Old Guy Purchasing Decisions

Out with the old -

In with the new.

Buying a new pairs of shoes usually isn't much of an event, however, things change a bit when you're only weeks away from your 65th birthday and you're talking bicycling shoes. The top pair has been in Washington, both the state and the District of Columbia, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. I've got no idea how many miles I've put on them but it was time for a new pair. 

I like mountain bike shoes because they have a stiff sole for cycling but you can still walk around in them off the bike. I don't use toe clips or SPD clips or anything. My touring bike has old "rat trap" pedals and the mountain bike has a pair of Wellgo platform pedals with some nubs on them to keep your feet from sliding off. My "go-fast" road bike has some nice MKS pedals, but again, no clips of any kind. So all I really need are shoes that fit, have a stiff sole, and be able to walk around in them comfortably.

The kicker comes when you're my age and you've already had the "infarto". The chances of me taking any more 500 mile bicycling trips are pretty slim. That being the case, do I even need cycling shoes? I could probably get by with most any kind of foot wear at the mileages I'm inclined to ride at this stage of my life. I used to ride all over hell's half acre when I was a kid in my Red Ball Jets or Chuck's and it never bothered me. Hell, I didn't even know there was such a thing as bicycling specific shoes. Anyway, I went ahead and bought the new pair because one, I can, and two, because it'll probably be the last pair I ever need to buy. 

I need to make the same decision on my ice skates also. One of the blades has come loose from the boot. Do I spring for a new pair? I gave all my hockey stuff to the Goodwill, so no more of that. If I go skating twice a winter for the next ten years, it's about a toss up between the price of a cheap pair of hockey skates or renting a pair whenever I go skating. If I buy a pair at least I can be sure of them lasting a lifetime. My old pal Joey used to joke about never even buying green bananas at his age. The poor bastard croaked at 42. Funny how age changes your perspective on life.