Rule 8: It’s Gotta Be The Shoes
What Gianni humbly omitted from his last article is that once he finishes ranting about sock color (actually, the lack of need for any color other than than white), he recovers quickly and we wrap up the Keepers executive board meeting with him tearing our legs off on the ride home from the bar with his magnificent stroke. Because after all, he is Rule #72.
But I digress. All the chit-chat Gianni’s article generated, and the timing of it with a new shoe purchase on my end, has me ruminating on Rule #8. Matching saddle, handlebar tape, and tires is, for the Velominatus at least, quite the no-brainer as it were. The only really poignant question I recall ever being raised is whether Vittoria Open Pave’s have an exemption because they are awesome and scream hardman tire (I think they are acceptable).
But what of shoes? They are the one piece of kit that most often throws a rider’s coordination out of sync. Of course this has traditionally been fine as shoes are such a personal matter that expecting one to match one’s shoes with the rest of one’s kit is hopeful at best. That being said, I wonder if shoes are less kit and more equipment. They transfer power directly from rider to bike and thus they are mechanical, they are engineered by smart people using fancy computers, and they render the machine virtually unrideable without them. In fact, I’ve often wondered why retailers list them under “clothing” and why online review forums don’t put them under “drivetrain” instead of “clothing and accessories”.
So if you don’t accept my premise, at least humor me here. If shoes are equipment and not kit, why would anyone buy a pair that didn’t match the rest of their bike? Surely, with the abundance of shoe choices on the market these days I would think one could make every effort to find a pair that fits, has the features and performance characteristics sought, falls within price range, and matches the rest of the bike.
I happened upon this concept casually deliberately this week. You see, I’ve been sporting considerable carbone over Fi’zi:k’s new shoe line ever since they were introduced (you might say I have a thing for shoes). So when a new pair of R3’s fell into my lap for number 1 I was forced to shift the Yellow Princesses over to number 3. The yellow decals and accents on the Serotta look awesome with the YP’s and the new R3’s are oh so sublime with the BMC. Splendid, indeed.
So I’ll put it to you, the Velominati. Does Rule #8 need amending? Are shoes equipment and not clothing? Do we, perhaps, need a new rule pertaining to shoe/bike matching (I think not but a suggestion might be in order). These are the things that keep the Keepers up at night.
@Marcus
If you don’t like the eating, you’re cooking it wrong. Roo steak, well seasoned, cooked just past rare & properly rested is a delight to the senses.
The only thing worse than women talking about shoes is guys talking about shoes.
I think they’re both equipment AND kit. Although good luck matching the kit to Yellow Princesses!
I’ve got white/red Shimano R133. They match most kits I have, and are comfortable.
@Dr C
Assuming you’re talking about the 16th, then congratulations on a most Awesome date for a birthday.
Unfortunately the stories of mine come nowhere near matching the one you’ve just shared with us as the steed is currently in the shop having its wheels brought back to life after a nasty impact with a well shaded pot-hole last weekend.
@Dr C
Happy Birthday and congratulations. A beautiful climb when you find your rhythm, followed by a beautiful descent. Perfection. The hook is in now laddie.
@Cyclops
What’s higher up than Frank is already? He’s taller than the houses in the background.
Late to the party after home interweb connectivity woes last night. I pitched only black shoes in relation to white socks on Gianni’s great piece. And just bought a pair of these:
I don’t mean to be too rigid on this, but there was another issue in relation to kit and equipment. I typically wear a Giro helmet, so there’s some brand symmetry top to bottom, not to mention color (helmet is charcoal and black). The bike is grey and black, so the color coordination is there, but I beg off trying too hard on the grounds that black shoes are simple, classy, and always in fashion. Are helmets kit or equipment?
@Dr C
Trumpet away, all the rest of us chained to our desks can enjoy your tales!
I’ll say it again. Helmet and shoes should match. Had a white/white Specialized combo, but being over Specialized I sold them to go black/black with a Garneau/Lazer combo. Black looks badass with the V-Kit.
@wiscot
Yep. His bike was in the shop:
@Dr C
Congrats on the b-day and the climb. You’ve just given me some inspiration!
@DeltaMngo
I’m in the shoes=equipment camp. I’ve asked my VMH for the new speedplay white ladies for a holiday present. I’ve put this upgrade off for some time in the hopes Sidi would offer the SP option, and now they have. This seems to imply to me that I primarily matched the foot coverings to match the bike equipment (and the silver/white/black color scheme.) Next up (as @brett points out) is to match the helmet color to the bike as well.
@DrC A-Merckx!
@brett
Sharp.
@scaler911
That is an Escher of Abomination. My eyes can’t stop moving in horror over the Image That Can Not Be. Kickstand, skatebortion, The Thing alien shifter life form captured in the middle of morphing into something useable, whoopie cushion seat. The reflectors and platform pedals are at least an anchor to reality as I know it, sad as they are.
Fuck, you just made me look back again for more pain. Negative nipple lube to you, and very well played.
@Dr C
Just seen your Strava page, I am doubly jealous of a route that finishes in Rhonda. We spent a couple of weeks just outside Jerez and drove over to Rhonda one day. The moutains to the west are stunning as well and I was itching to ride to Rhonda. Unfortunately, everyone was more interested in spending the day on the beach rather than wait round the villa for me to return from my epic and I ran out of time (next time, Mrs Chris will be insured to drive the hire car regardless of whether she wants to or not!). On the last day I did manage a pre dawn escape to El Bosque to climb 15km to Puerto del Boyar at 1100m. The sun was behind the mountains as I climbed but as I hit the pass I was able to watch it light up the hills and valleys that I’d just ridden through. Awesome ride but it wasn’t the full ride that I’d hoped for.
Chapeaux!
@Dr C
You might want to exercise a little care using that word in Spain! Unless you meant to say:
@Dr C
@itburns
+1 great rant. “Whoopie cushion seat” is probably my highlight.
Sorry for the lack of activity lately all, compy blew up so now the new bike is on further hold. I may be on aluminum forever….
I’m of the belief that the saddle bar tape shoe trifecta must be kept in balance. Black or white can be used for any of those, but the second you choose anything else and don’t match the rest its ugly.
White bar tape/white saddle/white shoes = yes
White bar tape/black saddle/black shoes = yes
Lime green tape/lime green saddle/lime green shoes = yes in the absence of any conflicting colors
White bar tape/black saddle/lime green shoes = frame pump beating
If it were up to me nothing but black would be allowed.
@itburns
Trust the process, dear Velominatus, and rest assured that Merckx willing, the bastard wot devised and built that bastard machine will be depositing chunks of facial tissue in his local tarmac before sundown…
If shoes where kit they would be worn on the podium, they’re not, so they must be equipment.
@Torvid
Interesting… Not so sure, though. Gloves? Helmet? Rain cape? Kit, but not worn on the podium.
@Blah
With c*ntador having his own helmet sponsor it just going to start a trend (assuming he doesn’t get the ban he deserves) that would in my mind move helmets over to equipment rather than kit.
Gloves I have no answer for other than afre a 5 hour ride mine smell so bad I can’t wait to take them off.
Gloves and helmet are kit. The bike can be operated just fine (although, in the case of the helmet not safely) without them. Can you lay down some V sans gloves and helmet? Hell Yeah. Shoes, not so much. Gloves and helmet should thusly be matched to kit.
@scaler911
I really don’t want to even think about who (or what) might ride such an abomination. Mind you, I do wonder what color of shoes they would wear . . .
@Marko
+1 exactly what I was trying to say but said a lot better.
@wiscot
Checker board topped van’s.
http://reportandreview.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/vans-era-checkerboard______-260×152.jpg
@Marko
That may be your opinion but please can we stay well clear of this one.
Almost a mute point really as, surely, kit should match the bike – and thus equipment. Thus rendering shoes matched, be they kit or equipment…no?
It’s like have poor underwear and managing to take home a beautiful lady…the underwear may well be equipment by virtue of it taking care of said precious equipment, however, it should match or said lady may decide otherwise at a crucial stage.
Further, she may realise your bike shoes don’t match and then if she is worth herself she will bail on account of poor Velomanati accordance….
Claro?
Bueno.
@Torvid
Bingo, you nailed it! Still feeling queasy about the pic though . . .
@scaler911
@scaler911
I’ll ignore the Powercranks reference thanks, when you step off the bike are the shoes attached to
a/you or
b/the bike
@hardtop
When you step off the bike, the bike is still equipment. When you take the shoes off, they are still equipment. They look like kit, and I suppose there’s an argument in the cleats only being equipment, but I maintain, shoes are not kit.
@hardtop
And by ignoring the Powercranks reference, you ignore the fact that your shoes are the “clutch” connecting your guns to the drivetrain. If you never pull up on the pedals, I suppose that shoes wouldn’t matter. But then if you don’t pull up, you’re losing a significant amount of power in your magnificent stroke.
Oh, and this:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14666944?dopt=Abstract (peer reviewed medical journal stuff, not a bunch of wankers at VN spouting off).
@scaler911
And this is the problem.
We’re talking about looks here. The definition is only important in so much as it allows us to get the aesthetics right: if equipment, match to bike; if kit, match to kit.
If it’s equipment that looks like kit, we’re back where we started – it’s a grey area that either has not been defined by The Rules, or will never be defined by The Rules.
I take a holistic approach to it. Does the whole look good?
@Blah
Of course they should look good. Equipment that looks like kit perhaps? The question remains, as you’ve stated, should it match, or does it matter?
@scaler911
As far as I can see, the question is not that they should match (although Yellow Princess owners may think, and at least one has stated, that they ought to clash), but rather what should they match?
Does it matter? Not so much. But when has that stopped us caring about it?
@scaler911
Shoes are both equipment and kit.
Schrodinger’s Kit – observationally dependent
My yellow Northwave Evolutions with carbon inserts c2000 run just fine, don’t match the bike or kit, but I forking love them and whenever i look down i feel the volupte wash over me.
I remember getting them with the carbon sole (woah, futuristic in 2000!) and feeling at the very top of Mount Awesome. Silly but true. Same feeling every time i put them on. Worth a tailwind everytime. Especially as i remain here plateauing at two months from peaking.
Debate is great but unless you “feel’ your shoes, aint mattering a hell of a lot what some person thinks, as you 53t away from them.
Yellow shoes win every time if you are wearing them and Boss Hog kind of proves it doesn’t he?
@Chris
I haven’t looked it up, but I assume puta is hooker or similar, in spanish – well definitely not my bag if that is the case! I should confirm this was “date of birth prompt by hotel reception computer” – there, that’s sorted that one out I hope!
Nice ride you did in Spain – any rides are HC when you have your family with you – having no pressure to keep anyone happy does make an enormous difference to how doable it all is – fair play to you chap – have you had that gouty gun replaced yet?
@ all
thanks for all the support – really kind of you, as always, not to diminish my efforts, in what was in reality for Dave Buches, just another quick spin on the bike!
Team Velominati now on page two of the KOM competition for November, thanks to all who are putting the pain in, not least Mr and Mrs Smith, alias Dangerous Dave and his wife Mel B – honorable mention to Chris B who has done 40,000,000,000kms for his 910 metres in the desert
Rank Athlete # Rides Elevation Gain (meters)
1 Dave Buches -11- 9,322
2 Melissa Buches -7- 6,839
3 Dr C -7- 5,694
4 Mikael Liddy -7- 4,981
5 Adam Goldberg -3- 2,616
6 Nate Spencer-Mork -3- 2,545
7 Mark Babcock -5- 2,133
8 Mynock Hunter -3- 1,548
9 Adam Krumbein -2- 1,522
10 Chris O -7- 910
11 Ben Wilson -9- 849
12 Geoffrey Grosenbach -1- 615
13 Jon Miller -1- 519
14 Alastair Topper -1- 403
15 King Clydesdale -2- 395
16 Jud Gutheil -1- 394
17 Charles Valade -2- 271
18 Don Joling -1- 149
Total -73- rides 41,706 meters
@itburns
A+1. Sweet, sweet comment.
@itburns
Very good.
@itburns
Yes, very good.
Let’s hope Frank’s scented candles are feline-friendly.
@itburns
Awesome.
@Dr C
You’re not wrong about the challenges of getting out to ride when you’re away with family. I thought you had some too or is this solo trip. Got any more epics planned before you have to return to the malingerers?
My physio reckons she can fix my gouty gun with less pain and a better outcome than getting me a new one. It’s going pretty well at the moment, most of the pain has gone unless I have a bad day like yesterday when I had to walk up the stairs (200 or so) in two tube stations and then seven flights when I got to the office. I just need to work on the strength side of it at the moment, it’s very unstable laterally.
I’ve also acquired myself a coach/mentor in the form of a former 50 & 100 mile time trial record holder and multiple Best British All Rounder. I have a feeling he’s going to knock me into shape which I need if I’m going to have a crack at something long and hilly in Belgium next year.
@itburns
Genius. Well done!
@Dr C
Just joined the team- sorry I was late, i could have added ~3,500 meters this month.
@Dr C
Hey I added another 371 metres today – had to ride 175km to get them, but…
More next week – we have a sort of sportive with a few hills in it, and 225km.
@scaler911, @Torvid, @Marko
You’re too focussed on today’s tech. None of you have ever been passed by a dude with toe clips and sneakers? I haven’t, of course, but I saw it happen to a friend guy once. When I started riding as an eight year old, I was riding in sneakers and toe clips. Tighten down the strap and the shoe won’t slip out when you’re pulling back on the pedals, and the clips let you pull up. Works fine, if not ideally.
Pedals are equipment. Just because the shoe engages with the pedal doesn’t also make it equipment. Shoes are kit, not equipment. End of.
@itburns
+1. That’ll get you next week’s badge, unless someone else tops you.
@Dr C
I’ll see what I can do this weekend to contribute. Tomorrow looks nice. Sunday might be rainy enough that I’ll skip hills and ride along the bay in crosswinds and rain, pretending I’m out along the North Sea in Belgium.
@Nate
It’s gonna be rain/snow mix here tomorrow morning. Got a team ride planned for 3.5-4 hrs. Epic Rule #9 weather!