in, is on rough terrain, your feet won't slip off and you can lift the back end of the bike up steps and such. Shimano makes a SH55 multi release cleat that will also release straight up if you are real uneasy with it. 

Good luck and btw - my goal is to be riding at your age.
pixy


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## connie (Mar 16, 2004)

formica said:


> If it was that hard, they wouldn't be so popular! I do think all us who use clipless ( myself included) have had falls during the learning curve that resemble timmmbbeerrrrrr


Heh. Yeah - I did a few of those when I was learning too. But I also spent about 5 minutes figuring it out and then went on a trail ride. Which I think many, if not most people do. I've told this story before, but a friend of mine showed up for a group ride with her new clipless setup. She rode around the parking lot for a couple minutes clipping in and out and then rode up to the group, loudly declaring that she didn't know what was wrong with the rest of us who needed all this practice to get used to clipless - this is SO EASY! .... and since she was busy talking she forgot to unclip and flopped over in front of the group. One of the funniest things I've seen on a bike, actually!

For younger people less concerned with a few falls, I'd just tell you to put them on and go. We dragged a friend out on a ride after 5 min in the parking lot and he did just fine - luckily there were a lot of trees he could grab onto when he forgot to unclip. But you can definitely avoid all of that if you take some time to get used to them. Don't switch to clipless before a group ride or when you're even planning to do a real ride at all. Switch when you can really take the time to practice getting used to the pedals and nothing else and I bet you can avoid the stop and flops completely. Most of us just aren't that patient.


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## AZtortoise (Jan 12, 2004)

I am 52. The main 'problem' I have is recovery time is longer after a long hard ride. I just rest a day and make the next ride not quite as hard, then I am fine.

Rita


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## CycleMainiac (Jan 12, 2004)

Hi, going on 45 here too.

I like these pedals for a first time clipless. 
They offer a great platform for when you feel a little sketchy and don't want to be clipped in. 
But when you are ready you can snap in. 









I know at least three 50+'ers in Austin. All started mtb a few years ago and are now ride leaders with Ride Like A Girl. Two of the ladies are racers too.


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## Lady_Hawk (Mar 8, 2006)

Hey, thanks everyone for your great replies. As for being a hero Just wait till you are my age and you will be so amazed at what you once thought was old, really isn't. I, so well, remember when I thought...wow, 61 and still doing all those things! I hope I am like that when I am that age......well, guess what? Here I am and now I wonder whatever made me think that doing so many things at that age is amazing. It really isn't! I don't feal any different than I did 30 years ago....well....mentally anyway, and physically, like the other lady said, I have to rest a little more, but by gosh, I can still do it, and I will continue to do it, as long as I can still move this body of mine. Remember when you were 18 and you thought 30 was old? And now you laugh about that? Same thing, just different numbers, that's all. Now, I am pretty sure that I will still be doing it into my 80's. In fact, I plan to be active in my 100's. Don't laugh, it is after all, a state of mind you know. You are what you think you are, and if you think you are old......well, you know the rest. 
Now to clipless......you have convinced me to try it, but now I have another stupid question......Sometimes when I get on a pretty rough trail, I like to just park my bike and hike. I can hike just about anything, but riding.....well, that's another story. So how are these shoes to walk in? And how easy is it to change pedals, if you know you are going to be on a trail where you might decide to park and walk? Or am I the only one who does such things? I know I am good at posing goofy questions...I think it comes with age....


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## Lady_Hawk (Mar 8, 2006)

She rode around the parking lot for a couple minutes clipping in and out and then rode up to the group, loudly declaring that she didn't know what was wrong with the rest of us who needed all this practice to get used to clipless - this is SO EASY! .... and since she was busy talking she forgot to unclip and flopped over in front of the group. One of the funniest things I've seen on a bike, actually!

I found this story hillarious!!! Thanks, Connie! Made my day. Sounds like something I would do.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

Lady_Hawk said:


> Now to clipless......you have convinced me to try it, but now I have another stupid question......Sometimes when I get on a pretty rough trail, I like to just park my bike and hike. I can hike just about anything, but riding.....well, that's another story. So how are these shoes to walk in? And how easy is it to change pedals, if you know you are going to be on a trail where you might decide to park and walk? Or am I the only one who does such things? I know I am good at posing goofy questions...I think it comes with age....


There are different kinds of shoes. Some have a more hiking shoe type sticky sole and some have a really hard plastic sole. The latter kind of suck for hike a bike and slip on rocks. My next pair will have a softer sole.

formica


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## Catherine (Jan 28, 2006)

Yes, the type of sole on the shoes makes a big difference. I have recently changed from a hiker to more of a racing shoe (super good deal, of course) that has cleats, but is hard plastic. It's a more "efficient" shoe in terms of power transfer, but is not as useful for traction or as comfortable when I'm walking, because it isn't as flexible. You should be able to find hiker-type shoes that will accept cleats and let you walk as much as you want to.
I really like using clipless pedals, but I am NOT very good at getting them unclipped when I'm about to crash. I probably should decrease the tension on them. Today I wrecked when I wasn't going fast enough over some roots, and I might not have fallen if my right cleat had released. I was TRYING to! Not hurt much, just some impressive scratches on my arm that I didn't feel until I saw them.
I'm 49, and paddle whitewater kayak with my 56 year old husband, when it's warm. My Mom is 85, and goes to Curves 3 times a week to work out. She's having the time of her life. My husband and I both hope we're in the shape she's in, when we get that old!

Catherine


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## VT Mtbkr (Jan 19, 2004)

One of the women I frequently ride with is 56ish and still going strong. She actually won the solo women's category in a 12 hour race two years ago over 7 other riders just by staying on the bike the entire time and not napping. Her motto was slow and steady wins the race. Keep it up!!


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## Lady_Hawk (Mar 8, 2006)

Catherine said:


> Yes, the type of sole on the shoes makes a big difference. I have recently changed from a hiker to more of a racing shoe (super good deal, of course) that has cleats, but is hard plastic. It's a more "efficient" shoe in terms of power transfer, but is not as useful for traction or as comfortable when I'm walking, because it isn't as flexible. You should be able to find hiker-type shoes that will accept cleats and let you walk as much as you want to.
> Catherine


Thanks Catherine, but I am still a little confused. When you say that I should be able to find shoes that will accept cleats, does that mean that you don't buy the shoes with the cleats already on them, but you have to make sure that they are shoes that you can put cleats on? Do the cleats come with the pedals? How does one know if the shoes will accept cleats? Sorry I am such a dummy, I am just not familiar with any of this thing about clipless, flats or whatever. I have just used what came on my bike, and did not know otherwise until reading this forum.


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## Lady_Hawk (Mar 8, 2006)

VT Mtbkr said:


> One of the women I frequently ride with is 56ish and still going strong. She actually won the solo women's category in a 12 hour race two years ago over 7 other riders just by staying on the bike the entire time and not napping. Her motto was slow and steady wins the race. Keep it up!!


Now that's my kind of motto! Gets you there in one piece too! I frequently have to remind myself of that one. But I only compete with myself and I am forever trying to outdo myself. Thanks!


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## litespeedchick (Jan 13, 2004)

No, actually, it's when you DO get that foot out of the pedal and "stick it out to catch yourself" that you can break an ankle, take if from me ! If you can't get out of the pedal in time, you just fall over and land on your side and look like an idiot. 

You WILL fall over a few times when you switch to clipless, everybody does. Might as well make the switch now and get the 11 falls over with, while you're still young ;-)


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## Maida7 (Apr 29, 2005)

Lady_Hawk said:


> Thanks Catherine, but I am still a little confused. When you say that I should be able to find shoes that will accept cleats, does that mean that you don't buy the shoes with the cleats already on them, but you have to make sure that they are shoes that you can put cleats on? Do the cleats come with the pedals? How does one know if the shoes will accept cleats? Sorry I am such a dummy, I am just not familiar with any of this thing about clipless, flats or whatever. I have just used what came on my bike, and did not know otherwise until reading this forum.


The cleats always come with the pedals. Each brand of pedal use a slightly diferent cleat so they give you a set when you buy the pedals.

Most any cycling shoes will except cleats. Shimano has set the standard spacing for the attachement of the cleat to the shoe. The Shimano system is called SPD. If the shoe claims to be "SPD compatable" it will work with most any cleats. Now go get yourself clipless, you won't regret it.


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## Lady_Hawk (Mar 8, 2006)

Maida7 said:


> The cleats always come with the pedals. Each brand of pedal use a slightly diferent cleat so they give you a set when you buy the pedals.
> 
> Most any cycling shoes will except cleats. Shimano has set the standard spacing for the attachement of the cleat to the shoe. The Shimano system is called SPD. If the shoe claims to be "SPD compatable" it will work with most any cleats. Now go get yourself clipless, you won't regret it.


Alright!!! Thanks Maida7. It's on my to do list. Then I can start falling.


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## Lady_Hawk (Mar 8, 2006)

CycleMainiac said:


> Hi, going on 45 here too.
> 
> I like these pedals for a first time clipless.
> They offer a great platform for when you feel a little sketchy and don't want to be clipped in.
> ...


Hey CycleManiac, I looked these up and they look really interesting to me. Can you answer a couple of questions for me here? I gathered from the website that you can use them with any shoes, or you can use them with cleats? Is that right? They are kind of expensive, but if I can use them either way, I would like that. Thanks CM


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## Catherine (Jan 28, 2006)

Thanks for filling in the gap, Maida. I was afraid I was leaving out some vital info. Don't worry about what type of cleats you have when you go to demo a bike, they can put your pedals on the demo bike. If you buy a bike (someday) that has pedals that use different cleats, it's no big deal to change cleats, but I would ask someone to show you how to do it once. 
What do other folks think about the "eggbeater" style pedals? My husband tried them, but didn't like them. I'm fine with the SPD style--I don't need any more confusion added!

Catherine


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## gabrielle (Jan 2, 2005)

I don't have any advice for you, just wanted to say "You rock!"

My best mt biking buddies are late 40s-early 50s, and regularly kick my ass riding (I'm on my last round of 30-something). They're quite inspiring - I want to be them when I grow up!


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## litespeedchick (Jan 13, 2004)

If you aren't looking for a bargain, I recommend Shimano 959s. They are easy to get into and out of. After I broke my ankle, I became well versed in getting out of pedals, because the twisting motion necessary to get out was hard for that leg. I had to get rid of some Ritcheys that were hard to get out of. 

I recommend that you do not get Sidi mountain bike shoes. The treads are very slick. If you buy your shoes in person, feel the different rubber compounds on the bottom of the shoes...some feel more tacky and rubbery than others...that's what you want. I have Carnacs and I have been happy w/ Northwaves in the past. I always buy Men's shoes, I have an average size foot (7) and rather wide in the forefoot, so men's fit fine, and you can usually find a bargain because some small sizes will be left over. Oh, that's another thing. The sizes will be European. So I wear a 38 or 39. 

And as someone else said, you must compromise between efficient power transfer (stiff sole) and walking comfort (flexy sole). Further, I recommend against high tops. I mistakenly thought those would protect my ankle, but they just make it much harder to get out of the pedals. Ask the bike shop that sells you the pedals to set them to the loosest setting. You don't want them so loose that you pull your foot out if you bunny hop, but you want them **juuussst** tight enough so that doesn't happen. 

One more thing. You may have to take an exacto-knife and cut away some of the tread right around the cleat to make entry easier.

Good luck!


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## connie (Mar 16, 2004)

Lady_Hawk said:


> Hey CycleManiac, I looked these up and they look really interesting to me. Can you answer a couple of questions for me here? I gathered from the website that you can use them with any shoes, or you can use them with cleats? Is that right? They are kind of expensive, but if I can use them either way, I would like that. Thanks CM


I like Mallet's: http://crankbrothers.com/mallet.php

Same concept, different cleat. These aren't adjustable, but they have a four-sided entry (the center piece rotates), and have a very consistent release. I also like the platform.

You can use any pedal with a good platform with regular shoes if you're just riding to the store or something. If you're doing technical riding with regular shoes, I'd recommend an actual platform pedal with pins, etc. But I think you're just looking for something that will work for convenience sake when you don't want to be wearing bike shoes, and clipless pedals with a platform (like the Shimano's above or Mallets, etc) will work great for that. Though their primary purpose is to give you a better platform if you're unclipped and riding and haven't gotten clipped back in yet. On some of the tinier clipless models (like Eggbeaters), it's pretty difficult to pedal or balance if you're unclipped.


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## mtnbecky (Feb 5, 2004)

*Welcome, Lady Hawk!*

I agree with the others: you rock! I'm 45, and the reason my avatar says "enter and win" is because, there are so FEW of us racing, that I wound up being national champion in the DH last September. Although it's kinda lonely out there, keep at it, because riding and racing totally keeps us young. I hope you find folks to ride with where you are and that you keep enjoying it! Take care....remember to take a glucosamine....Becky


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## rocknrollgirl (Feb 12, 2006)

*Nice to meet you*

Hi all, 44 this year, and recovery time is my only age related complaint. I have to train a little smarter, with recovery days built in after hard rides, but other than that...bring it on. All of the women I ride with at the moment at much younger. Most of the guys are my age, but it makes me really happy yo see so many women my age repsond to this thread. I wish you all lived close by.

And just for th record, all of my coworkers, neighbors and most of my friends think I am nuts.


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## Lady_Hawk (Mar 8, 2006)

Hi all. I went on a new trail here today that I thought I could handle, but let me tell you, it did kick my ass. (I was the CRASH-TEST-DUMMY today) I managed most of it, but not the kick-ass part.  I think one of the most important things you can tell a new mtbkr is: Look where you want to go, and NOT where you do not want to go. That takes a lot of practice, but it really works. If you keep looking at something, the bike says, "CAN DO!!" and by golly, IT DOES! I am saying, if you don't want to hit something, then DON'T keep looking at it, or you are sure-as-hell going to hit it. On the other hand, if you keep your focus ahead, on where you want to go, the bike will likewise get you there.I almost hit a tree today on a sharp turn, just because I kept looking at it. I had to bail just before I hit it. I knew afterwards, that it was because I just kept looking at it, and my bike said, "OK, here we go". Of course, all of you experienced riders know that already, but I thought I might throw it in for the newbies. But it is hard, even if you know it.
Now, back to clipless....I want to go that route because I know you are all right, (my feet kept slipping off the pedals today on the rough terrain)but I am having a hard time deciding which to buy. I have found through the research on the recommendations here, that they are quite expensive (shoes and all) and I don't know how to be sure of what I am getting, or if I will like them. There have been 3 mentioned here, and I like the sound of all of them. I really do want something that I can get out of quickly, (just before I crash)but at the same time, as Connie said, I am looking for the convenience of being able to wear regular shoes if I want. But I do only ride off road, so maybe I can't expect to have it both ways. I just don't want to drop a lot of money in something that isn't going to work for me. I am like LightSpeedChick, my feet are better suited to men's, as they are wider in the front part, so I always buy men's tennies. So if they are European sized, how do I know what size to get? Are they all European sized? How did the rest of you decide on what kind to get? More dumb questions.  Pretty soon, none of you will think I rock, but will instead think I have rocks in my head. Sorry


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## connie (Mar 16, 2004)

Lady_Hawk said:


> Hi all. I went on a new trail here today that I thought I could handle, but let me tell you, it did kick my ass. (I was the CRASH-TEST-DUMMY today) I managed most of it, but not the kick-ass part.  I think one of the most important things you can tell a new mtbkr is: Look where you want to go, and NOT where you do not want to go. That takes a lot of practice, but it really works. If you keep looking at something, the bike says, "CAN DO!!" and by golly, IT DOES! I am saying, if you don't want to hit something, then DON'T keep looking at it, or you are sure-as-hell going to hit it. On the other hand, if you keep your focus ahead, on where you want to go, the bike will likewise get you there.I almost hit a tree today on a sharp turn, just because I kept looking at it. I had to bail just before I hit it. I knew afterwards, that it was because I just kept looking at it, and my bike said, "OK, here we go". Of course, all of you experienced riders know that already, but I thought I might throw it in for the newbies. But it is hard, even if you know it.
> Now, back to clipless....I want to go that route because I know you are all right, (my feet kept slipping off the pedals today on the rough terrain)but I am having a hard time deciding which to buy. I have found through the research on the recommendations here, that they are quite expensive (shoes and all) and I don't know how to be sure of what I am getting, or if I will like them. There have been 3 mentioned here, and I like the sound of all of them. I really do want something that I can get out of quickly, (just before I crash)but at the same time, as Connie said, I am looking for the convenience of being able to wear regular shoes if I want. But I do only ride off road, so maybe I can't expect to have it both ways. I just don't want to drop a lot of money in something that isn't going to work for me. I am like LightSpeedChick, my feet are better suited to men's, as they are wider in the front part, so I always buy men's tennies. So if they are European sized, how do I know what size to get? Are they all European sized? How did the rest of you decide on what kind to get? More dumb questions.  Pretty soon, none of you will think I rock, but will instead think I have rocks in my head. Sorry


Well that sounds familiar! 

As far as shoes go - you're best off going somewhere and trying them on/buying in person, especially the first time. Unless you find an absolutely screaming deal online and don't mind taking a chance that they won't fit. Most online shops will have a size conversion chart if you're dealing with Euro sizing - or you can find one on the internet if they don't.

Also, when selecting shoes, I like something halfway between a hard race shoe and the hiking shoe style - meaning something with a pretty stiff sole but rubber lugs that grip nicely on rocks, etc. Some of the more racing oriented shoes have hard plastic lugs that can be slippery on rock, etc., or are really tough to just walk in. You're probably looking for something in-between to start with.


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