Catching up on scintillating reviews

Does anybody remember back when I found the (almost) perfect shoe?

Well thanks to the internet and its helpful search functions we don't have to remember anything. All previous thoughts and knowledge have been recorded for posterity and future embarrassment. Anyways, I thought I had found the almost perfect shoe, and I cornered the market on them by buying TWO PAIRS of Shimano M085 mountain shoes. Yeah, the lugs were a little on the touring shoe side and the toe box was a little too boxy for my girl feet, but they were the best things I'd ever seen to meet the needs of the competitive single speeder (and me). Sadly those obvious oversights earned the shoe my Seal of Semi-Approval.


So as things usually go in my life shortly after buying TWO PAIRS of the M085 I walked into the LBS and found myself staring at the new and entirely improved M086 shoe from Shimano. I can only guess that once I bought the last TWO PAIRS of old stock M085's they decided it was time to roll out the all new M086. This aggression will not stand, man. I bought into the hype and purchased the far superior M086 (one pair this time), returned the unused pair of M085's and sold the used pair on eBay for an amount I'd rather not disclose as only a stock broker could sympathize with the financial loss I was subjected to with the lopsided transaction.

I must say these shoes are the single speed, glucosamine chondroitin aided bee knees.

Check it. Three straps, one buckle, all rubber soles, no pointless toe spikes (I don't even think the red things come out so they can be replaced with pointless, pokey metal bits), and most certainly a racey look.

And check out that toe box....

No dorky boot-like squared-off action there. Look at those all rubber soles that will stick to slippery rocks and roots like an unflickable booger to your index finger, and then your thumb, and then your index finger, and then your thumbnail, and then...

What's really cool is that the heel will leave an animal-like print in the mud that will stump even the most experienced woodland tracker.

Leonard Nimoy's gonna get called in to search for the legendary nine toed Pisgah wolverine.

Of course there's a downside. There's always a downside. With the help of my new Twelve's from Swiftwick and The Fajita's shinguards I think you can see what brings these shoes down a notch.

These things look way more like soccer shoes than cycling shoes. The Euros get a nice color choice that keeps the shoe from looking like you daughter's sporting equipment, but we in the US and A get the dopey looking B&W option. I guess I could go the Snob route and use sepia tones to make the shoe look better.

No, they just look like old timey soccer shoes now. I guess the Snob just does everything better.

And speaking of the Twelve's...

I was lucky enough to get my merino Twelves before the weather went all global warmy on Charlotte, and I had two sub-30's days in them. I hate full length tights, and these things are just the ticket for changing conditions. Later in the day as things heated up I simply pushed them down. Combine these things with knee warmers and you can adjust your temperature easier than an MLB player adjusts his genital placement or his morals.

But...

Since the shoes stink of team sports and the Twelve's STILL DO NOT COME IN ARGYLE (and you can forget about houndstooth too) they will both get the Seal of Semi-Approval.


BTW: The Breck Epic site STILL does not have all the blogger info up yet, but you can go vote for your favorite three bloggers if you already know who you want to send to the Breck Epic. Go here and vote, or go here and wait for more info if you wanna be a knowledgeable voter.

BTW: BTW: Nice interview with jeremiahbishop.com, Sue Haywood, and Georgia Gould over on bikerumor.com. JBC drops a hint to his new sponsor in there, and Sue... all I can say is bravo.