Duct tape or new bicycling shoes

Well, for nearly a decade I had a single pair of Sidi cycling shoes and they lasted amazingly well. And to that, I used two sets of SpeedPlay X2 (steel) and X1 (titanium spindles) and I still use these today after 20 years which is kind of incredible when you think about it.

And over the last four years, I’ve had a pair of Nike cycling shoes which I haven’t really loved that much, and a set of PowerTap P1 power meter pedals. I’ve actually used a whole host of power meters, from a chain-sensitive one from Campagnolo that didn’t work well, to these pedals and now to a Speedtap crank mounted one (which is awesome and has very little weight penalty).

But, yesterday, the Nike’s which I use for indoor finally failed. The strap that you micro-tighten just had the back of it fall off. The solution was to wrap a huge hunk of duck tape around the back and then the strap works.

But, this isn’t a great solution, but there was a great sail on Giro Empire SLX shows (40% off). These are inconvenient with their shoe ties, but they are very aerodynamic. I actually don’t typically adjust my shoes during the ride and they are so light at 360 grams total that it is worth it.

The second is the older Shimano Phyre R901s which are supposed to have the better last and foot shape. Again, got these for a nice discount from Competitive Cyclist.

I’m Rich & Co.

Welcome to Tongfamily, our cozy corner of the internet dedicated to all things technology and interesting. Here, we invite you to join us on a journey of tips, tricks, and traps. Let’s get geeky!

Let’s connect