• Price: $60
• Pros: stretchy, quick drying, durable, no cargo pockets
• Cons: women’s version is girly (is that a con?); pricey?
• Website: www.hurley.com
IT’S MAY. It’s been shorts season for a solid month now. Last year, in April, I visited San Diego and only brought one pair of shorts. My wife went to a local surf shop and picked up these Hurley Phantom Walkshorts.

These are not bike shorts! They’re just “walking shorts.” And they are hands down, the best shorts I’ve ever had.

Here’s why I love them:
COMFY: These shorts are made from a stretchy poly blend with 85% poly and 15% spandex. So they’re just silly comfortable and stretchy wonderful. I wear them almost every day in the summer. I can cycle in them for hours a day over many days with no bunching or binding or other weirdness.

NORMAL LOOKING: I’m really tired of the cargo pant thing. It seems that most shorts today have cargo pockets, and I don’t want them or need them. These shorts are a welcome change from the cargo style: they have normal “trouser” style pockets and straight legs.

Generally, these shorts are SoCal in their styling, which happens to suit me just fine. I like the clean lines and sort of fuddy-duddy, almost-but-not-quite Bermuda short vibe. Even though they’re “spandex’y,” they hang nicely and don’t feel or look form fitting.

They even have normal belt loops, instead of the ubiquitous internal webbing belt thing that so many shorts now include. Style-wise, they seem like shorts my father would’ve worn growing up in Downey, California, in the early 60s.

DURABILITY: I’ve had my initial pair for over a year now. I’ve ridden at least 1,000 miles in them. I’ve swam in them. I’ve camped in them. They are well-used and abused. They show very little wear. Most shorts that I ride a full summer in usually start thinning or tearing at the seat bones, but these shorts are holding up fine. There are no loose threads and no tears or rips.

It’s worth noting that I’ve blown out many shorts and pants over the years in much less saddle time. In fact, aside from bike-specific shorts, I can’t think of another pair of pants or shorts that have held up as well as these Hurley shorts have in the sit bones.
DRY QUICK: In the summer, I try to plan rides around swimming destinations. I don’t want to swap between riding shorts and swimming shorts, so I always try to find a good short that works well for riding and hopefully dries reasonably quick. I tend to just wear the same shorts all day while riding and swimming—and if I’m camping, I’ll just keep wearing them to bed. These shorts work well for this scenario because they dry in an hour or so.

THE CONS

Both of these cons are questionable. The first has to do with the women’s version of this short. Men are allowed to be fuddy-duddy. And in this case, there is sort of a cool ironic element to that fuddy-duddiness. To be clear, the authority a dorky 40-year-old white dude like me wields in the realm of “cool” and “ironic” are highly-suspect. That fact is not lost on me. That said, I find the women’s version of these shorts to be equally “SoCal” in their styling. I like them, but with their low-back, short-short cuts, they’re not at all similar to the men’s version in styling. I have to wonder how versatile they’d be to wear all day while riding and swimming. If it’s not clear so far, one huge benefit I see to these shorts is the fact that I rarely take them off.

The final con is the price. Which is silly. Yes: you can buy shorts way cheaper. But you can also spend a bunch more on much less durable shorts. And I have. These shorts are a value if you buy them to wear them all the time.

The post Punish Stuff: All-Purpose Shorts appeared first on Out There Venture.

“Threads per inch” (TPI) is often mentioned when people talk about tires. A higher TPI can suggest a higher quality tire, but in practice, it usually doesn’t.

In bike tire-speak, a “thread” in this context is the fabric under the rubber tread. The fabric threads are layered over each other to form the basic shape of the tire before the rubber layer (tread) is added. Each layer of fabric is a “casing.”

For tires with a single casing, a higher thread count indicates a higher-quality and likely better-performing tire. Although often quoted, TPI is not a very helpful indicator of tire quality since some tire manufacturers advertise the sum of all TPI across multiple layers of casing to artificially inflate their TPI number. So, the first lesson of tire-buying, especially for commuter tires, is to ignore any sales pitch based on TPI.

The casings for the vast majority of tires sold today are made from nylon threads. The casings are woven by machines. On the other hand, super-fancy, high-performance casings are constructed with cotton threads and often hand-woven.

Casings are attached to either wire or Kevlar “beads,” which are the hoops that correspond to the wheel size and hold the tire under the small hook that runs along the inside of the rims on the wheels.

The rubber tread lives on the outside of the casing. Often, a thin layer of puncture-resistant material is sandwiched between the casing and the rubber tread. The sidewalls of the tires are often made of a different rubber compound than the “tread” of the wheel.
The makeup of the tread, sidewalls, and puncture-resistant material determine the three qualities commuters care about in their tires:
• PUNCTURE RESISTANCE: Tire manufacturers have two main weapons against punctures. They add a layer of Kevlar or other puncture-resistant material under the tread, and they can use harder rubber compounds for the tread and sidewalls.
• COMFORT: There are two main variables when it comes to comfy bike tires: volume (tire size) and the amount of stuff between the casing and the road. Big fat tires exemplify why John Dunlop invented the pneumatic tire to replace the wooden bicycle wheel. Puffy tires smooth out the bumps.

In addition, minimizing the number of layers in the tire and using supple rubber compounds for these layers makes for more comfortable tires, since the resulting tire will deform better around bumps and cracks on the road.
• PERFORMANCE: As with all bike-related performance theory, there’s no consensus on whether a rock-hard skinny tire will always out-perform a wider, suppler tire. Most tires are marketed around the concept of “rolling resistance,” where a given tire is rolled on a steel drum that can measure the amount of resistance on the tire. Given this method, it’s no surprise that rock-hard skinny tires have less rolling resistance than higher-volume, more supple-tires. And if the streets of Spokane were paved with smooth stainless steel, there would be no question of which style of tire to ride. But roads are imperfect, bumpy, pot-holey and cracked. In the last few years, enthusiasts and at least one proper study have shown that in real-world conditions higher-volume, supple tires will out-roll their skinny, rock-hard counterparts.
So where does all of this leave the poor cyclist that just wants a stinking commuter tire that is moderately priced, adequately puncture proof, comfortable and fast enough?

The answer: the Panaracer Pasela Tour Guard. It’s about $30.

Buy the fattest width Pasela that you can fit in your bike.

The Pasela is the perfect balance of cost, flat-protection, comfort and performance. It has a fairly neutral tread that rolls fast enough on pavement yet provides just enough bite for non-technical dirt trails and roads. Any local bike shop can order them. And the good ones will have them in stock. //

The post Punish Stuff: Bike Tires Explained: Why You Should Get The Panaracer Pasela GT appeared first on Out There Venture.

I’ve experimented with a lot of different sleeping mattresses over the years. I’ve also relied on a couple trusted sleeping bags. Like all back/bike-packers learn over time: you can always pack enough stuff to keep you comfortable after a day of exploration, but the cost of that end-of-day comfort can be extremely uncomfortable to haul.

Not surprisingly, I’ve tended to value lightweight over comfort and suffered some cold, sleepless nights as a result.
All of this changed last year with my discovery of the two pieces of equipment I’m covering here: the GoLite down quilt and the NeoAir mattress.

Behold.

SUMMARY

GoLite UltraLite 3-Season Quilt

• PRICE: $275
• WEIGHT: 1 lb 8 oz. (689 g)
• PROS: super comfy, amazing warmth, packs way down, includes storage sack and stuff sack
• CONS: pricey
• MADE: in China

Therm-A-Rest NeoAir mattress

• PRICE: $150
• WEIGHT: 19 oz
• MADE: Made in USA
• PROS: super light, great insulation
• CONS: pricey, repair kit and stuff sack sold separately

GOLITE ULTRALITE 3-SEASON QUILT

Last winter, the PR people for GoLite contacted Out There Monthly and I ended up receiving an UltraLite 3-Season Quilt to review.

The idea of a quilt is that it’s just intended to cover the top of your body—since in a traditional sleeping bag, you’re compressing the down that you’re laying on, and therefore negating any loft or insulative value—what’s the point of adding that extra material and down? So, a quilt is basically a blanket with a foot box and straps to wrap around the sleeping pad. The sleeping pad provides insulation from the bottom.

The quilt is 800 fill down and rated to 20°F. It stuffs down into a bag about the size of a football. Compared to my current bag, the quilt is about a half-pound lighter, about half as bulky, 10 degrees warmer, and about twice as expensive.

Yep, pricey. But the fact is this is the kind of purchase where you spend the money to help shave the last pound or so and reduce the bulk from your sleeping solution.

I’ve used the quilt now for about 10 nights out. The lowest temperature was just shy of freezing. I slept with a stocking cap, mid-weight wool base-layer, and socks (and a belly full of 10-Fidy). I was happy and warm.

The GoLite Quilt has a waterproofed foot box and waterproof fabric around the top of the bag. That’s smart since these are the areas where condensation can build up.

I’m skeptical that the quilt would be as effective with a lesser mattress, but with the new Therm-A-Rest NeoAir, it’s a slam-dunk for 3-season pursuits.

THERM-A-REST NEOAIR MATTRESS

The NeoAir deserves all the awards and recognition it has received since it was introduced over a year ago.

The NeoAir is just heads and tails better than any other mattress I’ve tried that is similar in weight and bulk. When inflated, the NeoAir is about 2.5 inches tall. By redesigning the internal baffling and adding reflective material on the bottom of the pad, Therm-A-Rest has figured out how to make a crazy-light air mattress super insulative. It took a few nights to figure out that the secret to optimizing comfort with this mattress is not over-inflating it.

Given the price tag, I’m thinking a repair kit and a stuff sack should be included. But that’s a small gripe.

When all is said and done: at over $400, pairing the NeoAir with the GoLite quilt is an expensive sleeping solution. But the solution really has proven to be a game-changer for me. I now haul around a lighter, less bulky setup, and I’m warmer and more comfortable than ever when the day is done.
http://www.golite.com/
http://cascadedesigns.com/therm-a-rest

The post Punish Stuff: Three Season Sleeping Solution appeared first on Out There Venture.

OTM asked Jeff a few questions about this yearly event.

WHAT IS THE FESTIVUS RIDE?
It is our go-to theme for the December Full Moon Fiasco. I encourage everyone to decorate their bikes and wear costumes. I give away prizes that have been donated by local and not-so-local folks. I do my best to come up with a venue that will accommodate that many people and the games that we like to play.

EXPLAIN THE EVENTS YOU HAVE DONE AT THE RIDE?
Long Distance Frame Toss, Slow Races, Obstacle Course, Bike Decorating Contest, etc. I try to have bike-related games at the destination bar, but not every large venue is set up so I can work that out.

WHAT’S THE RIDE DATE THIS YEAR?
I’m doing my best to have it on December 10th. Check the website for the final date—http://fbcspokane.blogspot.com

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OF PLANNING A WINTER BIKE RIDE FOR 100-PLUS CYCLISTS?
Planning any ride has its issues. For the larger rides, I have to consider a destination that is large enough to hold everyone that shows up. During the winter, the turnout is smaller, so we can visit some otherwise overlooked places. However, I have to treat it like a summer ride when looking for a venue, [yet like] a winter ride when planning the route.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT THE RIDE?
All the great decorations that people put on their bikes is certainly a reason to show up, but my favorite bit is giving away prizes. The Good Doctor, a couple of Lifetime Members For Life, and I work really hard to get businesses to donate items for Festivus, and it’s fun to pass those out.

HOW MANY PEOPLE SHOWED UP AT LAST YEAR’S RIDE?
We had about 125 riders show up. It was around 20º, clear.

THIS WILL BE YOUR FIFTH FESTIVUS. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE YEAR?
I like them all, but I can’t help but remember how miserable the first one was—and how happy I was to be doing it. It was an awful night of slush, giant ice and freezing rain, but the eight of us went anyway. It was supposed to be a relaxing ride around the South Hill so we could look at Christmas lights. I didn’t have any prizes or games. It was just a bike ride. I guess if I had to pick, the first one was my favorite.

HOW MUCH SNOW IS TOO MUCH?
John, you know the answer to this. No snow is too much snow. We ride no matter the conditions. Though, I will admit that the length of the ride changes according to conditions. I don’t want to be out there any longer than I have to. It gets a little sketchy trying to move 100 riders through those conditions.

WHAT CAN A NEWBIE EXPECT?
Good question. I get new riders every month, and a fresh batch of questions. Anyone can participate in the FBC rides. It is handy to be over 21 [since] almost all of our destinations are bars. If you show up on a bike and participate, you are a Lifetime Member For Life. I design spoke cards for every ride, and I will shove one into your hand upon your arrival. I suggest a one-dollar donation for the card, but that is entirely up to you. I certainly don’t want to cut into anyone’s beer money. The donations go toward printing the next batch of cards, stickers, musical guests, etc.

YOU’RE GOING BE A DAD SOON. IS THE PASSING OF THE FBC TORCH IMMINENT?
[It’s] certainly a consideration. I have tried in the past to let others lead and organize specific rides with less than stellar results. It would be hard to take over something that has grown from two riders to 200. I have had the luxury of watching it grow and have developed better ways of organizing. I think that someone taking over in the future would have a hard time keeping it from turning into a Critical Mass, which would be my nightmare.

WHAT WOULD BE YOUR IDEAL FESTIVUS RIDE?
Wow—last year was pretty great. We had a great experience at The Swamp, as we always do. The weather cooperated and gave us clear skies and streets on which to meander, though it was stupid cold. And The Steam Plant was our best venue yet for this particular ride. On top of being a great place to go under normal circumstances, they made a special effort to accommodate all of our needs.

John Speare grew up and lives in Spokane. He rides his bike everywhere. This is his last Everyday Cyclist column. Check out his blog at http://cyclingspokane.blogspot.com.

The post Everyday Cyclist: Pedal To Festivus With The FBC appeared first on Out There Venture.

ORTLIEB FRONT-ROLLER CLASSIC (PAIR)

SUMMARY
• PRICE: $143
• PROS: waterproof, best attachment system ever, repairable.
• CONS: no internal pockets, slightly clumpy off the bike.
• WEBSITE: ortliebusa.com

Ortlieb makes a bunch of bike-related baggage—rear panniers, front panniers, handlebar bags, seat bags, back packs—and they’re all mostly good. But the Front-Roller Classic panniers may just be the perfect daily-driver commuter pannier.

The naming of the “Front-Roller Classic” refers to the fact that the sizing is more appropriate for front low-rider racks. But the Rear-Rollers are too big for most daily commuters. The “roller” part refers to how the bag closes: you roll the opening and buckle it. The “classic” part means that it’s not the fancy “plus” version. The plus version has a slightly better hook system to attach the bags to your bike.

There are a number of features that make Ortlieb panniers the best ones out there. Here they are.

WATERPROOF: I can’t find the word “submersible” on the Ortlieb website, but I’m thinking you could just about submerse these guys and keep the contents dry. The buckled, roll-top closure, combined with super-tough rubbery fabric provides more insurance than any cyclist can ask for against leaking water. There is a reason just about every cyclist in Seattle packs his or her laptop in an Ortlieb. Ortliebs are truly waterproof.

CRAZY-PERFECT ATTACHMENT SYSTEM: You just have to mess with every other stupid claspy hook system to appreciate how well engineered Ortlieb’s attachment system is. When you buy the Ortliebs, you only need to spend 10 minutes or so adjusting the hooks to fit your rack perfectly. Once you do that, you’re golden: yank the loop handle to open the top hooks and slide the bottom hook onto the rack and the pannier is attached to the rack. Really attached. You can pick up the bike by grabbing the pannier and the pannier will stay attached. To release the hooks, grab the handle and yank the pannier off the bike. Do it for a week and you’ll be a pro: on and off in seconds.

DURABLE AND REPAIRABLE: I have a buddy in Seattle who commuted daily with his Ortlieb panniers for ten years before one started to show some fabric wear. There was a small hole emerging near the bottom of the bag. Using the Ortlieb repair kit, he patched the hole, and he has another four years on them—and they’re still going strong.

CHEAP: What? You say $143 is not cheap? Read the previous paragraph again and do some math.

SMART FEATURES: Shoulder strap, huge reflector, backpack feature. These probably don’t sound that smart. But they are. The shoulder strap also acts as an additional tie-down for the roll top. And if you don’t want the strap on there, the resulting buckles provide the additional tie-down. The reflector is a huge 3M triangle fused onto the fabric. It won’t fall off, break or degrade. The backpack feature is an add-on ($38) that transforms the pannier into a passable backpack, which provides you with a waterproof backpack in non-biking scenarios.

THE CONS
A couple things aren’t great about these panniers. First, some people like pockets. If you like pockets, you may not love the Ortlieb panniers as I do.

Secondly, off the bike, these panniers are a bit clunky. Both sides of the bags have plastic hooks that like to gouge into your side if they’re weighted and hanging off your shoulder. That’s it though for “cons.” Really.
So the bottom line: if you need panniers, don’t bother with other brands. Just get Ortlieb.

The post Punish Stuff: Ortlieb Panniers appeared first on Out There Venture.

So what happened here? And can it happen to young, fit you? Maybe. Here’s what happened.

I have a history of cramping in my left calf. Sometimes the cramp is on the bike, but usually it’s nocturnal. I’ll be sleeping and will be jolted awake by screaming pain in my calf, which is contracted into a hard, leg-shaped, flesh-covered rock.

I also have a history of being totally stupid about hydration, especially in the summer. A typical day in the summer may start with a strenuous trail ride at dawn, followed by two or three cups of coffee. Commute to work. Work. Commute home the long way with a single water bottle. Run out of water. Have dinner. Have a few beers. Go to bed. Repeat. Altogether, I’m drinking about two quarts of water a day (in addition to coffee and beer). As it turns out, coffee is not the diuretic it’s often accused of being. But beer is a dehydrator for sure.

The point here—and any cyclist who has ridden for a few years has been through this—is that occasional cramping and dehydration happens. So when my calf was killing me during cyclocross “hot lap” training, I didn’t think much of it. But the pain became so bad that I actually had to quit riding. The day had been a typical summer day of inadequate hydration, and I was riding a new bike that didn’t quite fit right, so I chalked up the pain to these obvious factors.

I called a nurse and talked her through the issue. She asked a lot of questions about numbness (none), feelings of “pins and needles” (nope), any traumatic events to the calf (nope), any long flights recently (nope), any sharp pain (not really: a dull pain, but not “sharp”). Looking back on this conversation, she was clearly attempting to figure out if I had a clot. Neither my profile (active, non-sitter) nor my answers pointed to a clot. She said it’s likely a muscle strain and recommended taking ibuprofen, drinking lots of water and applying ice.

The next day, my calf was a bit swollen and the pain had increased a bit. Luckily, Dr. Bob (OTM Health writer) lives right out my back gate. I asked him to look at it. He was also perplexed and was pondering a theory that I may have compartment syndrome, which is when muscles and veins can get compacted, which leads to swelling. He recommended keeping on ice but coming off the ibuprofen.

By the next morning my calf was so swollen that my ankle went missing. My lower leg looked like a giant sausage. When I called Dr. Bob, he had already decided that things just didn’t add up. He took a look at it and got me in the pipeline for a sonogram, which confirmed a blood clot running from my ankle up into my thigh.

There are a few lessons here. The biggest one is not to ignore your wife. My wife was concerned about a potential clot the night I came home from the hot laps. But I didn’t fit the profile. And the nurse didn’t think so. And the doctor didn’t think so. I did know, deep down, that this pain was abnormal. And that’s the real lesson: listen to your body. It’s cliché, but no one knows your body like you do, and our bodies are super loud and clear about laying out the facts for us.

So why did this happen? Until recently, my going theory has been my chronic dehydration, which turns out to be a contributing factor. In addition, I’ve learned that I have a blood deficiency called Factor V Leiden that slightly increases the odds of a clot. That deficiency alone is not enough to cause a clot. But the Factor V Leiden coupled with blood restriction and the dehydration is likely the answer. Until my leg swelled up, I didn’t pay attention to the fact that when I sit at my desk, I typically sit with my left leg folded under my right leg.

The fix for a clot is to take a blood thinner, which both stabilizes the clot and allows blood flow around the clot. Stabilizing the clot is important because if a clot chunk blows off into the blood stream, really bad stuff can happen, like strokes, brain aneurysms and lung failure.

It will probably take about six months of blood thinning treatment for the clot to dissolve away. During this time, I’ll have to be extra careful on my bike, as internal bleeding is more likely with trauma events and much harder to contain with thin blood.

In the end, I’m lucky. I’m lucky I have access to medical care. I’m lucky I didn’t throw a clot into my blood stream. I’m lucky I’ll be back to normal in six months. It could have been much different. I hope I’ve finally learned to respect what my body is telling me. (Read Part 1 here.)

John Speare grew up and lives in Spokane. He rides his bike everywhere. Check out his blog at http://cyclingspokane.blogspot.com.

The post Everyday Cyclist: Blood Clot Issue Pt. 2 appeared first on Out There Venture.

For the racing crowd, October marks the official beginning of the Inland Northwest Cyclocross Series. If you are a cyclist that enjoys pushing hard and having fun on non-technical off-pavement riding, then you are really doing a disservice to yourself not to give at least one cyclocross race a go. Emde Sports puts on a race series that is ideal for new racers, with mountain bike, youth and beginner categories.

But you don’t have to race to enjoy cyclocross. In fact, it’s almost as fun to watch cyclocross as it is to race it. Cyclocross courses are laid out in parks and natural areas where spectators can walk the course as racers compete. Pack a lunch and a hot thermos and enjoy the races, which are every weekend in October and November. Go to emdesports.com for race schedules.

Another great bikey way to spend autumn weekends in this area is to explore the National Forests that surround us: the Coeur d’ Alene, the Colville, the Okanogan and the Kaniksu. All of these forests have miles and miles of nearly car-free roads. You can drive in and explore for a day, or you can set up a base camp and explore for the weekend. Choose a route with some elevation gain and you’ll be rewarded with beautiful fall colors of deciduous and Western Larch trees as well as grand views across pristine forests. For long rides, be sure you are prepared: bring clothing for extreme weather changes, bring a water purification solution, and pack plenty of calories to get you through the ride. You can read more about exploring our local National Forests by bike in this magazine’s July 2010 issue (available online at outtheremonthly.ziplinestaging.com).

Thanks to early fall precipitation, October may be the best trail-riding month in the Spokane area. By the end of summer, many of the local trails are dry, sandy and difficult to get a good grip on. With a touch of moisture and some cool nights, these same trails become perfect for mountain biking and cyclocross racing. For tires: run a moderate-to-low tread, with a rounded profile, and you can scorch the local trails like no other time of year.

As the days get progressively shorter and colder, October provides a nice transition into the colder cycling months. For commuters, this means you’re likely riding to or from work in low-light conditions. The October transition gives us time to get our winter lighting and visibility plan dialed in. As in year’s past, advances in LED technology have introduced a whole new level of performance for low-energy, high-output lighting. This means more bang for the buck on new equipment. But for the frugal, this can also mean better deals on last year’s “outdated” technology.

Temperatures in the early morning will begin to reach the freezing point, while the commute home could actually be warmish. As with lighting, we have the opportunity to get reacquainted with cold-weather clothing and how to layer for our commute. Make sure you always commute with a beanie, a light shell and some light gloves tucked away in your bag during October. The general rule that many light layers are preferable to fewer heavy layers is a good practice to follow.

There are also a couple safety-related items in the October timeframe to consider on your commute. First, watch out for the leaves. When leaves are wet, especially when they’re layered and slimy, they are super slick. Never attempt to corner through wet leaves. Another hazard of leaves is the stuff that may be under the pile of dry leaves. The image of riding through a big pile of leaves is Rockwellian in its draw, but consider the branch or rock that may be hiding under there. Don’t do it!

The second safety item to consider is that as a commuter, you’re not as secure in numbers as you have been in the warm months when bikes are everywhere. Many cycling commuters switch to other modes of transportation when the days get shorter and the weather gets colder. Anecdotally, it seems that fewer bikes on the road are likely to dull the bike-alertness of motorists. It’s the “out of sight, out of mind” phenomenon. The best defense here, as always, is to be visible and predictable.

John Speare grew up and lives in Spokane. He rides his bike everywhere. Check out his blog at http://cyclingspokane.blogspot.com.

The post Everyday Cyclist: Don’t Stop When The Temp Drops appeared first on Out There Venture.

OTM: YOU ARE A MOTHER, A WIFE, A PHYSICAL THERAPIST. HOW DO YOU STAY SO COMPETITIVE?

I guess I stay competitive by trying to be the most efficient with my time as possible. I follow a plan set forth by my coach, which ensures that the time that I spend on (or off) the bike isn’t wasted. I have a pretty sweet working schedule, and work with honestly some of the best people in the business, so they are pretty accommodating to my travel schedule when I’m required to be gone – but I’ve tried to arrange my schedule to impact my work and patients as little as possible. Workouts happen in the late afternoon. Weekends are where I tend to “load” my training volume, since I don’t work on Saturdays or Sundays. My house looks like a tornado most of the time, because I’m not home very often, and if I am, I’d rather spend time with the kids than scrubbing the floors or washing the windows. Honestly, I think what’s worked for me is to have a husband that is very supportive, along with the fact that I tend to be pretty organized with my time.

OTM: SOMETIMES YOU RACE THE LOCAL BIKE RACES IN THE MEN’S CATEGORIES. WHY?

I’ve “raced up” with the men because our women’s field is so tiny. I can finish respectably, but I’m maybe top 10-15ish, not top 3 at all! I always race with the A pack men in the Tuesday Night Twilight Series road races, and can mix it up with them frequently. I’ve had some top-10 finishes, but nothing to write home about. Mostly I love to race with the men because that most closely mimics racing crits or cross with the pro women. I hold on for dear life and repeat the mantra, “I’m building fitness…”

OTM: WHAT DOES THE RALEIGH SPONSORSHIP MEAN? WHAT IS THE SPONSORSHIP AND WHAT ARE THE OBLIGATIONS?

The Raleigh sponsorship is two complete bikes, a travel stipend, free entry to the Cross After Dark series races, a racing kit, and technical support.
I’ve never been sponsored at this level – it’s an amazing opportunity, for sure. Truthfully, I’m having a hard time believing it myself. I had decided that this year I would make cross my “focus season,” since I enjoy it so much, but also because I became so burned out on the road racing scene. So, the timing of this seems so perfect! But honestly, I’m a bit overwhelmed by it.

I don’t in any way consider myself a “pro” – I just race with the pros, and try to hold my own!

I feel honored, lucky, excited, nervous, happy – all rolled into one. I just really want to do the Raleigh guys proud, so if anything, it makes me more “serious” about my training, makes me think about the upcoming season 24/7.

I’ve wanted to do some of these bigger races—now I get the chance! I just hope Lady Luck sticks with me!

OTM: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO WOMEN CYCLISTS WHO MAY BE ON THE FENCE WITH TRYING CROSS?

It seems like women in general tend to be intimidated by the competitive nature of mass-start cycling events. Throw in some gravel, mud, obstacles and/or run-ups, nasty weather conditions… it can look grueling! I’m not going to lie – it’s not called “the hour of pain” for nothing. But, the hard part about cross racing is also the silver lining: it’s a short race. Novice racers are usually on course for around 30 minutes.

I try to talk women into at least coming out to watch a race. Come see what it’s about. Then, just try one! No harm in trying, right? It’s a tough race, but in a way, you can race your own pace—you’re out on a lap course (there’s no getting lost) with a bunch of other people (who are going through the same thing you are) and usually a lot of spectators (who are always very supportive).

Women say, “I don’t know how to ride my bike like that” or “I’ll be so slow it will be embarrassing” or “I don’t want to get in anyone’s way.”

Nonsense… come join us for practice sessions [Vertical Earth bike shop] or join the Team REP women’s racing team for a great group of ladies who love to mentor. Everyone starts out slow—there are generally so many people on course at the same time, no one is keeping track of how fast you’re going. And you’re not in anyone’s way—everyone at some time or another has been a novice, and 99% of the racers out there are exceptionally courteous to fellow racers.

OTM: ANYTHING ELSE?

I really need to be sure to give my current sponsors as much visibility as possible, since they are the ones who got me here: Vertical Earth, Rep Gym, and Doma are huge supporters of women’s cycling, as well as Kootenai Health.

John Speare grew up and lives in Spokane. He rides his bike everywhere. Check out his blog at http://cyclingspokane.blogspot.com.

The post Everyday Cyclist: When Mom Gets Sponsored appeared first on Out There Venture.

This review is for cyclists who want to wear normal looking shoes when they clip in. SPD is a good system for clip-in shoes that are truly walkable: they can pass the “don’t dent wood floor” test when the cleat is pushed most of the way back.

DZR GMT-8 SPD SNEAKER
$85; Made in China
PROS: look super normal, will make all of your dreams come true. CONS: don’t breathe well, which may lead to premature funkiness; laces fly all over the place.

PERL IZUMI X-ALP SEEK
$100; Made in China
PROS: super comfy, breathe well, best lace “keeper” out there. CONS: sport-o looking.

PERL IZUMI X-ALP SEEK

The Perl Izumi X-Alp is a line of shoes that come in a bunch of different options and colors. The “Seek” is the cheap, lace-up, daily driver shoe in the X-Alp line. I’ve grown to really like this shoe for mountain bike rides and as a daily tennis shoe.

In styling and feel, it’s more “running shoe” than sneaker, which is not really that “normal” looking for me. My friend Rachel has a pair and finds them to be normal on her scale, so if you feel that running shoes is a normal look, then these shoes might be worth a try.

I’ve tried about a dozen SPD shoes. I like laces (instead of buckles and straps), so it’s interesting to come across a shoe that solves the lace “keeper” in a different way. A lace keeper holds the laces to the shoe so they don’t go flying into your chain. Nearly all solutions involve a flexy strap that lives over the middle of the tongue on the shoe. You cram the laces under the strap and that’s that. But either the strap is so tight and fussy that you’re trained not to use it (Keen Austin, Chrome), or it’s so loose that the laces fall out after a few miles (DZR, Shimano MT-60). The X-Alp Seek has a strap up higher on the tongue, and a pouch to stuff the lace loops into. It works better than any other keeper solution I’ve tried.

The X-Alp comes in men’s and women’s sizes and is generic enough in styling to be sort of “genderless.”

DZR GMT-8 SNEAKER

The DZR sneakers are just cool. I’m a Vans guy. I also like Converse low-tops. If that’s your thing, then just go for the DZRs. The GMT-8 Sneaker is the most low-key of the SPD sneaker offerings from DZR in my opinion.

I’ve worn my DZRs for nearly two months straight. They’re comfy. They’re true-to-size. They totally and completely do not look like nerdy bike shoes.

And they’re barely bike shoes. Like most SPD “normal” shoes (including the X-Alps), you shouldn’t expect super stiff soles. The soles are certainly stiffer than Chuck Taylors, but they’re not what you’ll be used to if you wear racing shoes.

Since the DZRs are canvas, they like to absorb and hold water. And they don’t breathe well. And since I’ve worn them nearly every day for two months, they are getting a tad funky. I wear “liner” wool socks with them in the summer, but they’re still pretty steamy.

The super, overly-long laces are not held down well by the limp “keeper” either.

So they’re not perfect, but they are wearing exceptionally well. I’m hard on shoes and this pair has yet to blow out or start unstitching after many miles of riding and walking.

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