After using Power Grips for the past two years, last week I switched to a clipless setup (Crankbrothers Candy 3 pedals and Mavic Cyclo Tour shoes). Having ridden with the new setup for about 100 miles now, it's pretty clear that I will be sticking with it. And while the feel of riding with Power Grips is still fresh on my mind, I wanted to compare my impressions of the two systems.
The purpose of both Power Grips and clipless pedals is to provide foot retention, which many roadcyclists find useful. Power Grips are thick diagonal straps that bind your feet to the pedals while still allowing easy escape. They can be worn with street shoes. To extract your foot, you must slide it back while rotating the heel outward. Clipless pedals contain binding mechanisms that latch on to the cleats attached to the bottom of cycling shoes. They can only be worn with special shoes.To extract your foot, you must rotate the heel outward until the cleat disengages from the pedal.
As far as foot retention, I do not feel a huge benefit to using clipless over Power Grips (assuming that the Grips are adjustedtightly). In two years of using the latter, never once have my feet accidentally come out. With the clipless setup, the connection to the pedals is more secure and more precise, but in all honesty I am not sure it's necessarily "better" as far as power transfer and what not, at least not for someone at my current level of ability. I have not noticed any difference in speed after switching to clipless.
The ease of clipping in and unclipping feels about the same. Having found a brand and model of clipless pedals I am comfortable with, I do not experience difficulty using them. Clipping in does require more precision than sliding my foot inside a Power Grip, but once mastered it is actually faster. Clipping out is very similar to extracting my foot from a Grip, requiring the same rotation of the heel. The time it takes me to unclip is about the same.
The main reason I prefer my new clipless setup to Power Grips - and this was entirely unexpected - is that I find it considerably more comfortable.I had not even realised how much discomfort I was experiencing until I switched to the clipless shoes. Before I would occasionally get blisters and numbness from the straps, which is no longer an issue. And it's great not to feel anything pressing down on top of my feet. I do not feel the spots where my shoes attach to the pedals, so there is no pressure on the soles of my feet either.
Needless to say, these are all just my personal impressions and are by no means intended as some definitive verdict. I've been getting requests for a comparison and did not want to wait until the memory of using Power Grips faded. As before,I think Power Grips are a fantastically useful product for those who do not feel comfortable with clipless pedals or simply do not want the commitment of having to wear special cycling shoes on their roadbike. I have done paceline rides and fast group rides with Power Grips, and it's been fine.That said, the difference in comfort I've experienced makes me glad I've finally mastered clipless, and I don't see myself going back.
I have been riding my "new" Francesco Moser for a couple of weeks now and wanted to share my impressions. This is the same frame that I rode last year as a fixed gear conversion, then sold, then bought back and rebuilt as a geared roabike with modern components. Since the summer, I have been vigorously shopping around for a road/racing bike for . The Moser resurrection is an experiment to determine whether it is feasible to refurbish a vintage steel racing frame for this purpose without putting myself at a disadvantage in comparison to cyclists riding modern bikes.
The Italian frame was built in 1978 and raced in Austria throughout the 1980s.Through an interesting coincidence, I happen to know who the framebuilder was, but that is another story.The frame is lugged steel and allegedlyColumbustubing. Whether "tretubi" or something nicer I do not know; there are no decals. The lugs are pointy with elegant cutouts. Chromed fork crown, dropouts and seat stay caps.I have not been able to find this exact model in a Moser catalogue; something is always different. As I understand it, Moser frames were handmade in small batches and the framebuilders would sometimes get creative with individual frames. This could be one of those.
The current incarnation of the bicycle includes an older Campagnolo Vento wheelset. Retired by the previous owner, the wheels have got quite a few miles on them, but are in good shape. 
CampagnoloRecord 9-speed drivertrain and shifters, circa 1999. 
The crankset is 52/39t with 175mm crankarms. Not ideal in the long run, but at least it will allow me to try the bike. MKSStream pedals and Power Gripsas usual.
From my spare parts, the bike is fitted with an 11cmNittoTechnomic Delux stem and 42cmNittoNoodle handlebars. White Fiziktape. Cateyecomputer with a cadence reader.Just to be silly, I finished the handlebar tape with thin strips of multi-coloured electrical tape, to match the "champion" bands on the frame.
I bought a set ofCampagnoloVeloce brake calipers and used the 700Cx23mm Michelin Krylion tires that I had on another bike earlier.
The saddle is a new generationSelle AnatomicaTitanico (with cro-moly rails), on loan from the manufacturer. I will be comparing my impressions of this model to those of theprevious version.
The bicycle is a 52cm frame with a 53cm top tube (closer to 52.5cm). Right now it is set up with an 11cm stem, handlebars 1cm below the saddle, and the saddle positioned to emulate the seat tube angle with no setback. The positioning feels great, but would probably feel even better with the handlebars a bit lower and the stem a bit shorter (the current stem cannot be lowered, because there is no more space inside the headtube). The weight of the bike as shown here is 21lb.
So, riding Moser2.0 so far... I think I got exceptionally lucky with how well this frame suits me. I did not fully understand or appreciate what it was until now. With the long stem, the geared drivetrain, and the lightweight moderncomponents, the bike feels as if it has been unshackled and allowed to soar. The small size feels just right, the forward positioning is exciting, and the lack of toe overlap eliminates my main source of anxiety with small frames. The bicycle feels lighter and easier to propel forward than other steel roadbikes I've tried, including modern ones. Judging by the numbers on the computer, my speed when cycling on my own is more or less identical to what it was when I was riding the Seven Axiom over the summer. I have not had a chance to go on a group ride yet, but will report on that once it happens. Acceleration feels effortless - that same "slingshot" feeling that, once experienced on a fast bike is hard to give up. The ride quality over bumps is better than I could have hoped for.
On a critical note,Moser2.0 is a bit squirrelystarting from a stop and at very slow speeds. My bike handling skills are good enough at this point to not consider that a problem, but I wouldn't have felt comfortable riding it set up this way last year. Also, the bottom bracket is so low that with the 175mm cranks there is pedal strike unless I am very careful to keep the inside pedal raised on turns. Can't decide whether this means that replacing the cranks is a priority (trade, anyone?), or whether it is an opportunity to improve my technique.
Have you thanked your bicycle lately? Just think of all the wonderful things our velocipedian friends have done for us! Surely they deserve a little thanks?To inspire you, I have prepared a little give-away for the Thanksgiving holiday.
As a small "thank you" to my readers, I will be giving away a hand-knitted"cycling hat" - made especially for the recipient, in their size. The hat will be 100% wool - a soft wool that feels nice against your skin, densely knitted to protect against the wind. The shape is as pictured above and also here. It covers the ears, and can either be worn on its own or (and I am 98% sure about this) will fit under a helmet. The pattern will be stripey - using whatever colours spontaneously come to mind out of what I have available. If the recipient is male, I can make "manly coloured" stripes as well. And if you hate a particular colour, you can request that I not include it. The finishing at the top of the hat is as shown in the picture above. Just a simple, fun and (hopefully) useful hat, custom made for you by me.
If you would like to be considered for the "Thanking Your Bicycle Give-Away," here are the guidelines:
