The position on the bike is just as I wanted and it makes a big difference with the Giant, that was really too small.
A few things could be better. The combination pedals, toe clips, straps and cleats is not ideal. The feet keep sliding inwards, towards the cranks and I have to readjust my foot position frequently to make sure that I don't rub the crank arms all the time. Next to that, the shoes feel really weak. They don't offer a lot of support. When I tighten the toe straps, it really hurts. And when the straps are not very tight, I keep slipping towards the crank arms and there's even the possibility to pull the feet out of the pedals. Conclusion: it looks fine, but it doesn't feel good. So, either I have to find top quality vintage shoes or I have to switch to clipless pedals.
The bar tape with shellac looked really well when the bike was unused, but after the first evening, I saw the spots where my hands rested. It looked like the shellac was worn. Perhaps it didn't have the time to cure. I will try to do some "spot repair" and let it rest for some weeks. Perhaps that is okay.
The first evening was pursuit training. I was not fit and I felt bad, but it was a good occasion to test the bike.
2 weeks later I joined a free training. Still not fit, but fine to get used to the bike and to do some serious exercises.
Last Saturday, there was a Madison training. I did a bit of Madison 1 or 2 times over 20 years ago, so it was good to get some more tips and experience. The riding was already a lot better than the 2 times before and I had far less problems with the pedals, shoes and feet. Sorry for the crappy picture, but that's all I have at the moment.
