Re-cycle Pedals

So I am thinking about riding again. Only one problem, my 15 year old Time shoes sorta bit the dust on the last ride. I rolled out of the garage, clipped in, pulled up, and tore the sole off of one shoe.

This opened a whole can of worms...

• Now I need a new pair of cycling shoes, if I want to ride with something beside sneakers.
• Decent cycling shoes cost a lot.
• I have 2 sets of Time pedals, circa 1990, on two bikes. I would like to still use them if possible.
  
• My current Time cleats are old school, I will need an adapter plate for any new non-Time shoes I buy.
• No local bike shop carries the adapter plate.

See below why I want to buy locally...

• I am interested in spinning classes. Spin bike pedals only take SPD or Look cleats. No Time allowed...
• I do not want to spend any money.
• I have 2 sets of MTB SPD pedals I bought on sale in 1992 for the tandem, but were never installed. I'll use these!

How things went...

1. Research and shop for new shoes online.
   
2. Go to various bike shops, get lousy, or no service. Contrary to my "buy local" mindset.
   
3. Realize no-one really has a good selection of shoes. Can't find the ones I researched/chose in stock anywhere.
4. Volunteer for the LiveStrong Challenge in San Jose and receive a 20% off coupon for SportsBasement. I like this store, so I go there.
5. Find shoes I like, Sidi Genius something-or-other.
6. Finally find time to put the pedals on the bike, and the cleats on the shoes.
7. Install SPD pedals, no problem, kinda heavy though. Do I really want these on my light road bike? Tell myself once again I can't spend money on new pedals.
8. Install one cleat on one shoe, tighten cleat to shoe, rip threads off of one mounting screw!
9. Take it apart to find out that the screw is too short, only 2 threads screw into the mounting plate.
10. I go to Home Depot and get six longer screws. Actually find the right metric size and style.
11. I figure that I also messed up the in-sole mounting plate, so I'll just pull it out, and replace it with the one that came with the pedals.
12. Discover that I have to cut apart the in-sole to get to the plate. There is a scored template to use. I cut it open, and take out old plate.
13. I try to put in the new plate and discover that the pedal plate is old, the shoes are new, so the plate doesn't fit.
14. Go back to using the original plate that I think I messed up. I flip it around to use 2 fresh holes.
    
15. Screw everything together.
16. Put on shoes.
17. Get on bike.
18. Clip into pedals.
19. Start to go for a test ride.
    
20. Pedals slide all over, cleats are twisting on the pedals.
21. Argghh!
22. Tighten everything, and they still slide.
23. Discover road shoes and MTB SPD's don't mix.

What to do now? I dig around in all my bike stuff and find an old pair of Shimano pedals that use the Look cleat.

1. Start over.
2. Un-install SPD pedals.
3. Un-install SPD cleats.
4. Install Shimano Pedals.
5. Install Look cleats.
6. Tighten everything up.
7. Put on shoes, get on bike, clip into pedals. Go for a test ride down the street and back.
8. Pedals, cleats and shoes work.
   
9. I need to adjust the angle of cleats, and the release tension on the pedals, but otherwise I think I am set!

Almost ready to ride.

The simple task of getting new shoes and getting them to work with old pedals. Simple, right!?

Why I like to buy locally. Here are a few reasons I like to support local small businesses.

• I own a small business.
• I like/need the personal service and advice.
• I want small businesses to survive.
  
• Often times items are not that much more expensive than online shopping, what with tax and shipping added.
• I don't like the idea of paying a use tax. If you don't know what this is, well, all I can say is be prepared to hear more and more about it in the near future.
• I like/need to see/feel the fit and finish of some things.
• I like being able to go back to the store to ask for advice, to get service, to make an exchange or return.

Don't get me wrong, I shop online when it makes sense to me.
Often times you cannot find what you need locally.
Often times you cannot get decent service/info locally (i.e: Fry's).
Often times the price is dramatically less than buying local.

In the case of my shoes, I could easily have found what I needed online, but I wanted to try the shoes on. I didn't want to go into a bike store, use up their time, try on a bunch of shoes, then leave and buy them online. Not fair.

Now to the recycling part of this post.
I had a bunch of good cycling "stuff" laying around. I didn't want to toss this stuff. I wanted to use it. I didn't want to consume. I wanted to find a solution to my problem using what I already had on hand. This was as much a money issue as a consumption issue.

I am going to ride home from work today. Wish me luck.