new stuff

It's been kind of slow around here at Riding With Dogs. We've had alot of thunderstorms plus my busy work schedule has left me with little ride time and the dogs with little trail running. You know whenever you buy a new bike it always seems to rain for a week straight leaving you stuck in the house just staring at your new steed anxious to hit the trails and break it in proper like but you can't. Well I don't have a new ride hanging in the bike room but I did buy a new pair of riding shoes, some new gloves and a new camera to replace the one Melinda and I trashed at the beach. That must be the reason for all the rain. I was really due for a new pair of shoes, the ones I've been using were on their 4th season and were on the verge of falling apart. I've had my eye on a pair of Shimanos for some time and I've put off purchasing any because I just couldn't justify spending the extra money right now with all the traveling we've done. Melinda has been harassing me to get a new pair and instead of waiting on me to go for it she bought them for me as an early Father's Day gift from the dogs. Yes the dogs give Mother & Father's Day gifts. They're usually not as expensive as a new pair of shoes but I really needed them.

For the past 3 years I've been using Mechanics brand gloves for riding in. I've found a style that has worked well for me and is a little more durable and cheaper than most of the gloves I've looked at in the shops around town. Shoes and gloves are 2 things I will not order online unless I'm sure about the fit so I'm sometimes limited to my choices. I've been on the look out for a new pair of gloves but the style I've been using has been out of stock at my Lowes and all of the gloves my local shops are stocking seem to be thin, flimsy and expensive. I was getting close to start an online search for gloves when I met the US General Manager for Endura, a cycling clothing co. out of Scotland. None of the shops in my area carry Endura products but I'd seen there stuff first about a year ago in several cycling magazines and most recently Dirt Rag did a review on some of their shorts. I do own a pair of their 3/4 pants which are very nice for riding in in all conditions. Anyway back to my story, Melinda and I were on a ferry in the Outer Banks on our way back from Ockracoke and I had been wandering around the ferry checking out all the boat that were passing us. As we approached the shore I headed back to my truck and went around to the back to check on the dogs when the guy parked behind us got out of his truck, approached me and started up a conversation about cycling. I guess he saw the back window of my truck which is covered with bike stickers and he introduced himself as the GM of Endura for the US which I thought was totally cool. I told him I had the Humvee 3/4 pants and loved them and that's when he gave me him card and told me to send him an email and he would send me a pair of gloves. What perfect timing, as soon as we got back in town I sent him an email with my size and my appreciation. Two days ago my friendly Fed-Ex man dropped off a package for me containing one pair of Singletrack gloves.

In my email I hinted around that I was a fan of full finger gloves trying not to be demanding especially since they were free. At first glance I was impressed with them, although they were not as heavy duty as my Mechanics brand gloves they fit snug and comfortable. I've yet to try them out other than in my kitchen, not as oven mitts just practicing my runway moves. As soon as Mother Nature cooperates I plan to put them to the real test out on the trails.

I would have posted real time pics of the new gloves and shoes but like I said before we trashed our camera and the new one is still in the box waiting to be set-up. Hopefully I will find myself on the trail by this weekend with Melinda and the dogs to test out all the new equipment that is lying around the house patiently until it's called into service.