Yo P. Lynn Miller,
Ya know, there have been plenty options discussed and the topic has opened a little wide but perhaps the best option would be to put yourself in my shoes - literally !!!!!
http://homepage.mac.com/
Im thinking you need only follow the sun north along the shoreline for
a few minutes. We is neighbours ;)
Detto Pietro touring shoes and Adidas E. M. Comp (black and white)
spoken here, soon to be joined by Avocet's
http://ebay.com/
We ride the same roads, and from my perspective there is little point in using traditional cycling shoes, modern or classic. I like to have the comfort of not having to take my shoes off just to go toe to toe with that idiot in the 2 tonne 4 wheel drive that just cut me off and is wanting to square up because my elbow just happened to take out his side mirror at the next set of lights. I choose my shoes with the ethos & elan of cycling tradition but with "touring" practicality & comfort. I'll find you some shoes that look right and work well. Oh yeah ..... Bring some o'dat 650b stuff round !!!!!
Ummm ... pardon me asking but is you a man or a woman? not that it matters of course but I might need to tidy up a little bit and nip out for some more Rum (just kidding ... I think?)
ciao,
Ben Kamenjas Urban paradise, in a country down south where one is free to buy Havana Club (not that it's that good, but it's nice to be able to have the option, plus the label is cool and I won't be sent off to Gitmo Bay for saying so)
true story: nyc - corner of 14th St and 6th Ave back in about '97. Taxi driver at last minute swerves across two lanes to turn right. sreeching brakes, pedestrian, stops ...... Cyclist, big guy, dreads, bianchi fixie, legs the size of tree stumps, traditional shoes with cleats, clip and strap pedals. going way to fast on the inside lane and with nowhere to go clips the front right front corner of taxi head on, goes sailing, crashes hard, one foot still in pedal. hustle bustle stops, total silence for a few seconds before cyclist starts swearing, and I mean swearing. he gets out of pedal, taco'ed wheel, inspects lost skin on elbow, wrist and along whole leg. more swearing. people start helping him and asking if OK. more swearing, waddles duck like over to cab drivers door, more swearing, now gesturing, and slamming fist on cab roof before making it obvious that he wishes the driver come out so they can resolve this issue, up close, one on one. cab driver starts screaming, gesticulating, swearing but in what i assume an indian language as he is wearing a traditional style sikh turban and flowing garb. crowd still silent, now in disbelief as they witness the cab driver open the taxi door and up the ante for volume and what i assume is swearing in his mother language. bike rider now fuming and really mad, incensed, rage, getting serious, no more swearing and animated body language, decisively starts taking off his cleated cycling shoes for what I assume means he is ready to fight. first laces undone, then hopping as he slips off one shoe, then the other, crowd now 5 or 6 deep in a 20 meter diameter all around the cyclist and cab driver. cab driver looking at cyclist, slightly confused, but then starts mimicking cyclist in that he also starts taking off his shoes. a millisecond pause that seemed like an hour before cyclist starts laughing, first softly then out aloud, followed by a few in the crowd, then more and then the cab driver even more confused, stops and starts laughing too, nervously but not sure why. that air of rage and electricity is now gone, people start drifting away, the noise and din of the city picks up again. the cyclist and cab driver walk over to each other, both apologetic, both concerned. cyclist shows wounds, cab driver picks up bike, water bottle, and cyclists shoes - notes the funny shaped attachment on bottom of sole, penny drops, smiles. puts bike in trunk of taxi, brings out towel to lay on passenger seat for now bleeding cyclist to sit on. they drive off, the city carries on, new york moment.