The art of "Tuning," Part 2

Some time ago, I wrote a little bit about how I am trying to lighten my bike for the TransAlp this summer. Well, I am still on that quest, but it's also important to remember that there are parts of one's kit besides the bike that can benefit from lightening up. For example, higher end racing helmets, besides being better ventilated, are often as much as 50g lighter than the next model in the lineup.

The same applies to shoes, and perhaps they are even more important since they spend all their time being spun in circles. I realized the other day that I need new shoes, and so I set about finding a good set that fit. My old Specialized shoes have served me well these last years, but something about the varus tilt bugs an old hip injury I have. Before those, I went through about five pairs of Carnac shoes. They were excellent, but weighed a ton. The new ones are supposedly lighter, but I can't seem to find any to try on! So, this led me to my local bike shop, River City Bicycles, where I tried on several shoes, finally settling on a pair of Shimano R300s:

Never ones to give particularly inspiring names to any of their products, they nonetheless have made the lightest shoes I have ever lifted. That, and they fit perfectly right out of the box in addition to being heat-moldable.

Proper shoes are extremely important to a cyclist and good fit should come before light weight 100% of the time. Happily, these are, for me, the best of both worlds. A tuner's delight!

Speaking of tuning delights, Cycling Innovations is offering readers of this blog 10% off when they mention the discount code "adnan." They have a wealth of lightweight bits to enhance the performance (and the look) of your ride.