As a contrarian who’s contrary for contrarianism’s sake, I take great pains to eschew and deride the whole gravel bike thing while at the same time riding a bicycle with drop bars and ample tire clearance…
…and regularly steering it onto trails and pathways surfaced with Very Small Rocks:
Also, while I may be a resolute contrarian, I am also a devout schnorrer, which preempts any and all other moral codes to which I may or may not adhere. That’s why when Pearl Izumi reached out and asked me if I wanted an entire graveling outfi- I said yes before they could even type that last “t.”
You already know what a bulbous external-bearing crank looks like on a lugged steel bicycle, and a modern technical garment like the Men’s Attack Long Sleeve Jersey on a bulbous, bearded crank yields a similar effect:
I admit I feel a little funny wearing something called an “Attack” jersey when the only thing I’m attacking these days is lunch. Nevertheless, it was quite comfortable on a ride that started in the 50s and ended in the 70s (that’s degrees American, not decades), and more importantly it doesn’t say “PNS” on it, and so I will certainly putting it into the rotation–though I should note that those are not the shorts they sent me with the graveling outfit, those are shorts that came with an earlier Pearl Izumi graveling outfit I received.
Basically, when dressing for gravel, the idea is to look like a rolling topographical map.
Oh, and by the way, they even sent me shoes:
As I’ve mentioned, I’ve been more than pleased with the “All Road” shoes, which you can currently get for $66.50:
But I’m also a schnorrer, which automatically makes me a shoe whore:
And yes, the Expedition Pro shoe is in fact made with whore’s piss, which made accepting a pair a no-brainer:
[Actually I guess it’s pronounced more like “Whore’s Pissed.”]
The first thing I noticed when I looked at the shoes on the Pearl Izumi site was that they use a Boa (sorry, BOA®) closure. I admit I’ve always been scared of Boa closures, for the simple reason that when they first came out I was riding someone whose fancy new Boa shoe failed (the “lace” snapped as I seem to recall), and so ever since then I’ve always avoided them. But apparently the system is repairable (not like you want to have to do that mid-ride), and more importantly Pearl Izumi was giving me the shoes, so this was more than sufficient to override any Boa-related apprehension I may have had.
The most important test of a gravel shoe is whether or not you can stand on gravel without falling down, and I’m pleased to report that you can:
As for the sole, it’s got crabon, which if you think about it basically means you’re riding a crabon bicycle:
Anyway, I used the shoes all weekend on two different bikes (same feet, though), and so far I like them a lot:
Obviously it’s a racy shoe which means it’s light and stiff with a low profile as opposed to the “All Road” which has more padding and is quite a bit more walkable–though even a stiff, racy recessed-cleat shoe is way more walkable than a three-bolt road bike shoe. Basically, when it comes to clipping-in-type cycling shoes, there are three levels of walkability:
- You’re not getting off the bike at all, except for possibly clomping into a bathroom or a café
- You don’t want to get off the bike if you can possibly avoid it, but you might have to in order to walk a section of trail or Jesus-carry your bike
- You know you will be walking–to board a train, to shop in a store, to hang out for awhile after a ride–and you don’t want to be uncomfortable or slip in the bathroom or unnecessarily wear out the lugs of your fancy carbon shoes
These are the middle one, and the All Road shoes are the last one.
All of this in turn raises the question of: “Clipless pedals…why!?!”
There are people who feel very strongly about clipless pedals: some people insist on being clipped in at all times, and some people think the whole thing is completely stupid. I happen to like clipless pedals and flat pedals equally. Sometimes I want to be dressed head-to-toe in stuff that’s designed entirely for cycling and any other use is an afterthought, including accessing your own parts in order to use the bathroom. Other times I enjoy nothing more than riding around in a t-shirt and sneakers or sandals (and shorts or pants, obviously, it’s not like I’m out there Donald Ducking it). Clipless pedals are by no means essential to the enjoyment of cycling, and there’s no reason for anybody who has no interest in them to ever bother with them, despite that person you know who’s been riding for eight whole months and won’t shut up about them. (Though I’d argue there is a reason for people who will only go clipless to loosen their sphincters and ride in sneakers once in awhile. I mean, get over it already.) At the same time it can feel good to wear a sporty shoe designed specifically for cycling, and while I happen to think people generally make way too much about sole stiffness, a lightweight shoe that dries quickly and can be adjusted while you’re riding and that doesn’t rub your crank can be a real benefit depending on what or how you’re riding.
The only thing I really don’t get is SPD sneakers, since it seems like you’re getting the worst of both worlds. That is to say…
So once you’re using those why not just go all the way and use normal sneakers? Sneakers are fantastic for cycling–at least until it rains and your feet stay wet for the next two weeks. But I do realize that for a certain person a clip-in shoe that is outwardly indistinguishable from a sneaker is the ultimate fantasy. (And yes, fixie riders need the foot retention, so for the urban cyclists still doing that whole thing it does make sense.)
But so far I find the Whore’s Pissed shoe to be light and comfortable and a good match for a racy-type bike is my point. As for the Boa closure, certainly I can’t say anything about durability yet, but it was certainly easy to get the shoe-tightness just right, and I get why people like it so much. But wear whatever you want, I really don’t care…though I’d advise against going barefoot:
That just seems painful.