Afternoon Ride

Today's ride was decent.  I bundled up like I did Saturday, except this time, I was sporting the Castelli Narcisista Shoecover I wrote about yesterday.  I was out on the bike for about 43 minutes, average speed of about 15.4mph, average cadence of 83rpm for about 11.23 miles and an average heart rate of about 142.  The stats should serve as a good baseline, I can only improve from here.  I'd like to get some more power in my pedaling, increase my speed and bike endurance, but that will all come with practice.  I may also think about replacing my stock saddle with a new one, and see if the folks at Conte's think I should get refitted since I have clip on aero bars.  Not sure if it was the cold or my position, but I felt a little tense in the shoulder and neck area while down in aero position.  I'm thinking it might be the cold, since I've been down in aero position before without many issues, during the summer.

Back to the Castelli Narcisista Shoecovers.  I definitely noticed a difference wearing the shoecovers while riding.  I was out for 10-15 minutes longer than I was out on Saturday, and my toes felt much warmer.  They were protected from the wind, and the shoecover was insulated, keeping the feet warm.  The Castelli's not only work well, but they look great too.  My only issue with it is, the reflector piece on the heel already started to rip, because you have to stretch the shoecover to get it on and over the shoe.  It is a tiny rip, and I probably won't try to get it exchanged, since I feel like it is inevitable.  But for the price you pay for the shoecovers, I would expect them to be more resilient from damage.  The Castelli shoecovers will set you back anywhere from $50 to $70.  The range for shoecovers can fall anywhere between $20 to $100, take your pick.  You can find cheaper ones, but you can definitely tell the difference in design, craftsmanship, and material.  The more expensive ones I saw, had what felt like a soft leathery material on the outside.  Another alternative to shoecovers are toe covers, instead of covering the entire foot, the insulated toe covers would keep the toes warm and protect them from the wind.  Happy riding!