It’s all a matter of opinion.

Monday, October 24th, 2011 Posted by Rachel. Published under Gear + Product Review, How to..., Riding. 1 Comment.

When Jessica agreed to let me come on this bike tour with her well over a year ago now, I immediately attempted to soak in as much detail about how to go about doing a trip like this.  But now, as I sit here in Savannah, GA, I wonder how much sunk in, and how much was really all that important to begin with.

In this last leg of the trip from Atlanta to Savannah, we were really pushed to our limits.  As it would turn out, Georgia is incredibly hilly.  I’m assuming it’s the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains that trail off well into the state, but it highlights my point exactly.  (Now, a caveat here, I am not writing this to be mean or undercut people’s advice.  I have and always will appreciate hearing advice from anyone and everyone, but I am now taking it with a grain of salt.  Okay, back to our regularly scheduled programming.)  We had been told to ride down in the valley to the west of the Smoky Mountains through Atlanta to get to Savannah in order to avoid riding the Appalachians in South Carolina.  And this turned out to be sound advice through until about Acworth, GA (about 30-45 minutes north of Atlanta).  We hit this hills anyway.  I’m not saying that I regret taking the advice given.  Not at all.  In fact, Atlanta turned into such a joyful and wonderful place that I will never regret going there before Savannah.  But I learned that advice only goes so far before it starts to falter.

When it comes to bike and camping gear, this is an even worse game of cat and mouse.  For instance, Jessica has Schwalbe Marathon tires on her bike.  They are built with incredibly thick rubber, have Kevlar inside and are an overall great tire.  She rode two years in Boston (and Boston potholes) without getting a flat.  And she tried pretty mightily to get me to switch from my high pressure Bontrager tires because she’d heard that the Marathons were the only tire to tour on.  That is until she got our first flat in the Oconee National Forest.  Again, the advice was good to a point.  We made it well over 1000 miles before either of us got a flat, but we can’t prevent life from happening to us, and there we sat changing her tire.

Or how we’ve done really well so far with titanium cookware when everyone has told us we’d need a heat dispersal mechanism or prepare for burnt food.

Or how we have been scoffed at for carrying so much weight (or told it wasn’t enough.)

Or how we have been told to be wary of every person in the next county over only to be greeted just as nice and warmly as in the previous county.

Or how we have been told 1000 different versions of what riding in Florida will be like.  Most of it has been negative, but each person has hated riding in Florida for a reason.  Some hate the drivers.  Others are bored by how flat it is.  Others found it too expensive.  Maybe we’ll feel the same way, but we decided to find out for ourselves.

How about how I was told we wouldn’t need to drink Gatorade until the afternoon, but in reality, I need to drink it all day, while Jessica never hasn’t hardly touched the stuff?

How about how I was told I’d hate not having more aerodynamic handlebars, when really someone should have been telling me I’d hate my shifting system?

How about how people can’t believe Jessica doesn’t ride clipped in (myself included on this one sometimes)?  I actually can only ride half clipped in anyway, so again, kind of a moot point.  (Half clipped in means my right foot is attached to my right pedal via a cleat, but I have to leave my left foot free because I get horrific knee pain.)

How about how every other bike tourists says we’re going the wrong way across country and we’ll only have head winds if we head from east to west?  I have yet to experience this.  We’ve had our nastiest headwinds come from the east as we head from west to east… and our best tailwinds came from when we were headed due south. Not to say we won’t have this all switch on us once we head due west, but the weather systems just don’t seem so regular!

I could keep spouting all the different ways we’ve gotten advice that we then have had to alter based on experience, but I’ll shut up now.  It’s clear to me that the best way we all communicate with each other and deal with strangers is to give and receive advice.  It’s a great conversation to have.  It’s also ended up with some real success stories, like the guy in Chicago who told us to bellow out “GO HOME!” to chasing dogs.  It really works!

So I know that someone might be reading our blog, thinking about how they’d like to do this some day, looking at our product reviews and pondering the choices.  And I’m happy to give advice to anyone who wants it.  I just have to say, you will have your own opinion about what’s best in the end, so don’t listen to me or anyone else.  Get the gear you want, go the route you want, eat what you want and trust that everyone will be kind and wonderful along the way.  (Except maybe logging truck drivers.  They never get over.)

Book Review: Hell on 2 Wheels

Sunday, October 9th, 2011 Posted by Rachel. Published under Gear + Product Review. No Comments.

Last night I finished a book called Hell on 2 Wheels.  It was introduced to me by our wonderful Chicago host, Heidi.  She’s a big cyclist herself, more of the racing/ exercise type, though.  It was sitting on her shelf and I was intrigued by it before she’d even mentioned it herself later.  Needless to say, it’s a pretty catchy title!

It’s a non-fiction story about the most difficult ultra-cycling race in the world, the Race Across America (RAAM).  What’s ultra-cycling you may ask?  I didn’t know either!  Apparently, there’s a whole subculture of cycling in which a person rides for as far and as long as possible, usually without the cushy breaks that the Tour de France bequeaths upon its racers.  Instead of getting off the bike at 5pm, going and having a massage, socializing, eating a lush dinner and getting a good night’s sleep, all while the race clock is stopped, these ultra-cycling races don’t stop the clock.  Therefore, the riders don’t stop either.  This race in particular starts in Oceanside, CA (just south of San Diego) and ends in Annapolis, MD.  That’s a far ride at a killer pace!

So how was the book?  Well, if you can overlook the horrific copyediting (so bad a person who hasn’t taken an advanced English class ever noticed it all over the book) and the extraordinarily simple prose of the author, it’s a gripping read.  The author describes in somewhat lacking detail the race and what happens to the human body when it doesn’t get a break.  These riders are on their bikes for a minimum of 20 hours a day, riding on maybe 2 hours of sleep for upwards of 12 days (that’s the race cutoff time).  They can succumb to a condition known as Shermer’s Neck.  It’s named after one of the co-founders of RAAM, Michael Shermer, who in his second year of the race, experienced complete failure of his neck muscles.  Yep, that’s right, they couldn’t hold up his head anymore.  Just thinking about the limp neck and swinging head makes me get the goosebumps.

I also didn’t really like the focus the author put on the male riders, to the detriment of her coverage of the female riders, but as she writes in the end of the book, it’s nearly impossible to cover every rider all the time.  Each rider can be upwards of 500 miles from one another and the author had to go without sleep herself as it was just to cover what she could.  It was a disappointment, but it just makes me want to find one of the amazing women who’ve done this race and interview them for our documentary instead.

What I loved about the book was the emphasis on how these riders really have to dig deep within themselves in order to even finish this race.  The author talks about how the cyclists cope with the pain they experience, how they withstand utter exhaustion and how they keep pedaling for well over 2500 miles.  While Jessica and I might not be going at this cutthroat pace, I can certainly relate to this all.  In fact, I have found it comforting to read about their struggles.  It has helped me to understand that I might just hate each hill we go up, but I shouldn’t look at it as a reason to give up.  I should consider each challenge, each drop of sweat as a gift.  I am blessed to be able to push my mind and body to an extreme I never thought I could handle.

Overall, I highly recommend this book.  I had never heard of this race before, I will never partake myself, but I might just go to the finish line someday just to see these amazing athletes conquer the most difficult challenge that they have set before themselves.

Product Review: Garmin GPSMap 62s

Thursday, September 8th, 2011 Posted by Jessica. Published under Gear + Product Review, Riding. No Comments.

Caveat first: In the last few days, I’ve gotten loads of advice (some of which I will discuss below) about how to better navigate with our GPS, but the follow is pretty definitively my view about our chosen navigation system.

If you’re a regular reader, you may remember my post from a few months ago lamenting that trying to find a GPS system for a bike tour is a difficult process.  Well… Jessica and I still feel that it is even though we settled on the Garmin GPSMap 62s.  We did this after reading a ton, deciding not to get one right away (at least until we’d ridden a few hundred miles), but then did end up getting one when REI had a sale this past spring/summer and it was a real deal.

The pros are that it’s waterproof and light and it runs off 2 – AA batteries that are very tightly seated (so no popping out if dropped).  It didn’t come with street navigation loaded but the software wasn’t unaffordable ($80) and easy enough to load.  Even when I had a bit of trouble the tech support was friendly, patient and well spoken. Once the City Navigator software is loaded, you are, in theory, able to just plug in an address and it will do turn by turn on city streets, so it then basically becomes a car GPS as well, but more on the in theory part in a sec.

The cons, which took a while to really suss out, are a few, but one might consider them big.  First of all, in the age of touch screens it really takes a fairly long learning curve to figure out how to access each function.  The manual is useless, so I had to learn it from doing.  Eventually, I got it all down pat, but there were a few times in which I was just pushing buttons at random with no knowledge of how to repeat what I’d done.  It’s possible that a person coming from another hiker friendly GPS will find it easier, but I had only previously had experience with car GPSes that are pretty intuitive and simple.

Another major con, that took us until very recently to figure out, is that if you are traveling through many states (long distances), you have to load waypoints for much further along the route if you want it to work all that way.  To explain a bit clearer: On Wednesday night before we left last week, I loaded a route through the City Navigator software to get us from Madison, WI to Johnson Creek, WI.  It worked great.  It re-routed when we veered off track and followed us along.  The next morning though, I tried to simply enter in the address to take whatever it suggested to Delafield, WI but it couldn’t find it.  It also couldn’t find Milwaukee.  Strange, but I couldn’t be bothered to work it out just then because it was taking precious early morning/ cool riding minutes.

Turns out that since I hadn’t loaded a waypoint or a route for further along, it didn’t see that part of the world as existing.  I turned the GPS on to track our miles because the trip computer is very nice, but halfway there and suddenly it was just a pointy blue arrow floating in a checker board screen.

Lesson learned: load more than just a day’s worth of routes or waypoints in and it will load the maps and you can make changes along the way!

And lastly, the other big con is that since there is virtually no Garmin software out there that takes bikes into consideration, there is no way to route along a bike path.  Now, we’ve gotten great advice on other programs to use and we’ve confirmed that Adventure Cycling Association routes will load on as well, but we have yet to try anything else.  I think we’ll try Map My Ride or something else here as we head out from Evanston, IL towards Carmel, IN at the end of this week because the only way to get through Chicago is going to be on bike paths.  I’ll update my review at that point, but as of today, it’s a frustrating point.

In the end, it has great functions and I don’t regret it.  I think it’s the most adaptable device for what we need.  I love that it’s water and shock proof.  I love that it’s light and runs off simple batteries.  I love that it can do turn by turn and that it re-routes you even if you’ve programmed a route with the software and downloaded it.  I love that it’s pretty easy to download the routes once you get the hang of it too.

BUT, both Jessica and I really wish that it just had 3 or 4G capabilities and ran Google maps instead.  If someone were to just make a low power (ie: last forever), waterproof device that ran off Google bike routes instead, we’d immediately return this puppy without a second thought.  It’s better than pulling our phones out every turn and again, I think it’s the best choice for a bike tourist right now, but it just isn’t cutting it as an easy to use, fool proof router.  Anyone want to make that other device?

The Handlebar Dilemma

Sunday, August 7th, 2011 Posted by Rachel. Published under Bike Tour Preparations, Gear + Product Review. 8 Comments.

After riding nearly 50 miles this past weekend near my parent’s lake house in northern Wisconsin (Lac du Flambeau for those who want to Google map it), it was clear to me that I really couldn’t continue to ride with my bike with the drop handle bars (road bike bars).  Since I bought the bike used off Craigslist, it wasn’t fit perfectly to me.  The seller said the bike was too short for her and after trying to lengthen it with stem changes and whatnot, she just didn’t feel right on it.  Whether or not that’s true, I don’t know because the price was such a good deal I sometimes wonder if she was selling off her ex’s bike, but hey, it’s my bike now.

These are Drop Handlebars

The roads in northern Wisconsin are rough to say the least and the bumpy ride of about 20 miles exacerbated what was already a concern for me.  The bike was just too long of a reach for me and I was leaning too heavily on my hands.  Every time we hit mile 40 or so in the past months, I’ve started getting a sharp pain in my shoulder muscles going up to my neck.  On this past ride it went so far as to go down my right arm, causing the entire arm to ache.  I woke up the next morning with such sore palms and wrists that I knew I could no longer hope that the short and tall stem I’d found, or twisting up of the handlebars, or double wrapping with cushy tape was enough.

So on Sunday morning at noon, Jessica and I headed to my hometown of Verona’s lone bike shop, Atkin’s.  All I can do is sing their praises!  Dan, the owner, is incredibly sweet and energetic.  After a conversation in which he tried to see if I would possibly be interested in going with aero-bars (absolutely not), he showed me to their back store room and left me to dig through the bucket of spare handlebars they had lying around.  I picked out 5 or 6, nearly all of them albatross style to play with on my Bianchi.

Turns out we were there for 90 minutes testing, screwing, unscrewing, finding tape and gel pad, and waiting around to be checked out because they were pleasantly (for them) busy!  I was a bit worried at first chat with Dan that he’d be a bit snobbish like many bike shop workers are, but in the end he wanted me to feel as happy and comfortable as possible on my bike and allowing me to do my thing without feeling rushed was wonderful.

These are Albatross handlebars.

I rode my bike real quick just to test it out quick before spending the time wrapping it with tape and I’m very happy.  There are many schools of thought on how one should ride.  Dan felt that riding on the aero-bars was best for touring because it’s aerodynamic and completely relieves pressure from your hands while still not putting the full weight on your bum.  I feel, and Jessica too, that it’s still possible to be aerodynamic with a more upright handlebar set.  My neck and shoulders will likely agree with me.  I didn’t buy a Brooks Saddle to not reap the benefits of it, after all.

Overall, I think it just boils down to body and preference.  You can’t tour incorrectly because everyone has different issues.  I clearly can’t lean so hard on my hands and shoulders, but am willing to sacrifice speed and wind resistance to achieve that.  Maybe I’ll gain the core strength and shoulder strength so it won’t matter.  Maybe I should have just invested in gloves.  Maybe I did the right thing.  The only way to know is to test it out and I’m about to perform one really big test.

Update: As Jessica and I were about to head out for a nice ride into town it became immediately clear to me that there was a major problem.  My handlebar bag is too wide for me to install it while also keeping my cyclocross brakes in place.  I really am going to have to research how to fix this problem for myself because my front rack does not have a place for a top bag, nor do I want to keep my camera, wallet, maps, etc further than a short arms length away.  Anyone heard of a handlebar bag extender?

My gear is piling up!

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011 Posted by Rachel. Published under Bike Tour Preparations, Gear + Product Review. No Comments.

We still have quite a while until we leave (2.5 months) but now that I have all my panniers, I figured it might be a good idea to collect all the gear I have so far into one big pile. Then I can assess what I still need as well as pack it all up to start some training rides with packed panniers. Since I’m the least in-shape of our duo, any and all practice will help me. (Despite my loving Just Dance for the Wii, somehow I just don’t think it will cut it as a training workout. Heehee.)

Here’s the gear I have so far. Much of it Jessica and I will share, other parts are mine and mine alone.

Clothes:
3 nylon short sleeve shirts, 2 long sleeve base layer shirts, 1 fleece (which I can’t find), 1 rain jacket (which I also can’t find), 1 pair of rain pants, 1 pair of nylon convertable (they make shorts) pants, 1 pair of long john pants, 1 sports bra (still need another), 1 bathing suit, 3 pairs Smartwool (or off brand) socks, 3 pairs liner socks, 1 pair waterproof gloves and socks, 2 pairs bike shorts (one pair is capris), 1 pair sandals with pedal clips, and 1 pair of hiking boots.

I haven’t given much thought to underwear since one doesn’t wear them while wearing bike shorts, but I’ll need to bring a few pairs for the day hiking we’ll be doing. Smartwool makes some, but they’re expensive, so I might just bring some nylon ones if I can find some at the mall. I also need to assess what kind of pyjamas and campsite clothes I want to bring, but this will likely just come from my current stash.  Other than that, I think I’ve got the clothes settled!

Camp Gear:
1 Big Agnes Lulu sleeping bag and matching pad (it fits inside the bag in a special pouch), 1 Exped air pillow, 1 nylon sleeping bag liner, 1 large and 1 extra large compression sacks, 2 aluminum plates which will also serve as a skillet, 1 folding spatula, 1 egg holder (Jessica LOVES eggs and I’m sure I’ll crave the protein), 1 bathroom trowel, 1 first aid kit and 2 emergency blankets, 1 MSR 10 liter water sack, 1 Steripen, 1 set of iodine tablets, 1 emergency firestarter, 1 Energizer headlamp, 3 water bottles (which I also can’t find 2 of, but I think I might trade them for a Camelpak reservoir anyway), 1 Goal Zero solar charger, 2 journals, 1 pair prescription sunglasses, 1 pair reading glasses, 1 pair regular glasses, 1 REI camp towel, 1 compass, 1 Canon Rebel DSLR camera and lenses, and 1 REI day pack backpack.

Jessica has more cooking gear like our stove, the tent and other items like that. She also has a small point and shoot camera that also shoots HD footage that we’ll use as a second camera. Our video camera and all the editing equipment for the documentary is still being assembled because we’re currently raising funds to purchase it all, so that’s why you don’t see it pictured here.

Bike Gear:
1 tire pump, 2 – 17.5 liter rear panniers, 2 kitty litter bucket panniers, 1 Garmin GPSMap GPS with the CityNavigation plugin.

These are the only items pictured here since I haven’t attached them to my bike yet. I still need a front rack, but I do already have a Tubus rear rack. I also have bike lights although we don’t anticipate biking at night much. My sister gave me a compass/bike bell that I’ve already attached as well, but due to the fact that the compass always seems to point south no matter what direction we’re going, I don’t think I’ll be relying on it! I’ve also switched out my Brooks saddle recently to the B17S Imperial because the saddle that came with my bike originally came with was a men’s racing saddle. It wasn’t really broken in yet as far as I can tell, but my toes still went numb after about 30 minutes of riding, so I needed to try something different. So far, I love it and will be writing a full review soon!

All in all, I’d say I’m getting pretty close to being all set for the trip! We try very hard to purchase all our gear at REI too because their return policy means if I don’t like something, I don’t have to put up with it because otherwise, I’ve wasted money. And of course, please stay tuned for reviews!

Product Review: REI Stroke 19 Day Pack

Friday, June 3rd, 2011 Posted by Rachel. Published under Gear + Product Review. 1 Comment.

I know it’s Friday, not the best readership day. but we’ve negleted posting all week! We must wake up a bit.

We’re in Baton Rouge and New Orleans this weekend for a wedding and were able to try out our new day packs from REI as luggage. Turns out they are surprisingly roomy! Since its a wedding with many othe day and evening activities I needed many outfits. Not only did they all fit snuggly inside but I got my full toiletries, my Vibram 5 Fingers and my pjs inside. I barely even had to struggle to zip it closed!

In addition, it has hip strap pockets for easy access to things like my id for flying or snacks when hiking. The chest strap is adjustable and even has a whistle too.

My one beef is that the water bottle pockets aren’t big enough for my camelpak bottles. Just means I have to get a water resevoir instead. Jessica and I both think it will be perfect for riding and hiking this coming year. Overall I’m. Very pleased with the REI Stroke 19 day pack!

PS- Sorry for no links! I posted this from my phone!

Adding hiking to our bike trip

Monday, May 23rd, 2011 Posted by Jessica. Published under Bike Tour Preparations, Gear + Product Review, Mini-Adventure. No Comments.

After taking the Boston Appalachian Mountain Club hiking class and going on the weekend trips, Rachel and I have realized that we need to stop thinking about our bike trip as simply a bike trip across the country, and more as a biking AND hiking trip.  In accumulating gear for our trip over the past year, we read up on other bike touring blogs for what to buy.  One of the first purchases we made were Keen cycling sandals, thinking they’d be great for both cycling and hiking.  Rachel learned the hard way on one of our hiking trips that while they’re a great trail shoe, actual hiking provides the fun of slippery-sweaty feet and no ankle support.  Neither of us want to risk hurting ourselves on the trip in exchange for lighter panniers, so now it looks like we’ll be bringing these sandals AND hiking boots.

Going on day hikes also requires bringing some sort of pack for you to carry your lunch, rain jacket, headlamp, etc in.  I bought the tiny 9-liter REI Stroke 9 backpack, figuring it was small enough to fit in a pannier or even wear while biking for extra hydration, since it can fit a 2-liter Camelback bladder; but also big enough to stuff a rolled-up rain jacket and trail food in.  So far on the hikes I’ve been on I’ve definitely had the smallest pack on the trail, but I’ve managed to fit everything that I needed in it.  Rachel’s purchased the slightly larger 19-liter REI Stroke 19 backpack, figuring she can stow it across her rear bike rack while she’s not hiking.  Rachel has yet to pick her’s up from REI (since she ordered it online and had it shipped to the store), so I’m not sure yet if I’ll be jealous of the extra space she’ll have or be glad that I can wear mine as a hydration pack comfortably while cycling.

Other than the shoes and the backpacks, the rest of our gear is roughly the same for biking and hiking.  Smartwool socks are excellent for both, and I’ve learned while hiking that my cycling jersey does the job at wicking sweat on the trail as well.  We both have a pair of convertible trail pants, figuring they’ll be handy on and off the trail while we’re not hiking.  Layering while avoiding cotton works the same as well at retaining warmth.  Rain jacket, rain pants, gloves, all the same.  Who knew bike touring and hiking could go hand-in-hand so comfortably?

Product Review: Expresso Stationary Bikes

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011 Posted by Rachel. Published under Gear + Product Review. 2 Comments.

About a year ago, I joined a gym off of a very good deal and the feeling that I needed to work on re-building up my quads. I lost significant muscle mass on my quads when I had my snowboarding accident and whaddyaknow, simply walking around and going snowboarding a few times a year didn’t bring it back.

But it turns out, I don’t really like anything but riding the bikes. I like it enough to keep going though, and the steam room and whirlpool always helps. But I switched locations last week because a new branch opened.

To my surprise, I spotted these cool looking bikes while on my first ride there. On Saturday, I sat down on one of them and signed in as a guest. Yes, they have the ability to have accounts.

They track your progress and you can race against yourself or others. There are programed tours in lots of different landscapes and even computer bunnies and squirrels. Best of all, there’s mechanical gears and steering, so I was definitely engaged.

I signed up for an account Saturday night on my home computer and went back Sunday. And I can’t wait to go back again and again. What better way to prep for a bike tour than on a virtual one? Especially on a bike that challenges me to do better and work harder. My race times were significantly slower than the top numbers, but hey! I’ve got to start somewhere!

If I had to complain about one thing, it would be the seat. A Brooks saddle it is not. I’ll be breaking out the padded shorts my parents for Christmas gave me asap.

So, if you’re a bike tour enthusiast but stuck indoors this winter or in a location that doesn’t offer long rides often, the Expresso bikes could be a great alternative. I’m pretty sure I saw a century in the programmed tours! Their website offers a “Find a Bike Near You” option, by the way.

Here’s to enjoying the gym! (When you can’t get outside that is.)

Product Review: Smartwool.

Thursday, January 20th, 2011 Posted by Rachel. Published under Gear + Product Review. No Comments.

If you aren’t immediately bored with my post by now then you need to stop reading and go to an REI (or outdoors store or I’ve even seen them at regular shoe stores) and just buy a pair of Smartwool socks already.  I’m serious.  Stop. Reading. Go.

Anyway, I’m going to keep this short and sweet because I think most of our readers are out there trekking around in Smartwool socks already because they’re in on the secret.  Basically, these socks are made with an ingenious knit fabric combination that means they wick away moisture, dry at sonic speeds and are temperature regulators.  I’ve got three pairs and counting – two off-brand pairs but still excellent and one actual Smartwool pair.

Here’s my proof:

For the ten plus years I’ve been skiing and snowboarding I have struggled to keep my toes warm and from slipping around inside my boots.  I’ve tried several layers, I’ve tried those “snowboarding specific” socks, I’ve tried tights, I’ve tried ones with individual toes, but nothing really kept them warm and dry and snug in the boot.

For the first time this past weekend, I went snowboarding with a single layer of one of the off-brand pairs.  What a difference.  No slippery feet, no damp-from-sweat feet, and my toes were so far from being cold that I literally had to think about whether they were even a smidgen cold standing there on the mountain.  And to top it off, I had already worn the pair a few times to work and around the apartment, meaning they weren’t the most fresh pair when I took them out there!  They don’t even really smell now…  Ingenious.

And this is why adventurers the world over will agree with me that Smartwool (or ones made in the same way) are the only option for them and us here at Against the Grind.  I can’t wait to try them in summer to see how cool they keep my feet by wicking away my sweat!

As a final note, I was just browsing their website and it turns out Smartwool is owned by Timberland, which I happen to know is a very eco-conscious company!  See the CEO himself tell you how here!

Product Review: Women’s Tivoli Sorel snow boots

Thursday, January 13th, 2011 Posted by Jessica. Published under Bike Tour Preparations, Gear + Product Review. No Comments.

Being from Tennessee, it’s taken me a few years to learn how to dress appropriately for the winter. My first year of college in upstate New York, I wore my Sketchers tennis shoes all winter– wondering why my feet were soaking wet and uncomfortable all the time from walking through two feet of snow. By spring, those shoes were covered in holes from the salt eating away at the fabric.

By my second year of college, I wised up a bit and dropped about $20 on a cheap pair of waterproof hiking boots. I’d spray them with leather waterproofing each winter, and they worked like a charm. Five years later, the soles finally started to crack this winter and even walking through wet pavement was making my feet soaked. It was time to get new boots.

While milling around Harvard Square with Rachel one night a few weeks ago, we walked into a shoe boutique called The Tannery. I pretty much always hate shopping for anything fashion-related and wasn’t planning on buying anything– in fact, we only went in there because Rachel wanted to look at cowboy boots. However, when I saw the Tivoli Sorel snow boots with the funky laces, I absolutely loved the look of them. “Try them on!” Rachel said (she HATED my old boots). But I was reluctant because they looked too fashionable– the upper part of the shoe is made of fabric and I thought they wouldn’t insulate my feet or keep water out. That’s when Rachel informed me that Sorel is a “pretty rugged” brand, and pointed out that the tag on the shoe said it was 100% waterproof.

Long story short: I tried them on, loved them, bought them, wore them out of the store, and threw my old hiking boots away in a trashcan in Harvard Square (they were way too cracked on the soles for Goodwill, even).

After riding my bike in these snow boots every day since I bought them, as well as spending two hours yesterday shoveling Rachel’s car out of Boston’s latest snowpocalypse, I can assure anyone considering buying these boots that they are:

Here I am, modeling my Tivoli Sorel snow boots while I'm about to dig out Rachel's car!

1. Extremely comfortable. I bought half a size up from my normal shoe size, and I’d say that was an excellent decision.  Whether I’m wearing thin socks or thick socks, these shoes feel great.  The break-in time was maybe two days– and I never got any blisters.
2. Very warm. While riding my bike on even the windiest of nights, the wind doesn’t cut through at all– even though I have my pants tucked into the shoes while I’m riding (so the chain doesn’t rip my pants off on Mass Ave).
3. 100% waterproof. That little tag didn’t lie!  I don’t know what the upper fabric is infused with, but I’ve worn these boots through three feet of snow and haven’t had my feet feel wet or cold yet.
4. Great on ice. I was nervous about buying snow boots instead of hiking boots because I worried the soles wouldn’t be as grippy as hiking boots.  I’m so glad I was wrong!  These Sorels are actually grippier than my other hiking boots.  I haven’t slid or slipped once!
5. Pretty cool looking. At least Rachel and I think so (or at least Rachel thinks they look much better than my old hiking boots).

So there you have it, folks.  If you’re on the market for some new snow boots, consider the Tivoli Sorels.  I don’t think I’ll be bringing them on our bike tour (too bulky, unfortunately), but I’ll definitely be bike commuting in them for many winters to come.