Type 2 Diabetic. Cyclist Flâneur.   Coffeeneur.    Errandoneur
A bike / map geek with a gadget obsession and a high-viz fetish.

Monday, January 20, 2014

Goldilocks Gear: Boots

1/20/2014 19m 28F #214
Started at the Bastille, and began on the roads in apprehension of Slippy Trails™.

This winter has been a year of increasingly coming to terms with colder and colder weather. My equipment has been getting closer and closer to "Just Right". Fortunately, we've had enough very cold days that I can experiment from one day to the next with some consistency of conditions.

I've got the gloves things down.


Above 50F
Pearl Izumi Cyclone Gloves

 
50F-30F
Descente Wombat Gloves
 
30F and below
Marmot Goretex Randonee Gloves


Today's ride was very comfortable, at least until we turned into the wind and there's not much clothing can do about that. Crossed the Ft. Duquesne Bride and rode out Blvd of the Allies and Forbes, through Uptown and across the Birmingham Bridge, which is always a pretty chilled out transition. We rode out to SouthSide Works. Went out on the Baldwin Borough Trail hoping to get as far as Sandcastle, but it became quite slippery and we reversed after a few near-spills.

Took the Hot Metal Bridge and the Jail Trail back to the North Side. It was great to be able to say: it's 30F and I'm very comfortable out here. The surface on the Chateau Trail wasn't too bad.

Now to the shoes. Stopped at Settler's Ridge REI and picked up two pairs of shoes that are both waterproof and insulated with 200 grams of mumble-magic-warm-mumble-dry. Hopefully, with these in the duffel bag I won't be relying on the chemical warmer packs - which are good, but they're an inelegant kludge.

The Keen Anchorage boots look like they'll pass very easily at work.


The Merrill Iceclaw boots look very outdoorsy and lumberjackish.

No comments:

Post a Comment