Sometime Spoke contributor and Christchurch ruler Laurence Mote has just taken ownership of Spoke‘s latest product for review in our March issue: a pair of Specialized Rimes, and this is what he had to say about opening the parcel.

“I take pleasure in small things. Ripe avocados, tail-winds and clean sheets top the list. Parcels with my name on them are next level. Parcels containing news shoes? Yep, it doesn’t get much better than this. Parcels containing new shoes with Vibram soles? Someone please fetch me a glass of water.

Straight of the box there’s a lot to get excited about. A product of the Specialized School of Body Geometry, by all accounts the fit, form and function should be taken care of. The BOA dial closure system and deliberately low profile tread soles caught my eye. Two lower Velcro straps are clean and unobtrusive, and every fabric junction on the synthetic upper looks smooth and intentionally well resolved.

Yet I’m held back with questions: how long will they last? Can a shoe be both stiff and comfortable to walk in? Won’t the combination of race inspired upper and walk-to-the-top-of-the-hill sole simply cause the shoe to tear itself apart? I’ve had more shoes fail on me within months than my wallet would care to remember. So at RRP$350 these shoes come with pretty high expectations.

The first around-the-block-with-new-cleats test ride and who should I run into but one of my riding buddies, looking like he’s out on a test ride himself. Indeed. And he’s also wearing new Specialized Rimes! Co-incidence? No doubt. He hadn’t had to think twice about his new purchase. With the combination of Specialized shoes, which he currently uses, and Vibram soles, he now owns the ultimate pair of do-everything shoes.”

Regular Spoke contributor and Ground Effect marketing guru Laurence Mote and his family are safe (loving the technical riding top). Photo Caleb Smith

So I’m hoping we can get a few comments going on this post, the basic gist of it is to make sure Spoke’s extended family in Christchurch is safe. So far we know all the Ground Effect staff are safe, some have lost homes but all are alive. WTB/Lezyne distributor Mark Dickson, his family and employees are also safe. I also just heard from Surly distributor David Whittam as well and things are good for his family as they are for frame builder Simon Courtney. Things aren’t so good for Keith Guthrie and the Cycle Trading shop as the below photo from the TVNZ website shows. Obviously we care about everyone in Christchurch but it would be great to know that those close to us in the bike industry are safe. So please post in the comments below if you have any news. We are thinking of you all! 

The Cycle Trading shop on Manchester St, before (thanks Google street view) and after (thanks TVNZ).

Mark Weir has had the pleasure of having Ground Effect’s Laurence Mote stay with him for the last few days. Weir was keen to repay Larry’s New Zealand guide experience with a little Norcal tour of his own. By the looks of things they had a busy five days!!! Stay tuned for the full story in an upcoming issue of Spoke.