On Thu, 30 Dec 2004 21:01:07 GMT, Mark Janeba
wrote:

wrote:
In any case, as I understand it, the only real value of
cleats is for extraordinary climbs and perhaps very brief
sprints, where the extra maximum effort made possible by
using both legs at once helps. Otherwise, your heart and
lungs fail you before your legs do.

Perhaps someone will explain other advantages. There must be
some, since most riders use cleats.

Hmmm... maybe to keep your feet properly positioned on the pedals at
high rpm without any effort or concentration required?

Mark Janeba, who doesn't ride w/o cleats.

Dear Mark,

Hmmm . . . at what rpm do the feet tend to fly off?

Is the idea something like floating valves, where the cam
slaps the valve up so rapidly against a feeble spring that
the valve floats instead of coming down and closing?

Carl Fogel, who may mash too slowly to notice