Pipsqueak Posted July 28, 2013 Posted July 28, 2013 They should be the same as the DC's. Strange with the Cats. QC at the factory must not be all that great Either that or someone switched the forms... OK, I'm in. Ordered the Nukeproof pedals but puzzling over the shoes.... How soft are the 5.10 soles? Are they markedly different to a skateboarding shoe? I'm guessing that the whole flats thing relies on a squishy sole that the pedal pins "bite" into? So my question is... Import 5.10 or buy a local skate shoe?
Capricorn Posted July 28, 2013 Posted July 28, 2013 OK, I'm in. Ordered the Nukeproof pedals but puzzling over the shoes.... How soft are the 5.10 soles? Are they markedly different to a skateboarding shoe? I'm guessing that the whole flats thing relies on a squishy sole that the pedal pins "bite" into? So my question is... Import 5.10 or buy a local skate shoe? Let's put it this way: 5.10, and now adidas, has the patent on the stickiest (highest friction factor to be more precise) rubber out there in their Stealth S1 rubber. Apparently, they have an even stickier version that will debut in the 'winterized' versions of their Impact range of riding shoes. There are different versions of the Stealth formula, S1 being their stickiest. Stealth PH is also used on the Baron and Freerider range, and does not offer the same level of friction,but works for me just fine. There is such a thing as 'too sticky'. Back to the winterized shoes and the new rubber compound called MI6: Slippy holds at the climbing gym? Super polished routes that feel almost like marble? Water on your climb? No problem. The new MI6 rubber from Five Ten will grip its way up even the blankest of walls. Originally created to keep Tom Cruise stuck to the side of a glass building in the MI6 movie, the ultra sticky Five Ten rubber will finally make it to market, debuting Fall 2013 in a few products including the Team VXi climbing shoe. I had the opportunity to sit down with Five Ten founder and rubber master Charles Cole to talk about his MI6 rubber creation. He claims it acts like a second skin on the base of your climbing shoe, with the ability to smear on just about any surface. He concedes that the shoes may not be the best edgers, but will get you up even the blankest of walls. A durometer scale is a type of measurement for rubber material hardness. Climbing shoe rubber generally comes in at a durometer reading of 75-80. Basketball and hiking shoes sit at around 60-70. By comparison, the new Five Ten MI6 rubber measures 48 durometer, about level on the hardness scale with a pencil eraser. As the MI6 rubber sticks to pretty much anything, you need to be careful to keep it clean. As soon as it starts to feel slick, a simple wipe down with water will bring it right back to super stickiness level. Cole is excited to get the Team VXi climbing shoes in the hands of some athletes to see what they can do with it. Not only is the new rubber ultra sticky, it is incredibly cushioning as well. The company will look to new applications, such as bike grips, where both the sticky and dampening properties come in handy. The rubber will bring a whole new approach to footwear with the ability to provide cushioning at ground level instead of in the midsole. Over the next year, MI6 rubber will be unveiled on three Five Ten shoes including the Freerider VXi bike shoe, a light hiker called the Aescent Elements, and the Team VXi climbing shoe ($170), pictured top. Each Team VXi climbing shoe weighs in at only 5.6 oz, and the shoes are so light and flexible that they can literally bend in on themselves. I am really psyched to try these out - bring on the slabSource
Pipsqueak Posted August 19, 2013 Posted August 19, 2013 OK. Got the Electrons & 5.10's on the weekend. Put them on the bike, took off on my 40k loop - usual stomp - XC stuff with 3 nice bits of tight track. They felt a bit funny, but not bad. Just looking at my GPS now, this was the fastest that I've ever ridden this loop. The biggest difference that I felt was in the track, I seem lower on the bike for a start (had to drop the seat 2cm). But what you can do is clap it into corners like a loon. You just drift your foot out to wait for the slide, but you know what? It never comes... So you rip through the track like a wild baboon. My legs are a but sorer than usual, but 21.7km/h for that loop is the fastest I've ever done. Bunny hopping was problematic though - I'll have to work on that. I'm amazed.
Pyr0 Posted August 19, 2013 Posted August 19, 2013 I received my Nukeproof Neutron pedals last week (from CRC) and rode Giba on the weekend. I rode much faster and with much more confidence than with cleats. I didn't slip off the pedals and could easily get the front wheel over any difficult parts. When riding flats I can feel (and focus on) my weight driving into the pedals and I feel well balanced and in control. I had a great ride. The most fun I've had on my bike this year!
Pipsqueak Posted August 19, 2013 Posted August 19, 2013 Ya, you're definitely more aware of how your weight shifts. The bunny hop thing isn't as easy tho. I found my feet leaving the pedals a few times when I tried to jump ditches etc. I got better when I realised that you have to boost the bike more, and go with it. I ride a hardtail, so I guess it's tougher to pump it into the air. What I think will happen is that I'll become much more confident on the bike, so when I do put the cleats back on it'll carry through some. It is fun.
Pyr0 Posted August 19, 2013 Posted August 19, 2013 Ya, you're definitely more aware of how your weight shifts. The bunny hop thing isn't as easy tho. I found my feet leaving the pedals a few times when I tried to jump ditches etc. I got better when I realised that you have to boost the bike more, and go with it. I ride a hardtail, so I guess it's tougher to pump it into the air. What I think will happen is that I'll become much more confident on the bike, so when I do put the cleats back on it'll carry through some. It is fun. True, a full bunny hop is harder. With flats you have to focus on pumping the front shock and unweighting the wheels by pulling up on bars and shifting your weight as necessary. I also ride a hardtail (29er). I interchange between cleats and flats depending on the type of riding. I believe it makes you a better rider overall.
Pipsqueak Posted August 19, 2013 Posted August 19, 2013 Seems like it for sure! Also lets you ride in shorts & a T shirt. When I put my 5.10's on with lycra I looked like a Nora.
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted November 6, 2013 Posted November 6, 2013 eish. That's why dog invented shinpads!
dimsum Posted November 6, 2013 Posted November 6, 2013 Indeed. The problem is that most people think of flat pedals as the plastic rubbish that comes on most bikes as standard. And then people use them in conjunction with running shoes- a disaster waiting to happen because of the incredibly poor grip between the two surfaces. The plastic pedals your bikes come with are not proper flat pedals! I challenge all beginner and intermediate riders to put on a good flat pedal and try it with some flat soled shoes (vans/converse work well) and say that their riding does not improve over 2 weeks. I feel so strongly about this that you can borrow mine if you don't want to fork out extra money.As cpt armies mayhem states, it teaches you correct technique and makes you a far better rider in the long run.My feeling is the biggest advantage for beginners is that you clear obstacles that you would never clear in cleats because you were so busy thinking about clipping in or out! Can I really borrow yours? I've been thinking of switching but am not 100% sold.
Izak Posted November 6, 2013 Posted November 6, 2013 Eina. Downside of flats. Scars .... Chicks dig it
patches Posted November 6, 2013 Posted November 6, 2013 KEEP YOUR CLEATS!!! Anyone that uses Comic Sans for their signature cannot be taken seriously!
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted November 6, 2013 Posted November 6, 2013 KEEP YOUR CLEATS!!! Maybe as paperweights, yeah... For me, it's become even more important. If I am cleated in and I have a crash, I have a far greater chance of reinjuring my knee if I am clipped in and I am not unclipped in time. Sometimes despite how fast you can unclip in a test-scenario, you cannot for the life of you unclip in time. Flats - no such problem.
Capricorn Posted November 6, 2013 Posted November 6, 2013 Ya, you're definitely more aware of how your weight shifts. The bunny hop thing isn't as easy tho. I found my feet leaving the pedals a few times when I tried to jump ditches etc. I got better when I realised that you have to boost the bike more, and go with it. I ride a hardtail, so I guess it's tougher to pump it into the air. It is fun. flats will teach you to bunny hop properly. If you think about it, you need to be going a zillion miles an hour to clear any sizable object when trying to lift both wheels off the ground at the same time. A proper bunny hop will get you over every time. I hope the method you employed riding with flats translates to riding with cleats. U will be better for it.
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