So I just got my shoes, size 50cm Sidi. Took my new bike out for a ride and the toe is already getting scufted from stopping and touching the ground. Anyone have any tips or any recommendations about how to prevent this? (besides not taking my foot out of the pedal) I was think about putting a lil bit of adhesive or such onto the toe and mount a lil padding or something. Does anyone have a better idea?
Shoes getting scufted
- Thread starter Voda48
- Start date
RC2 said:
Or stop being so anal... it is cycling, not a fashion show. Things will get scratched, scuffed, worn-out, and broken. That is the way it works, the sooner you learn to embrace this the sooner you will start worrying about your speed and fitness and not how spiffy your bike/equipment is. Be very careful though, if you don't get over this, you will progress rapidly from newbie to poseur, and then finally to dork.
Learn how to track stand......Voda48 said:
In all seriousness, don't be so concerned with scuffing.... it'll happen. You will also crash sometime or other and your bike will inevitably get scratched. My first time I got my frame scratched I was hating life, but then I realized that things are bound to happen, and it's only a matter of time.
Change your foot technique. If you are hitting your toes that much you need to flatten your contact a bit.
Well for me it is a fair ammount of money seeing as how I am a student and working part-time. I hate to see my investment get tarnished.wilmar13 said:Or stop being so anal... it is cycling, not a fashion show. Things will get scratched, scuffed, worn-out, and broken. That is the way it works, the sooner you learn to embrace this the sooner you will start worrying about your speed and fitness and not how spiffy your bike/equipment is. Be very careful though, if you don't get over this, you will progress rapidly from newbie to poseur, and then finally to dork.
Voda48 said:
I am concerned for your well-being as a cyclist seeing as how you are clinging to this silly notion of trying to keep things in the same condition as you bought them, and it being bad that you can't. I understand you dropped a wad of cash on some shiny new hi-tech shoes, and now they are no longer perfect but... your investment is not tarnished in any way. You invested in shoes to ride, how is that functionality changed by a scratch? Unless of course you invested in shiny shoes to look cool and like a "real cyclist" then of course you already are a poseur and it is doubtful you can be saved.
If you are talking about the toe part of the sole, go to my fave bike shop WaltMart and buy a set of those little plastic half moon toe protectors to attach to the bottom (good for heels as well). They are cheap and replaceable. If you are talking about the leather of the toe, then you're doing something way wrong.
I totally feel ya--I love pretty bike stuff as well, and it pains me to damage or ding things, so I take care not to--but that said, there are certain parts of certain pieces of gear that I accept in advance are unlikely to escape some light mauling.Voda48 said:
They include:
- Crankarms, particularly the drive side. It depends on your footwork, your shoe and your pedaling style, but generally even the most well cared-for bike has some scuffs there.
- Pedals. Some pedals are pretty, but I wish they'd all be sold butt-ugly. Your pedals are going to eat it.
- Shifter caps or horns. In light crashes, the tops of the shift levers are often the only thing that touches pavement. Even if you never lay the bike down, chances are high your shift caps will knock a doorframe or two, or scrape a wall.
- Saddle corners, for the same reasons.
- Last but not least, the soles, heel cups, and/or toes of even the most expensive shoes. They're likely to take some serious battle-damage, even if you get really good at track stands and soft landings. Whether from a bad stop, or a slip while trying to clip in, the chances are high you'll gouge a nice trench or three.
I'd take a bullet for my toptube, but I keep myself mentally prepared in advance for the above units to comletely eat it. My advice is to do the same... and work on gentler stops at the same time.
Good luck
Think about it this way, now you don't have to worry about scratching them. I know the first few scratches can be the hardest to handle, but it usually takes a long time before they add up to enough wear to diminish performance at all.
No worries, I dont let it get me. The fact is that I rode for like 15 minutes just to try trhem out and already they were scufted up. I know they arent going to last ans I could care less about how they really look, I just dont want to ruin my new stuff in the first few rides. I am not made of money and just want to see it last for a bit.wilmar13 said:
I totally agree with what Lokstah said.
With time things will start to wear down. The only way to stop it is to not ride at all. (Now you wouldn't want to do that would you?)
With time things will start to wear down. The only way to stop it is to not ride at all. (Now you wouldn't want to do that would you?)
Glad to see a person with limited financial resources, like myself, has good priorities - without cycling, our lives are diminished. My Carnac shoes were way more expensive than any pair of dress shoes I've bought. The purchase of good equipment has always been easy to justify or rationalize. Do any of these sound familiar:
1. Well, they ARE on sale after all
2. This will last longer/perform better than the cheaper one
3. I'll "feel" better with this over that one
It seems the response concensus is "don't worry so much about the scuffed shoes, it's going to happen regardless of how careful you are." I am resigned to agree with the sentiments expressed so eloquently by others.
Here is something I do that has helped my shoes look reasonably nice: every once in awhile I clean them up with citrus degreaser. I don't think it's causing any damage to the materials and doesn't repair scuff damage per se, but "looking good" makes me feel better and if I feel better, I somehow ride better, if that doesn't sound too outlandish.
Ride on!
"Long Rider"
Broomfield, Colorado, USA
1. Well, they ARE on sale after all
2. This will last longer/perform better than the cheaper one
3. I'll "feel" better with this over that one
It seems the response concensus is "don't worry so much about the scuffed shoes, it's going to happen regardless of how careful you are." I am resigned to agree with the sentiments expressed so eloquently by others.
Here is something I do that has helped my shoes look reasonably nice: every once in awhile I clean them up with citrus degreaser. I don't think it's causing any damage to the materials and doesn't repair scuff damage per se, but "looking good" makes me feel better and if I feel better, I somehow ride better, if that doesn't sound too outlandish.
Ride on!
"Long Rider"
Broomfield, Colorado, USA
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