I shut my left eye and pedaled a few strokes, then closed it and opened my right eye and pedaled a bit before switching back to my left eye. Sometimes, I shut both eyes and rode blind. It was all I could do to protect myself from the frozen pebbles of rain that were stinging my eyes. It was freezing. There was a wind advisory in effect until midnight. It was a miserable day for cycling. Still, I had a blast. It was just the kind of conditions I wanted for the first ride of 2012. I wanted the ride to be memorable and indeed it was.
I didn’t go long. The ride lasted about an hour on my ‘cross bike over the dirt roads outside of northeast Ann Arbor. Just getting out and doing as many kilometers as possible was the goal for the day. I was close to staying indoors and doing a roller workout. There was a great temptation not to ride at all. I slept in until 8 a.m. When I took my dog out for her morning walk, the temperature was perfect for a ride, but there wasn’t enough time to go out before church. The forecast called for plunging temperatures in the afternoon along with freezing rain or snow showers. And that’s exactly what happened. After lunch, I tried to psych myself up for a ride, but I ended up sitting down with a mug of tea and “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” which I can’t seem to put down. At 2 p.m., I took a cat nap and woke up at 3 p.m. I stepped outside and the weather was absolutely wicked. Blustery winds, chilly, a dark brooding sky. “Screw this winter riding. I should just ride indoors until March,” I thought to myself. But as I mentally prepared for another roller workout, going outdoors became increasingly appealing. Then the dark clouds parted and there was a burst of sunshine. I started putting on my cold-weather gear and that lifted my spirits even more.
Once I got on the road, the sun disappeared, dark clouds re-emerged and strong winds began whipping me around the road. One gust nearly knocked me over. About five kilometers from home, just when I turned off on the dirt roads, the sleet began to fall. My black tights looked like someone had 
dumped sticky rock salt on them. The icey rain wasn’t melting and soaking my clothes, so I wasn’t too worried. The roads became wet with cake-batter mud, and my booties were quickly coated with the stuff. The sleet seemed to be coming down horizontally, finding its way through the top of my sunglasses and slamming into my eyeballs. Damn that hurt. It was a good pain, though. And the crazy masochist within me loved it.
Posted: January 1st, 2012 | Author: wafflesandsteel | Filed under: Shoe covers, cyclocross, rain, ride report | No Comments »
If I have a trademark, it would be that I almost always wear booties when riding. I started doing this three years ago while cycling in China. I called them “shoe condoms” because they protected my feet from all the nasty road muck common in developing nations, where roads also serve as sewage canals, toilets and spittoons. The booties also helped extend the life of my insanely expensive Sidi shoes, which have intricate stitching and seams that are extremely hard to clean when coated with gunk.
But the real reason I wear shoe covers is that they look cool.
I don’t own many pairs because: a) they’re expensive and b) I’m not a collector; when I find a product I like, I just use it until it’s beyond repair. But I have ridden with a decent sampling of shoe covers, and I thought it might be interesting to share my thoughts about them.
Sidi Chrono. Price: $35-$40.
Good: A simple design with flashy Sidi logos on the top of the toes, side and heel. Easy to slip on and the zipper stays zipped. They grip the foot like a glove. They also come in a bunch of cool colors: black, white, blue, lime green, white/black.
Bad: The Lycra is too thin and can be torn easily. In the photo above, you can see how I ruptured the booty when my foot rubbed up against a curb. The booty barely clears the ankle and should go higher to give better protection against road gunk that might try to trickle down your leg. At about $40, they’re too expensive. However, they’re made in Italy so let’s hope much of the high price is going toward a living wage and benefits for the workers.
Pearl Izumi. (Sorry, the model is discontinued and I can’t recall its name or price. )
Good: My all-time favorites. A durable polyester/spandex booty that goes high above the ankle. The fabric has a funky weave, and the thick material is super grippy on the shoe. Easy to slip on, and the zipper stays up and doesn’t dig into your skin. I’ve gone through two pairs and wore the heck out of both of them. I really loved the electric blue ones. They’re reminiscent of the powder blue Duegi booties popular in the 80s.
Bad: It would be great if some kind of vinyl material reinforced areas – such as the toes and heels – that are more exposed to the road. My booties are barely holding together in the toe area. Some reflective stripes would also be welcomed.
Pearl Izumi’s newest version of the booty is called the Aero. From the pictures on the Web site, the design seems to be generally the same, but Pearl has ditched the zipper and is using the pull-on design. The price seems right at $15. I’ve been tempted to buy some really expensive covers from Assos, but I changed my mind when I started thinking about how easy it is to trash a pair. So $15 is really an outstanding price for the Pearls – a brand that has yet to disappoint me. One unfortunate thing: The booties are only offered in white and black.
Castelli Lycra Shoe Cover. Price: $35
Good: No zipper and super easy to slip on. The toes and heel are reinforced with vinyl material. Reflective piping up the heel makes it easier for cars to see you.
Bad: The Lycra isn’t grippy enough so the fit seems a bit baggy, not glove like. The booty doesn’t go high enough over the ankle and isn’t tight enough around the top of the ankle. This makes it easier for rocks and grit to work their way down inside the shoe cover. The purple color was unfortunate. I bought them online and in the catalogue photo, the bootie was more of a royal blue, and I was surprised to see the purple. This probably wasn’t Castelli’s fault, though.
The booties reviewed here don’t offer much warmth. In an upcoming post, I’ll take a look at some winterized shoe covers.
Posted: December 29th, 2010 | Author: wafflesandsteel | Filed under: Castelli, Pearl Izumi, Product Reviews, Shoe covers, booties, gear | 3 Comments »
dumped sticky rock salt on them. The icey rain wasn’t melting and soaking my clothes, so I wasn’t too worried. The roads became wet with cake-batter mud, and my booties were quickly coated with the stuff. The sleet seemed to be coming down horizontally, finding its way through the top of my sunglasses and slamming into my eyeballs. Damn that hurt. It was a good pain, though. And the crazy masochist within me loved it.
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