Cycling in Vibrams Five Fingers shoes and other stuff

[popularbelief]

Trying something new while cycling. I'm a daily ten miler with great speeds and great times. I have a blast while riding. Thought I would try out some new footwear. Been hearing great things about these. Also thinking about upgrading to some Animal Titanium Pedals too. In the next few months I want to light mod my current ride: 2000 Giant Sedona CS into a semi road / track bike. I would like to transition into a single before fixie of course or maybe even flip flop hub for on the go set ups. I seen some dope MTB converted to road bikes and track bikes on this forum and you all give me great inspiration. Thanks everyone. Anyone already using Vibrams while cycling?
pic of my bike:

pic of the shoes:

pic of the pedals I plan on getting:

 

[dabac]

TenToes are about providing the wearer with a greater feel of the surface (s)he is standing on, and to allow the foot more flexibility.
Pedals aren't that comfortable to start with, and don't change much from one turn of the crank to the next - which goes rather contrary to the intended benefits by the TTs.
There's a clue to be had in that "real" bike shoes are all about to provide a really solid surface for the foot to push against....

Anyone who's ever spend considerable time up on a ladder wearing sneakers/barefoot would understand what I'm talking about.

And while your intended pedals aren't that aggressive, they still have some fairly decent pegs on their surface. They're there to push into the sole of a sneaker-like shoe(for which they'll do fine) but in a pair of TTs you can expect to feel them straight through the sole and into your foot. Not the thing that I'd be looking forward too.
Riding in TTs is better than riding barefoot, but worse than riding in Tevas.

On top of that most TTs have very little padding under the heel. This is fine for soft surfaces, or for those who've accustomed their feet to it. But for someone who wears a cushy sneaker most of the time, walking on hard surfaces in TTs can quickly turn uncomfortable.

And what do you mean by "light mod"? is that light as in less weight, or "light" as in "minor changes"?

If it's "less weight", don't get your hopes up. To get a light bike, the overwhelming number of components have to lighter than average. There won't be much of the original bike left if you decide on that, and it'll cost you good money. Better then save those and get another bike that's higher speced from the beginning.

 

[popularbelief]

WOW a reply. I thought this forum was full of rich snobs with nothing but awesome bike specs to brag about. I actually came into a grip of money recently and decided to go to two LBS. The first one was a Specialized / Trek dealer so they were hard set on putting me on one. The sales rep came off in a weird way (he was also not as fit as I thought a veteran rider would look). Even though I been riding for 2 months straight he treated me like a n00b. I got some good information. Nothing in particular that the forums and the net hasn't taught me already. I didn't like the feeling so I went to another LBS where the owner is a rider and looks quite fit. He's very knowledgeable and has Jamis, Orbea, and Niners in stock and ready to launch at a given. His prices were much better too. From what I been seeing the Jamis and Orbea I liked and test rode around the parking lot a few times were MUCH cheaper than online retailers and other shops. I am selling my old commuter today and ready to jump into something much nicer and fits better. I will consider some bike shoes if the time comes but my Vibrams are already on the way to my house. I'll let you know how I like them. I appreciate the feedback too.

 

[dabac]

Well, the TTs are nice - under certain conditions. Putting them on pretty much does the same to your feet as running around barefoot for 3 months would do, but instantly. I don't have any qualms about relaxed, short-distance riding in them. But as soon as you start cranking with some solid effort you'll feel the contours of the pedals straight into the soles of your feet. It ain't gonna kill ya, but it sure can grow old real fast.

 

[McLoki]

I like vibrams a lot, but they will suck for riding. Not only will they be uncomfortable to pedal in, you will wear through the thin sole fairly quickly if you put your foot down while you are moving at all. I would ride in an old pair of sneakers and put the vibrams on when you get to where you are going rather than try to wear them riding.

Walking, hiking, running, working out are all vibram strong points, biking is just not one of them.

Give it a shot and you will quickly see what I mean - either way - congrats on the new shoes and bike....

Michael

 

[ThePM]

I stumbled across this thread while researching information on cycling and Vibrams. How was your experience?
I was considering using a solid pedal like the the [SIZE=10.0pt]Wellgo LU-214 City Pedal or [/SIZE]the CrankBrothers Mallet, in addition to pedal straps.

 

[lpdenny]

I ALWAYS wear my Vibrams when I'm cycling somewhere. I sport my FiveFingers Treksport and FiveFingers KSO when I ride to school, to the local watering holes, or when I'm joining a crew for a joy ride. I recommend wearing Vibrams for everything within reason. I wear them to school, to work (I'm a restaurant server), to the bars, to the afterparties, on the mountain, in the creek, in the dance studio, at outdoor yoga, at art and music festivals, when I'm climbing - when I'm at any event really. Wearing Vibrams was a lifestyle change for me - I bought three pairs right off the bat from the Vibram website (without trying them on) and I've never looked back. I love life in Vibrams.

I understand the need for support when we're doing strenuous sport activities, especially when we want to be aware of long-term health concerns and safety issues, but I also understand my need to let my body function as naturally as possible, and for me that means giving myself that "barefoot experience" in everything I do. I hope my enthusiastic response was helpful for you or anyone interested, but always do what is right for you and your own body.

Cheers!