Episode 31: An interview with Kenneth Walker on minority cycling

On the podcast this month, we talk with the founder of the Urban Kansas City Community of Cycling, Kenneth Walker. Ken is longtime cyclist, who is working to build a better, fitter community through cycling. He works to get urban minorities cycling and racing. Ken races himself, and recently saw his saw become Missouri State Road Champion.

Also on the podcast, I revisit my training and discuss where you should be in your own training! We have a comparison review of two INOV-8 shoes, as well, the INOV-8 F-Lite 195 to the X-Talon 212. While a bit like comparing a baking apple to a snacking apple, both are used for trail running, though neither seems ideally suited to the typical trail. The F-LIte is very much an light weight (195 g) all-purpose urban assault shoe. It is super comfortable and light, but never seems to find its niche on either the road or trail. On the road they feel "flat" and unlively, on the trail they deliver a tactile awareness, but fall short on responsiveness. However, this last point maybe more personal preference. I think they will offer a suitable alternative to my X-Talons for less aggressive X-Terra courses, and would recommend them for runners looking for a minimalist cross-trainer or a show that will allow for use on the road and trails; a side note, INOV-8 road specific shoes are NOT suited to many of trails due to lack of traction. The F-Lites offer good traction and hold well on wet rocks, but can hold a candle to the X-Talon in either of these areas. As far as trail shoes go, the X-Talon is simply the best shoe I've found. They fit like a glove, almost never cause blisters (which many shoes do on me), stick to almost any surface and give a tactile feel to the trail like no other shoe I've worn. The raised cleats offer an odd, somewhat slow feeling on paved sections, but also protect the feet from stones buy raising the foot off ther ground. 

My overall rating on the F-Lite is a B, based on what I expected compared to the X-Talon and Road-X shoes I've worn. They are a worthy buy and would work well in a variety of conditions. As for the X-Talons, I rate them as an A. They are durable (look at both shoes here) and offer superb performance on the trails, and are good enough to use in races with short paved sections. Bottomline, given the choice of free shoes or paying for these, I'll pay. 

The run time for this episode is 1:16:30