Acquiring a mountain bike the day after your break up with Mr. Yeti was a heart breaking event. I took this as a sign from the cosmos; "come on you know you always wanted to, but you never did because you didn't want to take away his "man time". F him its your turn now." I will say, I did learn somethings from Mr. Yeti and I do thank him for that. Am not totally oblivious. Getting the full suspension bike for starters, saving for disc breaks, the color white always makes you faster and cooler; as in awesome (scientific fact), knowing my fork is shit if I plan on really getting into this, and the need for a bike shoe you can clip in for the ride, or hike section if you need to.
My local bike shop had only road shoe for woman. I had hoped I could avoid the bike "store" but I need to try the shoe on and I didn't want to wait. Feeling comfortable in a bike shop is one thing. The owner probably is in the back on the phone or running the counter. Their here for the love the sport and if they can make a living doing what they love great! Bike stores on the other hand are typically a chain of some kind. Dealing with the newest and the greatest, and always over priced. Not to say the people working there don't have a love, but its different love.
Walking in I found the woman's section easy enough, then was greeted by a young man in his early 20's if that. I told him I need a mountain bike shoe for a beginner. He stated in; "oh this one runs about 90 bucks" Look don't get me wrong I knew going into this I has to put down the green but the shoe looked like I would slip and die if I walked any trail! He talked a bit more about other shoes total skipping the one shoe that looked like I could walk in. I pointed at the one shoe with a sub $90 tag, "What about that one?" "Oh that's a hybrid. Its more like a hiking boot with cleats." "I am a beginner. I will probably be hiking a lot." He grinned as realty slapped him up side the head. "Oh, ya... right." Found the right size and paid. "Got everything, helmet, shorts, jerseys...." Just wanting to get out of that place before they had me in a full matching kit, I forgot to ask how to get my shoes all set up.
Shit! Sitting down with the box looking at the instructions I forgot about the cleats. This time to the bike shop. The owner an older man was on the phone with sounded like a regular customer about an order. Called to the boys in the back, a young man of the same age as the 1st young man greeted me the same way. "Hi, I need cleats for my shoes." "Oh, ya sure! What kind of peddles do you have?" Oh, no I don't know this one. "I don't know, but they look like those, " pointing to some in the case. "Cool. Let me get you set up with the easiest ones." The owner now off the phone throwing a pair of cleats to the boy, "These ones just fell in price." He smiled at me with warm grin, "beginning biking? By the look of your shoes; mountain bikes?! Good choice." "Thanks." The young man was back with the cleats, his boss pushes my shoes over to him "Help this young lady with her shoes so get can start practicing."
I walked out of the shop with my shoes ready to go, and a little more confidents to really give this biking thing a go.
The Shoes
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