When I opened the package and first saw it -- bright yellow -- I laughed. It reminded me so much of the greaves of a medieval knight, or even better, of a cast for a broken tibia. Although I've often thought that puttees should make a comeback to protect one's pants while riding in dirty conditions, this thing seemed in comparison to the old fashioned metal spring "trouser clips" that used to hang by the cash register at every bike shop huge overkill, yet compared to puttees or spats they are too short to protect more than your ankles. I debated between "insufficient" and "overkill" and finally decided on the latter. You don't, I thought, need something this elaborate to keep your pants out of your chain.
But
I did try it. I often ride the 7-8 miles to church in civilian clothes,
and recently I've been wearing a $16 pair of Target "khakis" made from
nylon. Don't laugh; they look better than they sound, and they are much
more comfortable in the saddle because they don't bind and chafe as
cotton khakis do. They have 80% of the looks and none of the discomfort.
The nylon is well woven and sturdy; it doesn't pill, and it doesn't
bag. And they cost $16.
But the fabric has a
more slippery hand than cotton twill, and my trouser clips slip off
after a mile or less. The reflective ankle band supplied by the same
company, which I used on my left leg, slipped off after 1 1/2 mile. But
the Leg Shield stayed on. And, the Leg Shield was easier to attach: its
tall and full shape helps gather the fabric when you strap it in place.
I
rode 7 miles to church via our sandy acequia (irrigation ditch) roads
-- this is NW Albuquerque, where the pre-Colombian and Hispanic-era
irrigation system diverting water from the Rio Grande is still very much
in use, with the ancient water laws still in place under the
independent water authority. The system of ditches and sluices extends
the length of the state and, in the Albuquerque area, I've read that
there are some 600 miles of acequias an associated paths and roads.
The
Leg Shield went on easily, without having to fight to fold the fabric
underneath; it stayed in place for the distance; and it kept even slight
traces of acequia trail dust off my hems. It does work. I ordered a
second from Amazon. Black, this time.
The
company's ankle bands are wholly undistinguished; you can find those
things anywhere. I didn't even bother with the wrist band, after at
first trying to attach it as an ankle band and wondering why it was so
short. But the Leg Shield, as risible as it is, is worth at least a
look.
So there you have it, folks. Big thanks to Patrick for classing up the joint, teaching me the very apt word "greaves" (praise be to my MFA, I already knew "risible"), and making me wonder how I've thrown words at this blog for so long without finding an excuse to mention sluices.
So there you have it, folks. Big thanks to Patrick for classing up the joint, teaching me the very apt word "greaves" (praise be to my MFA, I already knew "risible"), and making me wonder how I've thrown words at this blog for so long without finding an excuse to mention sluices.
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