A snob's delight

[spokewrench]

In “Thunder Road,” a pretty girl is sitting with her beau when she hears a distinctive sound a mile away. She says, “That’s Luke!” She runs to the parking lot and greets him by opening the door and jumping in. The beau moans, “Nobody can compete with him. He’s got the loudest pipes in the valley.”

Robert Mitchum tells her to marry the guy she just dumped. He isn’t being altruistic. If he stole her, word would get out that he was a snob, and that would bring heat from the ATF and the syndicate.

Harley riders don’t know that snobbery is best enjoyed quietly. I explained that my motorcycle was quiet because BMW was a sewing machine company. They bragged that they had balls. Eventually, somebody spread the word that instead of balls, BMWs had roller bearings. With no plausible deniability that I was the worst snob they'd ever seen, I had to abscond on my fast, quiet, comfortable, reliable BMW.

Lately, it occurred to me that pedaling barefoot might dispel rumors of snobbery. I bought pedals that instead of cleats or pins, use an 80-grit surface like nonslip tape.

Instead of balls, these pedals have rollers. What’s more, they passed the Zedler Institute E-bike Pedal Standard Safety Test. Something like that could lead to accusations that I think I’m too good to serve as a volunteer test dummy for a pedal peddler.

I thought, "What they don't know won't hurt 'em." Then I discovered that these pedals are standard on Specialized Turbo Vados. It’s only a matter of time until somebody recognizes them. I think I see a way out: attaching Dollar General tags that say, “Clearance $1.” Where can I buy tags like that?

 

[Aushiker]

What pedals are they?

 

[spokewrench]

Amazon.com

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Then I discovered that these pedals are standard on Specialized Turbo Vados.

Yes. I probably still have them somewhere in my drawer.

If one rides their e-bike in good weather on relatively short distances in casual shoes (or barefoot!) then the pedals do not really matter. Is it wet weather, a longer ride or some extra performance? Then the traction pin pedals and cycling shoes make a big difference.

On July 27th this year, I rented a Bosch E-Bike in Carrick, Ireland. The intention was to see the most gorgeous corner of County Donegal. The e-bike had regular flat pedals, and I was wearing Skechers. The weather was varying from raining to magnificent sunshine. On that ride, I realised how important the pedals and shoes were if you really had to pedal not ride on the throttle or in Turbo...

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

What pedals are they?

Also came on my new Specialized Vado SL 5.0 EQ. Changed them to ROCKBROS wide MTB platforms before the bike left the shop. Just a pedal I know works well for me, no snobbery involved.

 

[spokewrench]

Yes. I probably still have them somewhere in my drawer.

If one rides their e-bike in good weather on relatively short distances in casual shoes (or barefoot!) then the pedals do not really matter. Is it wet weather, a longer ride or some extra performance? Then the traction pin pedals and cycling shoes make a big difference.

On July 27th this year, I rented a Bosch E-Bike in Carrick, Ireland. The intention was to see the most gorgeous corner of County Donegal. The e-bike had regular flat pedals, and I was wearing Skechers. The weather was varying from raining to magnificent sunshine. On that ride, I realised how important the pedals and shoes were if you really had to pedal not ride on the throttle or in Turbo...

I wondered which of the 1,010 Bosch-equipped bikes you rode. Then I saw your clues. It was the Thompson Enigma, right?

Skechers! I'm not criticizing your judgment. Real shoes wouldn't have seemed important if you were expected to pedal only 15 miles a day on an electric bike and every guest house would be near a pub.

I bought a pair 5 years ago and found that their design department lacks adult supervision. Normally I would have avoided Skechers because most have EVA soles, which are slippery when wet. The ones I bought had rubber soles, and they were on sale. They were okay for some uses, but the spongy EVA layer, which all Skechers seem to have, made them undesirable for pedaling. If I'd had my BV-PDs then, those shoes might have worked out.

If you'd wrapped your good pedals in a pair of drawers before putting them in a drawer, you might have found them in your luggage in time to turn your Irish ordeal into a memory to cherish.

 

[spokewrench]

Also came on my new Specialized Vado SL 5.0 EQ. Changed them to ROCKBROS wide MTB platforms before the bike left the shop. Just a pedal I know works well for me, no snobbery involved.

I'd like to try elongated pedals, but if mine were as ostentatious as yours, they'd know snobbery was involved. I could cut 6" pieces of 1 x 4. Instead of gaudy pins, I could use down-home 1" drywall screws, whose ends would protrude 6mm. I'd strap the boards to my BV-PDs with zip ties. That would raise my pedal level 19mm. I'd compensate by taking off my shoes and socks. Pedaling around town that way could fool everybody into believing me when I say I'm not really a snob.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

I'd like to try elongated pedals, but if mine were as ostentatious as yours, they'd know snobbery was involved. I could cut 6" pieces of 1 x 4. Instead of gaudy pins, I could use down-home 1" drywall screws, whose ends would protrude 6mm. I'd strap the boards to my BV-PDs with zip ties. That would raise my pedal level 19mm. I'd compensate by taking off my shoes and socks. Pedaling around town that way could fool everybody into believing me when I say I'm not really a snob.

To each his own.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

It was the Thompson Enigma, right?

Yes!

Skechers! I'm not criticizing your judgment. Real shoes wouldn't have seemed important if you were expected to pedal only 15 miles a day on an electric bike and every guest house would be near a pub.

I had a holiday in Ireland and didn't really expect renting an e-bike

 

[Slaphappygamer]

Also came on my new Specialized Vado SL 5.0 EQ. Changed them to ROCKBROS wide MTB platforms before the bike left the shop. Just a pedal I know works well for me, no snobbery involved.

I have those as well, but no one will ever see them. My work boots cover the entire pedal.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Yes. I probably still have them somewhere in my drawer.

If one rides their e-bike in good weather on relatively short distances in casual shoes (or barefoot!) then the pedals do not really matter. Is it wet weather, a longer ride or some extra performance? Then the traction pin pedals and cycling shoes make a big difference.

View attachment 182434
On July 27th this year, I rented a Bosch E-Bike in Carrick, Ireland. The intention was to see the most gorgeous corner of County Donegal. The e-bike had regular flat pedals, and I was wearing Skechers. The weather was varying from raining to magnificent sunshine. On that ride, I realised how important the pedals and shoes were if you really had to pedal not ride on the throttle or in Turbo...

Have to admit that most of my ebike rides in the last 2 years have been in either Skechers slip-ins or Keen closed-toe sandals. All have had somewhat stiff soles with good arch support and great pedal grip, and I can't recall ever regretting it.

But that was on a 500W, 65 Nm, 960 Wh hub-drive with butt-limited rides of 30 mi max, whereas your rides tend to be much longer.

Now that I have to watch my battery consumption on a new Vado SL with a more comfortable saddle and hopefully longer rides, I might have to rethink shoes in coming weeks.

With that in mind, tried on some Adidas Five Tens a few days ago. Much heavier than any of the above with only a modest increase in sole stiffness.

 

[harryS]

One of the great scenes in Thunder Road is when the bad guy pulls up alongside Luke (Mitchum) and he throws a lit cigarette thru the open windows of both cars into the eyes of the villain, causing the bad guy to crash,

Impossible on the road, but if you put two stationary cars on a sound stage with a rolling scenery background panel to simulate high speed, you can film it,

 

[spokewrench]

The opening was great. The feds grab his bumper and he releases it. He evades them by using the parking brake for a bootlegger's u-turn. The film shows a wheel flying off his car. I guess that was another bit of wit. Next, he decides to smoke as he negotiates a mountain road, unlit by anything except his 1950 Ford headlights, at 70 mph. His lighter sends up a 6" flame in front of his eyes. I was 11 and knew immediately that this movie was so bad, it was good. Nobody smiled in the film. I liked that touch.

He wrote the lyrics to the song. His mother gave him the tune: a Norwegian polka. It is said that author James Agee told Mitchum of seeing the death of the bootlegger near Knoxville. Mitchum thought of the story and got a mystery writer to help him with the script. There was no producer. In filming, the gang hung out in an Asheville store for months, giving customers informal access to the star and writing scenes as they went.

One day he said he'd been drunk the night before. He'd waked up in bed with a sleeping woman and remembered his wife was on town. He dressed and fled out a window into an alley. Now he realized he'd forgotten his watch, and he didn't remember where he'd waked up. A few minutes later his wife walked in with his watch, saying he'd left it on the table.

Her participation in that gag says to me that the stories of his womanizing and her suffering were not true. The couple did not contest the libel because it sold tickets at the box office.

 

[spokewrench]

With that in mind, tried on some Adidas Five Tens a few days ago. Much heavier than any of the above with only a modest increase in sole stiffness.

There seems to be a variety of Five Tens. Some resemble my Sperry Striper II CVOs, which are holding up very well after an estimated 1200 miles. Paul Sperry made the first deck shoe after slipping and falling off his sailboat in 1935. (Fortunately, he kept hold of a line and pulled himself aboard.) Some reviewers say Five Tens don't slip, either.

My Sperrys feel heavy when I put them on, but a scale shows they weigh about the same as shoes that feel lighter.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

There seems to be a variety of Five Tens. Some resemble my Sperry Striper II CVOs, which are holding up very well after an estimated 1200 miles. Paul Sperry made the first deck shoe after slipping and falling off his sailboat in 1935. (Fortunately, he kept hold of a line and pulled himself aboard.) Some reviewers say Five Tens don't slip, either.

My Sperrys feel heavy when I put them on, but a scale shows they weigh about the same as shoes that feel lighter.

I tried on these, as the Freeriders have been recommended my times here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0CN2TB1VJ/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_9?smid=A7ULJO7NAWM0L&psc=1&th=1

Could well be better choices for my mix of on and off road Wore lots of Topsiders in younger years.

 

[spokewrench]

The topsider is a sort of slipper. "CVO" means "canvas vulcanized oxford." It's similar to what the Navy used to issue. I'm not saying you'd like it, but it worked out for me. For me, the rubber sole was the first selling point. Another was that it won't come unglued, as is common these days. The laces ensure that they'll stay on.

In the days of block pedals, it seemed my foot found the same placement every time, with the ball over the spindle and close to the crank. I figured that was important for efficiency and safety. With cleats or pins, my feet seemed to rest in a different place every time. Removing pins made it easier to move my foot where it belonged. I haven't had to do that with the BV-PDS; as with block pedals, my feet always seem to come down at the right spot. I haven't figured it out.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I tried on these, as the Freeriders have been recommended my times here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0CN2TB1VJ/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_9?smid=A7ULJO7NAWM0L&psc=1&th=1

Could well be better choices for my mix of on and off road Wore lots of Topsiders in younger years.

These look a variety called Freerider Pro Canvas. I have had two pairs of Freerider Pro (not Canvas) and couldn't be more happy. I'm surprised to hear you didn't find the sole of those shoes stiff enough! As my current Five Tens are very much worn, I tried Specialized 2FO. Not bad shoes at all, only the fit of Five Tens was better for me.

As for the Ireland trip, Skechers were my walking shoes there; I could not pack all the biking clothes in my suitcase for just one ride Fortunately, it was just a 21 mile ride!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

My Freeriders after three and half years of riding I still wear them although am switching to 2FO's more and more often!