Chapter 2: To Clip In or Not to Clip In? (But that's not really the question)

This trip is costing me a small fortune! I thought I had everything covered when I was told I should absolutely "clip in" or use clipless pedals and bike shoes with SPD cleats. "Well I was under the impression I was ready but what's one more investment," I thought. Apparently I definitely wasn't, according to my bike shop, because I overlooked one major aspect of cycling. So I bought the pedals (duel sided of course) and installed them. They look and feel beautiful but I haven't clipped in yet.

Not only was this little addition just another thing I had to purchase, and hopefully worth every penny (as I'm told), but deciding on what shoes to go with the pedals was an absolute torment! I tossed and turned for days, narrowing it down to 2 different pairs and finally made Zack choose for me because I just couldn't handle the pressure. (By the way, Zack is my riding partner that I met on Adventure Cycling.)

The dilemma for us both is that we are pretty set on not bringing two pairs of sneakers (weight, weight, weight!). Hence, we need a hiking shoe that's SPD compatible for biking. This is pretty hard to find considering bike shoes are narrow and stiff through the sole, especially road bike shoes, which does not permit your foot to move easily and naturally while walking, however while pedaling you really don't want that range of movement. Apparently it will make your life miserable biking 50 miles a day, 6 days a week. Enter: a HUGE dilemma and definitely the hardest decision that I didn't make thus far! So hopefully the Keen Spring Water II, a mountain bike shoe designed to hike up rough terrain, will be the right choice. It better be, because I ordered them yesterday. The only downside is that they are a little heavy, weighing in at over 2 lbs. but that's the price you pay for glamour when you don't want to look like a nerd walking around in ugly road bike shoes.

47 days to go! Next time I go on a bike tour it better be a much cheaper venture. I'll update you when I fall off my bike after clipping in for the first time.