#summerbiking

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summer essentials!

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SnackPack

Played hooky and biked out to the Morton Arboretum in Glen Ellyn.

eat: cheese sandwich crackers, dates with almonds, tacos from bullhead, copious amounts of water

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Mt. Bridgeport At Dusk

Gotta make the most of summer, gotta make it last.

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These ladies are clever and adorable!

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Starved Rock Camping

My trip in 3 photos:

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Jelly Shoe Zeitgeist

Ladies, I figured it out.

Most spring/summers, I wear my cheapie Target plimsolls all day every day. They are mad comfortable after a day or two of wearing in, protect my toes from the ravages of the road, and look cute when paired with socks, booty shorts, or summer dresses.

My only complaint is that they are useless when it comes to spring showers and summer thunderstorms. I've tried waxing them, spraying them, wash-in DWR, even just praying to the Weather Gods whenever I skip out. I always return with squishy, rain sodden shoes.

I see other bike gals [and guys] wearing galoshes, but the idea of wearing sweaty rain boots on a humid 85 degree bike ride gives me PTSD-style flashbacks to high-school-locker-room-sweaty-funk-funk, knowwhatimean?

Then one day last month, my sister wench ever so casually mentioned jelly shoes and I became OBSESSED WITH THE IDEA THAT JELLY SHOES WERE THE ANSWER TO MY RAIN SHOE PRAYERS. I mean, they are inherently water proof!

And so the great jelly shoe round up of 2014 ended with this holy grail* of rainy day bike shoes:

Seriously though, ladies, these are perfect. They cover my toes so I never hurt them by accidentally kicking my spokes or squashing them against my cages and have enough cut outs to allow for [foot] breathing. And while my feet do get a little wet in the rain, the shoes do not hold water and my feet dry off really fast once I arrive at my destination.

I've walked/biked through some heavy rain, light drizzles, and day-after puddles, and these shoes deliver dry feet every single time, HIGH FIVE!!!

*If you're interested in these particular shoes, do know that they come scented like a peculiar rubbery berry wine cooler, or like fruit scented erasures from grade school. Also I sized down because they ran a little big.

Where to Buy: Modcloth, American Apparel, Asos