Shoe Review: Hoka Bondi 3

After a lot of procrastination and 196 miles, I thought it was about time to review the Hoka Bondi 3s. When I first read about the new uppers on the 3s and the fact that it made the shoe a bit lighter, I was excited to give them a go. I went with the coral version.

Hoka decided to go with their new lacing system on these, but they did throw in a pair of regular laces for those who aren't fans. I changed out the laces just after taking these pictures. The other big change was the uppers. The sole felt just like the original Bondi Bs (read my review) to me.

Women's Size 7.5 (no insoles) = 8.5 ounces

Hoka Bondi B Size 8 Women's (without insole) = 7.4 ounces

Hoka Kailua Tarmac Size 7.5 Women's (without insole) = 7.5 ounces

Well, hmmmm, those new Bondi 3s appear to be a full ounce heavier the my old Bondi Bs. I'm not exactly sure where I read they would be lighter, but this was disappointing.

Bondi B vs. Bondi 3 vs. Hoka Kailua Tarmac

The new upper was supposed to make the shoe more durable, and from what I can tell with almost 200 miles on them, it has done just that. I can wash the shoe, and it looks basically brand new. The other thing the new upper did was make the shoe feel a bit larger because it just isn't as thick as the old Bondi upper. Unfortunately there was another side effect of this new upper. After putting 20 training miles on the shoes, I took them for a spin at the Georgia Marathon and wound up with a slight bruise on the top of my foot near my ankle due to the stiffness of the material. It must have softened a bit with miles as I had no bruises after the Delaware Marathon, but I still was not loving them.

I noticed the uppers on the Hoka Conquest felt stiff as well after a test run at a local running store in March. That is one of the reasons I went with the Bondi 3 over the Conquest. While the material has softened enough so that it does not cause any more bruising, it still feels a lot less comfy than those old Bondis on my feet. If I could go back and buy a pair of the originals, I would.

What to do, what to do. It appears that Hoka is starting to use this material on most of the new shoes being released. Since these shoes are Hokas, I shouldn't have to purchase a new pair for quite a few more miles. I'm just not excited about buying another pair with this new, stiff upper material. Part of the reason I was dragging my feet on writing this review was because I really wanted to like these shoes as much as the old ones. Truth is, I don't. I'm scoping out the new Altra Paradigms for my next purchase, but the colors in the women's model are ... well ... ick. I just can't do it. Hopefully by the time these wear out, Altra will release some new colors or maybe Hoka will make an adjustment on the upper material. Believe me, this was not the review I was hoping to write.

Shoe Review: Hoka Kailua Trail

I picked up a pair of Kailua Trail shoes at Running Warehouse for $99 during a sale. I wasn't in the market for a Stinson Evo Trail (review) replacement, but I decided $30 off made them worth a try. While I like the Stinson Evo for trail running, I always felt like the tread offered a little less than what I expected as far as grip. I got that impression after running in the Mafates (review) which didn't fit me overly well but gripped the ground like nobody's business. After having these shoes for a few months, I finally got a chance to take them out on trails that weren't completely ice and snow covered.

Before I did that, I managed to get a few shots of them:

A tale of 3 Hokas: Kailua Tarmac, Kailua Trail, Bondi B (1)

Women's Size 7.5 (no insoles) = 7.7 ounces
Kailua Tarmac = 7.5 ounces
Bondi Bs = 7.4 ounces
Stinson Evo Tarmacs = 8.8 ounces 
trail Stinson Evos = 9 ounces
Mafate 2 = 10 ounces

Trail - left  : Tarmac - right

I just wore the Kailua Tarmacs in the El Paso marathon so I assumed a long trail run in a brand new pair of Trails should be just fine.  Just like the Tarmac version, I removed the thin little insole and replaced them with a pair of regular insoles. Just in case, I did throw my Stinsons into the back of my car. I headed over to meet my favorite Marathon Manic for an easy long run, but our first few steps onto the trail made it obvious this was going to be a little harder than anticipated. Part of the trail had a significant amount of mud and other parts were covered in slushy ice. There were some parts that were in absolutely perfect shape which made this a great trail shoe test course. The front of the Kailua Trails have a toe guard which was a good thing as I managed to kick something sticking out of the ground. I kept myself upright, and my toe didn't get hurt thanks to the hardened toe area. The tread also had a good amount of grip which meant I didn't do much slipping in the mud and ice slush.  The mud did stick quite a bit to the bottom of the shoe. That said, I would take this tread over the the Stinson Trail tread any day.

10 miles later, I never even considered switching from the Kailuas into the Stinsons. I did consider running my next trail 50 miler in these, though. These things were covered in mud by the end of the run, and after a quick washing, they look as good as new. They do have less cushion than the Stinson Evo trail so I'm still not certain which pair I will be wearing during longer events, but I may have found my new favorite trail shoe.

Shoe Review: Hoka Kailua Tarmac

At this point it is safe to say that I'm a Hoka One One gal. When it came time to get ready for my yearly Turkey Trot 5 mile, I decided to purchase a pair of the new Hoka Kailua Tarmac. I wanted a shoe that was more of a racing shoe than the Bondi B. Don't get me wrong, I am very happy with my Bondis (review). I just wanted a shoe that was a little lighter and not quite as soft in the sole department for a shorter distance event.

I ordered my standard shoe size of 7.5, and I noticed that they felt a little big. The shoe itself appears to be the same length as my other Hoka's, but the insole that comes with the Kailua is the thin insole that is optional with the Stinsons.

I had an extra pair of the regular Hoka insoles so I replaced the thin ones, and my feet were as happy as a bug in a rug. My friend Vickie also purchased a pair of the Kailua and noticed the same thing about sizing. She, too, will be putting in a thicker insole to keep the inside of the shoe from feeling too large.

While there is still plenty of softness to the Kailua, it isn't as squishy as the Bondi B or Stinson Evo Tarmac (review). This was exactly what I was looking for. I also notice the toe box area of the Kailua seems narrower than both my Bondis and my Evo Tarmacs. They feel sleek and fast, and still plenty soft for shorter races. Strangely they weigh slightly more than Bondis. I'm not even sure how that is possible.

Stinson Evo Tarmac and the Kailua Tarmac

Women's Size 7.5 (no insoles) = 7.5 ounces
Bondi Bs = 7.4 ounces
Stinson Evo Tarmacs = 8.8 ounces 
trail Stinson Evos = 9 ounces
Mafate 2 = 10 ounces

Now with almost 80 miles on the Kailuas, I notice that there is more wear on the sole than I would expect. I don't expect to get as many miles out of these Hokas as I have my others based on the premature wear. They are $30 or so less than the Bondis, but I would still expect less sole wear in a $130 shoe.

I won't be giving up my Bondis anytime soon, but I still like these shoes. While the Kailuas cost less on paper, I imagine they will cost more per mile based on shoe life expectancy. If you are looking for a shoe that is light and can last a long time, go with the Bondis.  If you are looking for a shoe that feels faster, go with the Kailuas. Happy running!

c

This post could be about physics, but it isn't. It's about a bicycle, sort of. 

 

Old School Dyno Compe

Back when I was a lot shorter, I used to love bicycles. I would ride my bike all over a little Texas town for hours on end. I read BMX magazines. I would sit around and draw different frame designs. My mom once told me that a bike made out of titanium would fly. She was an enabler of the best kind.

I made a calendar and charted out when I would have enough money for the bike. My mom would give me an $1 for every A I made on my report card and pay me for helping out at the office. I plotted and saved and eventually bought a chrome Dyno Compe freestyle bike. When it came time to assemble it, I did fine until it came to the rotor. I had never actually seen a rotor in action so mom drove me to a bike shop in the big ol' town of Wichita Falls, Texas. We got it figured out. For a kid who loved bicycles, it was awesome.

Usually once a year I think about getting a new bike. I bought my current bike in 2007, and it's been good to me. That titanium bike has always been there stuck in the back of my brain, though. Those things cost $4000 brand new so there was no way that was ever going to happen. I could be richer than a king, and I doubt I would spend that much money on a bicycle. Two weeks ago, however, I looked around and found a used titanium Litespeed Tuscany on sale within a 2 hour driving distance. It also happened to be just my size. The wheels began to turn... :-)

I contacted the seller, and a meeting was set. I began thinking about what I would do to fix it up and researching online, and I had a plan as to what I needed to look at once I was there to make sure it was a good purchase.  I showed up at his house, went to ring the doorbell, and jumped a mile high as he unexpectedly rounded the corner of the garage. It was at this point all logic left my poor brain. Pure rational thought was gone anyway because I was way too excited about this bike. The bike went out of my brain when I saw the guy selling the bike. Let's call him B. I think it was his smile that put me over the edge. 

My mom had insisted on going with me since there have been more than few cases of people pretending to sell things on craigslist and doing terrible things. While Mom isn't scary, she does know how to shoot a gun, and I happen to own one. None of that was necessary because it turned out that B is a police officer. He also lives alone and had a road ID that matched mine, as he pointed out. I was smiling. He was smiling. Mom thought the entire thing was pretty funny, and it was. So anyway, I wound up with a good story and a new (to me) bike. Luckily when I got home and had a good look at it, the bike was in perfect shape.

So over the past few weeks I've been learning a lot about bicycles. I've been figuring out to remove decals from titanium (acetone works great), ordering new decals and installing them, replacing tires, figuring out I know almost nothing about derailleurs, cleaning gears and a chain, putting on new handlebar tape, bike fitting and adjusting blah blah blah. I have plenty of knowledgeable internet folks to thank for the tips. Between message boards and YouTube videos, I've learned a lot.

    Litespeed Logo before...                                                                    Litespeed Logo after...

Before...

After...

(waiting on a different water bottle holder to arrive, though)

Before...

After...

Is it blue?

Is it green?

Yep!

It's been a fun project, and used or not, I am beyond happy with my new bike. The other great thing about this project is that it has made it completely clear just how much my mom has always been there for me. When I needed to learn how to put together a rotor, she was there. When I needed backup while going to pick up a bike, she was there. That titanium bike in the corner of my mind was there partly due to her influence. A lot of who I am was greatly influenced by what she said and did while I was growing and learning. My mom is caring and always there when I need some help. Thanks for being awesome, Mom!

Got Water? Nathan Speedbelt 2 Review

First things first. Thank you! Enough folks have read my Hoka One One reviews and bought items from The Clymb that I managed to pick up another Nathan Speedbelt 2. This time it was free. That's right! Zero. Nada. Zilch. Why? Because of you. Thanks!

Notice I said another. I am a big fan on the Nathan Speedbelt series. The biggest issue I have had with water belts is that they refuse to stay in place on my girlie hips. It turns out the hour glass figure and water belts don't play nicely together. I tried the Fuel Belt, and there was no love. I had it so tight that a buckin' bronco would have complained, but that didn't stop it from heading north. Guys don't seem to have the same problem. I also tried another belt in the Nathan Sports series. That one didn't work out too well either. It seems the Speedbelt series is the one for me. I've been wearing them for years, and I decided a review might be helpful. You paid for it so here it is.

Nathan Speedbelt 2 in stealth mode

My past Speedbelts were gray. I was happy to see one in black. I wear black shorts, and lets face it, black has that slimming effect. :-)

The Speedbelt 2 has a place to carry two 10 ounce water bottles. It also has a nice size pouch to store some things while on the run. First, lets talk about the pouch...


My old belt had the standard pouch that my Nexus 4 refused to call home. My phone was just too big. This time, I was in luck! My Nexus has a 4.7" inch display (specs 133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1 mm), and it fit! There was another cool little surprise.  I could actually see the phone through the pouch! See:

Stealth mode and an almost invisible pouch. Call me
Wonder Woman.

There are a few other nice things about this pouch. It has a divided area that isn't see-through and helps separate things. That means I can throw something else in the pouch and not worry about scratching my phone. It also has a place to attach a key so you don't lose it out on the trail and a small card to put down your emergency info.

There is also another small key pocket upfront. My car keys won't fit, but my house key will.

Left cap is the standard version
Right cap is the race version

So about those water bottles... they carry 10 ounces of fluid which is generally enough to get you to the next aid station in a trail ultra unless it is an extremely hot day. They have a nice ergonomic shape that fits the hand nicely, and in general they stay put in the holder. I've had one bounce out maybe 3 times in the past 5 years. The only thing I would really change is the cap.  In fact, I do change the cap. Once I tried the race cap, I couldn't go back to the old popup style so I ordered more bottles with the race caps. The race caps allow you to drink without having to look down or use two hands. On the road that is no big deal. On the trail it can cause you to kiss the dirt.

Finally onto my favorite part of the belt, the velcro attachment that keeps this thing where I put it:

I can get this belt tight enough to stay without making it too tight. This is what originally sold me on the Speedbelt and keeps me coming back.

And now for the model shot with the help of Charlie and Honey:

Another nice touch is that the silver you see on the belt is reflective. In fact, I had to turn off the flash to take the above picture or else risk blinding you with the Nathan logo in the middle.

These belts have an MSRP of 45 bucks. If you keep your eye out on The Clymb, you can get them for less than half the price on last year's model. Stay hydrated and happy running!

Timbuk2 Showdown Review

Ah, the good ol' days. I remember my favorite part of going back to school. While mom would go do the shopping, I spent a ridiculous amount of time looking through hundreds of Trapper Keepers trying to find the perfect one. I looked forward to doing that every year. While I don't remember many of the ones I picked, I remember my favorite had picture of a large waterfall surrounded by green. I have a very similar photo hanging up in my house now.  Hmmmmm.

I've carried the same laptop backpack now for quite a few years. I walked into a chain store, picked out one that seemed okay, and that was that. I've had it for probably 7 or more years. It didn't bring me joy, but it worked. I use my backpack a lot for work. Sometimes it hauls a laptop back and forth to the office. Sometimes it hauls around military electronic equipment while I'm out walking in the woods. Unfortunately, or fortunately, it recently had a blowout of an inner lining. It was time for a new backpack.

I'm not a big fan of paying full price for things. I went to a few places that tend to have the best prices on outdoor gear: LeftLane Sports, The Clymb, Sierra Trading Post, and 6pm.com. The backpack choices are astounding. I was transported right back to the 80s, hanging out in Target, picking out my Trapper Keeper. There were a few things I needed in a backpack: a place for my laptop, a place to shove a water bottle, and a place for my phone. I also didn't want anything too large since I would be hauling it through the airport, on an airplane, to the office, and in the woods/field/desert/etc. I also wanted something that would fit into my work environment (think army meets engineer) as well as something I could use to go for a day hike. Enter the Timbuk2 Showdown.

There were many to choose from, but I decided on the Showdown. It met all my requirements, and, hey, I liked the way it looked. The laptop compartment is completely separate which is nice. Plenty of times going through security at the airport, I would pull out my laptop and the papers in the divided section would come out with it. Big deal? Nah, but slightly annoying. This backpack solved that issue.

 

Laptop Cocoon of Luxuary

The phone pouch is oh-so-soft and will keep a phone riding in style, scratch free.

Room to throw in a water bottle, or in this case, a Flying Monkey Silipint cup.

There is a large zip pocket on the front with a mesh pocket. My sunglasses case fit perfectly at the bottom of this pocket. On the other side below the phone pouch, there is another zip pocket that is about half the size.

The main compartment has a zip pocket as well as an area for pens and other items.

There is a detachable sternum strap, a bottle opener (never know when you'll need one of those, right?), and a padded area with air channels for the back.

Two of the best things about this pack are that I managed to get it for $40 less than retail at 6pm, and it comes in smaller than most at 22 liters. It's not a waterfall, but it is a darn good backpack.