Stay with me on this. 

I am kind of all over the place. 

It is hard to put into words. 

There are so many ‘rules’ for cycling. 

Type of bike to ride, size, material, position, gears, shoes, kit. 

I could go on and on, and I know you could too. 

If you want to cycle, like cycle, cycle, you must follow these ‘rules.’ 

If you do not, you are an outcast or not taken seriously. 

But I think for some cyclists, by following these rules, they are inhibiting how good they can be. 

Oh gosh, this is hard to explain. 

Let’s use skiing as an example. 

You are told that this length of ski is the ski you ski on. 

So, you ski on it. 

And you know what? 

You are pretty good. 

Then one day you try a ski that is far longer than the ski you have been told to ski on. 

And you know what? 

You are not pretty good anymore, you are incredible. 

Everything improved, and not just minorly, drastically. 

It is like you have discovered a new level of the sport. 

You can now compete and will compete with the best. 

Taking it back to cycling. 

I have a post called BYOB. 

It is about the bike I ride. 

I combined all my favourite elements of the bikes I have ridden into one. 

I wanted to ride a bike that I wanted to ride. 

Made for me, by me. 

There is one feature that works particularly well for me. 

The pedals. 

Short and sweet, I find cycling shoes uncomfortable. 

They do not work for me. 

I know you will think, ‘Oh, you have not found the right ones.’ 

Yeah, no. 

I prefer to have a firm, wide, flat-soled shoe that fits well and is comfortable. 

One I do not want to remove every time I stop. 

One I do not want to flick across a parking lot. 

One I will still be wearing, long after the ride is done. 

I have mountain bike pedals on my bikes. 

Beauties. 

Big, wide, and solid. 

With serious steel traction pins that make their way into the sole. 

It is my way of ‘clipping in.’ 

I prefer to push/pull on big, wide, solid pedals, not with a narrow shoe and a tiny pedal. 

It works for me. 

I get more force. 

Comfortable force. 

Solid force. 

Solid power transfer. 

Fluid. 

‘A comfortable shoe makes a comfortable mind.’ 

It did not take me long to discover what shoe was best for my type of riding. 

Skateboard. 

While you are ‘clipping in,’ I am gone. 

I hope you understand what I am trying to say here. 

It really comes down to, if it is not working for you, ‘break the rule.’ 

Ride YOU. 

‘I am comfortable in my own shoes.’ 

Insert halfpipe emoji here. 

‘There is another way to ride’ 

*I get into the shoe on DERAILED COUTURE. The Post is #49 IF THE SHOE FITS, BUY IT IN EVERY COLOUR