Continuing my broke-a ss trend of figuring out how to make all my stuff last the longest: Shoes.
I have one pair of shoes. Currently they are Etnies es or something. These are great and have lasted me 1.5 years so far. This is most likely because I wasn't riding for appox 1 of those 1.5 years. The uppers are still fine, but the pins on my pedals are chewing out little holes in the shoes (my feet have to be in exactly the right place on the pedal).
I have noticed that skinny-pinned pedals (cullys, truvativ) grip excellent but chew out shoe holes very quickly, at which point they grip like crap. I am currently a die-hard Atomlab trailking man. PERFECT pins with consistent grip over the life of the shoe (the bearings are fine on mine because I am not a fat hack :evil: ) Also, certain shoes tend to get chewed up much more quickly. I love Vans Rowleys to death for the mad steeze and comfort but, god help them, the soles are made of bubblegum.
For awhile I was considering running different pedals on my BMX and my MTB so the shoes would have pins chewing on them in different places and last twice as long, but I love trailkings so much I don't really want to do that.
I also should be commuting to work on my clipless pedals, but I hit the trails after work and I am SO over clips (particularly on the AS-X).
I considered sticky-rubber shoes, but I expect they will die very quickly if I'm riding on them for ~2 hours every day. Also, they are severely lacking in the steeze department, and I like to wear the same pair of shoes for riding and for ballin'.
Anyway, my intention here is to start an intelligent discussion of grip and shoe-life. Am I doomed to replace my shoes every 3 weeks? Should I get one pair of pimpin' shoes and one pair of riding shoes? Can the pedal pin gouges in the sole be repaired? Once the rubber gets old does it dry out and get chewed up easier?
Discuss.
PS: Discussing shoes does not make me a fruitcake. I am a man. A big hairy man.
I have one pair of shoes. Currently they are Etnies es or something. These are great and have lasted me 1.5 years so far. This is most likely because I wasn't riding for appox 1 of those 1.5 years. The uppers are still fine, but the pins on my pedals are chewing out little holes in the shoes (my feet have to be in exactly the right place on the pedal).
I have noticed that skinny-pinned pedals (cullys, truvativ) grip excellent but chew out shoe holes very quickly, at which point they grip like crap. I am currently a die-hard Atomlab trailking man. PERFECT pins with consistent grip over the life of the shoe (the bearings are fine on mine because I am not a fat hack :evil: ) Also, certain shoes tend to get chewed up much more quickly. I love Vans Rowleys to death for the mad steeze and comfort but, god help them, the soles are made of bubblegum.
For awhile I was considering running different pedals on my BMX and my MTB so the shoes would have pins chewing on them in different places and last twice as long, but I love trailkings so much I don't really want to do that.
I also should be commuting to work on my clipless pedals, but I hit the trails after work and I am SO over clips (particularly on the AS-X).
I considered sticky-rubber shoes, but I expect they will die very quickly if I'm riding on them for ~2 hours every day. Also, they are severely lacking in the steeze department, and I like to wear the same pair of shoes for riding and for ballin'.
Anyway, my intention here is to start an intelligent discussion of grip and shoe-life. Am I doomed to replace my shoes every 3 weeks? Should I get one pair of pimpin' shoes and one pair of riding shoes? Can the pedal pin gouges in the sole be repaired? Once the rubber gets old does it dry out and get chewed up easier?
Discuss.
PS: Discussing shoes does not make me a fruitcake. I am a man. A big hairy man.