gugie 

I think the technology has vastly improved. I'd go out to 50 hours now.

bikingshearer 

That jersey doesn't apply to me because I don't wait for winter . . . .

Slightspeed

I'm with you as a toe clip hater. I raced on them, rode them to college, never gave them much thought because that's just the way it was. After 20 years on SPDs I re-mounted the Campy quills and toe clips for 2016 Eroica, which was damp and muddy. Fell twice, my knee will never be the same. Nothing heroic about that. Last year I did half clips, no cleats, and at least my knees survived, forget about pulling up on the uphill parts, with unclipped feet. Love the ride, the vintage steel, the roads, hate the clips. Here's my '64 Legnano with 2016 vintage VO half clips, soon to be SPD, April 8. To me modern pedals are every bit a safety item as helmets and blinky tail lights, but that's just me.

bikingshearer 

Ooooo, that's nice. I hope to see it in person this weekend.

Kabuki12

Looking GOOD Rich!!! I will see you there. I promise not to fall down! Joe

DiabloScott

I ride toe clips and street shoes all the time on my commute bike - in fact I simply put my commute bike pedals on my Eroica bike last month.
But it's surprising how NOT "one with the bike" I feel while descending and carving turns - also bunny hopping is OUT... made that mistake last week.

bikingshearer 

I going to hold you to that.

bikingshearer 

For me, it's getting into the darn things. It no longer feels anything even remotely resembling normal or natural. It also seems like when the margin for error is large, my feet go right in, but when the margin for error is small, so is my ability to get my feet in.

As for feeling "one with the bike," that is accomplished by cinching the straps down good and hard. But that raises a new set of worries. Such as your foot going numb - I have less than fond memories of that from BITD.

Cinching the straps down hard can lead to another issue, as I was reminded at the first Eroica California. I had a too-big low gear (for me) of 44x28. I came to the dirt road leading up to Olea Farms and their wonderful french fries. Unfortunately, I forgot that I had tightened the straps completely. I had purchased a NOS set of the best straps one could get - Alfredo Binda Extras. Why were they considered the best? Because they don't stretch. At all. Not even under extreme rider duress. I was now going too slow to get the straps loosened and my feet were not coming out of those unloosened straps. So I had a choice: (1) fall over and look stupid (okay, look more stupid than usual) and maybe hurt myself; or (2) somehow grunt my way up that little hill. (It did not seem so little at the time.) I did not fall over, and was cheered by those who were walking (which I desperately wished I was doing) until I the road leveled off enough for me to gain enough speed to loosen the straps. I thought I was going to die, or at least barf up a lung. I stood there draped over the handlebars, puffing and wheezing, for God knows how long as everyone I had passed going up the hill went past me. I was wrecked for the rest of the ride. Thank goodness I have had the good sense to do the short route at Eroica, a practice I will continue this year; I can't begin to imagine how awful Kiler Canyon would have felt after that little escapade.

Okay, that was operator error. In any event, I now keep the straps as tight as possible while still being able to get my feet in or out. That leads to occasionally pulling a foot out when my pedaling form is less than pristine. That, too, is operator error, but all of this is the kind of operator error I don't have to worry about with my spuds.

I love Eroica, and I have a blast every time. I will cheerfully ride an Eroica-compliant bike for the event, including clips and straps. And I will still wish I was on my SPDs at least a half dozen times during the ride.

Besides, complaining is a big part of the fun of any ride, especially an Eroica ride.

Slightspeed

One of the two falls I had in 2016 was at the Olea Farm turn off. I tried to miss some really deep sand, lost forward speed, fell like a big tree, landing on the same knee I had fallen on a few miles earlier when a lady suddenly stopped right in front of me, clipped in, zero speed, pointed uphill, fell like a big tree. That year I was on a 42/28 gear, full straps, toe clips and plastic cleats, plus the mud and gravel. Perfect storm. Last year I rode VO half clips, different shoes with no cleats, also no feeling of "one with the bike", but no falls, no further knee or ego damage. I was on a 34/40/50 triple with a 34t rear. This year I'm back on the 42/28, but sticking to the short coastal route. I did a 44 mile ride today up towards Santa Barbara, and had a personal best (according to Strava) on Bates Road climb, 7%, with the 42/28 gears, half clips, no cleats. This beat my carbon rides, with "better" gears, and "real" clipless pedals as God intended. Go figure. With the big gears, it's either pedal or fall over, I guess, hence, the PR. Have fun, complaining and smiling all the way!

Salamandrine 

A bit of a digression but... For those in the know BITD, the Binda Extras were not the best. They were just too stiff. The best were the regular plain leather Binda straps. They were thick leather with no laminations, and had a little bit of stretch. I'm pretty sure I tried every brand at some point, and those were by far the best. I couldn't stand Binda Extras. They'd often cut my feet on long climbs. Regular Bindas held better and were far more comfortable. I preferred even plain jane Zefal straps.

It's a bit of a dilemma when climbing in the dirt with straps. Tight helps climbing, but getting out quickly can be tricky. BITD I'd not hesitate to have straps pulled tight on any sort of climb including gravel. It was just instinctive to be able to flick them open in a split second. These days, I'm not sure. Decades of SPD and I'm spoiled. I'd probably still pull them medium tight.

Kabuki12

I leave my straps semi loose. I find that the benefit of climbing with the straps tightened isn't enough to warrant not being able to get out in a hurry just in case! I have never used the modern clip in pedals, I am afraid I would like them and then what would I do with all those nice Campy Superleggeri pedals?

bikingshearer 

Binda Extras are too stiff when you want to get our of them in a hurry, but Bindas (and others) stretch too much when you want to expert maximum pull-up. BITD the guys I hung with (read: got dropped by) thought stiff was better. As a big, pretty strong guy, I agreed. I don't any more.

So do I . . . now. Remember, wisdom comes from experience, and experience comes from lack of wisdom.

rccardr 

jcb3

jcb3

gugie 

For all the worry about rain, right now the weather report for Paso Robles is a high of 79 on Sunday, Cambria high of 72. I'd rather be headed west as the temperature climbs, and will want to leave as early as possible.

Sun up is 6:46, if you plan on leaving before the sun rises, bring lights!

northbend 

Sounds like you folks will have perfect weather. Hope ya'll have a GREAT time!

davester

My preference is to push off with the first group at 6 am. It seems to me that we pushed off with the first group last year but it was light at that time suggesting that perhaps the start was at 6:30 that year...does anyone remember? Note that the vehicle code says that lights are required up until 30 mins before sunset which would mean that we wouldn't need lights after 6:15 am. Therefore, I vote for pushing off at 6:15 am. I will also be bringing my microscopic blinky front and rear lights in case anybody gets sticky about the light requirement on the Eroica page (which says lights required for the LA VIA DELLO SCALATORE route). Note that the starting hours and lights requirements are listed perversely under Festival/Program, not under Routes.

jcb3

My strava from last year shows a 7 or 7:30 start (maybe I turned on the garmin at 7 and we got moving at 7:30)

I'm fine with a 6am push off time - we can get the photo in Cayucos

davester

I think you're right about last year because they had the Nova Eroica riders start in the earlier time slot...that's not happening this year.

I think it's a great idea to do the a photo in Cayucos. It was like herding cats trying to get that group shot at the start last year since everybody was eager to get into the starting grid. Let's plan to have a group shot on the pier with our bikes.

gugie 

We have two active threads on Eroica, I'm volunteering to close the one I started and cross-post to the one @mech986 started.

Link to Unofficial Eroica California 2019 BF C&V Thread - Reg, info, roll call and more!

Any objections?

mgopack42 

I just check them both if they pop up with new posts. Since we will all be in Cambria in 1 or 2 days, it is a bit like closing the barn door after the horses escape, don'tcha think?
I can't wait to get underway!

gugie 

Kinda, but any local updates (crazy parties, pictures of broken frames, etc.) in semi-real time would be nice to have in one location.

Spaghetti Legs 

jcb3