MiniMatt
09-07-08, 04:29 PM
I'm quite pragmatic about safety gear really. I want the best, but I want to know why it's the best. And I won't be swung on most expensive = safest.
Anyway, bike boots. For the last ten years or so I've had a pair of HG own brand bike boots. They've seen me through perhaps a dozen crashes. They're nothing special, no armour as such, a bit of padding round the ankle is all.
A little while back I had to shift a mate's bike back from the garage and kinda had to bodge the safety gear. Thankfully most of his gear fitted me, but his freaky feet meant that his boots never would. So I went in my DMs. Tucked the laces in for obvious reasons. And they were so unbelievably comfy on the bike I was amazed. I suspect most of this was down to the heel on the DMs being quite substantial and making up for my diminutive stature whereas my bike boots are quite flat.
Anyway, got to thinking, what makes my bike boots "safe" and the DMs "bad"? Ankle protection is arguably better on my DMs, the strength of the sole also makes them far more resistant to lateral crushing, and the rigid leather upper makes them moderately more resistant to vertical crushing. The only thing they're missing is shin protection, but then the shin protection on my bike boots is just a sheet of leather, no armour as such. And abrasion resistance for shins and calves is better covered by leather trousers. Barring the issue with laces (tuck 'em in if you want to keep your toes), I was left thinking that DMs are definitely more comfy and quite possibly safer than my bike boots. How can that be? What am I missing?
And assuming I've missed something significant, any recommendations for boots that are all day comfy to walk in as well as ride? Is there such a thing?
Anyway, bike boots. For the last ten years or so I've had a pair of HG own brand bike boots. They've seen me through perhaps a dozen crashes. They're nothing special, no armour as such, a bit of padding round the ankle is all.
A little while back I had to shift a mate's bike back from the garage and kinda had to bodge the safety gear. Thankfully most of his gear fitted me, but his freaky feet meant that his boots never would. So I went in my DMs. Tucked the laces in for obvious reasons. And they were so unbelievably comfy on the bike I was amazed. I suspect most of this was down to the heel on the DMs being quite substantial and making up for my diminutive stature whereas my bike boots are quite flat.
Anyway, got to thinking, what makes my bike boots "safe" and the DMs "bad"? Ankle protection is arguably better on my DMs, the strength of the sole also makes them far more resistant to lateral crushing, and the rigid leather upper makes them moderately more resistant to vertical crushing. The only thing they're missing is shin protection, but then the shin protection on my bike boots is just a sheet of leather, no armour as such. And abrasion resistance for shins and calves is better covered by leather trousers. Barring the issue with laces (tuck 'em in if you want to keep your toes), I was left thinking that DMs are definitely more comfy and quite possibly safer than my bike boots. How can that be? What am I missing?
And assuming I've missed something significant, any recommendations for boots that are all day comfy to walk in as well as ride? Is there such a thing?