The Best Gear to Ride Slow Roll Buffalo
If you've been yearning to move to an eco-groovy city like Brooklyn, Boulder, Eugene, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, or San Diego, yearn no more. Give Buffalo a shot instead. The Slow Roll vibe echoes that of the hippest city you can think of. The schedule is here.
I am qualified to make this statement because I lived in Portland, Oregon for two years during college, and the attitude of the Slow Roll reminds me of the rides I used to participate in out West. The reality is that Buffalo is evolving into a much more vibrant, youthful, fun, and progressive city, and getting the hell out of Dodge is no longer necessary for individuals yearning for a particular kind of communal and ecologically conscious experience.
I participated in the June 20th Slow Roll which set-out from Groove Lounge, a great hangout at 1210 Broadway. It was a great way to get to know Buffalo’s East Side neighborhoods, and it gave me a newfound familiarity with excellent exercise companions from DZR and Denon.
Since Slow Roll is more social than a workout, the best part of the event is the exposure to a large crowd which trends upwards of a thousand riders each week. More than 29,843 riders have Slow Rolled over the course of 37 rides since its inception in Buffalo in 2014, with a record of more than 2,200 riders on its most populous ride ever.
The 123 squad members who oversee the safety of the event impose a series of mandatory stops, which meant I was stopping a lot. Thankfully, the DZR Marco Black cycling shoe ($119) that I tested is designed for commuters and the stop-and-go cadence of the event didn’t phase these kicks in the least. I was able to clip them into my pedals seamlessly at the start of the ride, and also clip out instantaneously in order to ground my feet on the pavement when the crowd braked and the Roll came to a stop. In addition, the Velcro straps kept my shoelaces in place, preventing death-by-gears, and the flat, thick gum rubber soles were ideal for walking short stints, like when my bicycle tire deflated and I had to get over to the squad staff for tire-reinflation assistance. On this ride, the Marco Blacks were an improvement over racing cleats, the bottoms of which get shredded with any walking on pavement whatsoever.
The Denon AH-W150 Fitness Freak In-Ear headpones ($100) were also a welcome companion on the ride. Much like the experience of needing to concentrate while driving on a clogged or busy highway, the Slow Roll requires focus because of the sheer number of people present on narrow streets, vying for limited space (though the riders are pretty courteous) and having Bluetooth headphones that allow you to take calls and listen to music is a must. My girlfriend called, anxious about when I was coming home, and I was able to just tap a button on the left earpiece and answer the call with the built-in microphone. Receiving her call was no fuss, no muss. The FF’s also provide a spurt of motivation to power through—the ride is 6 to 10 miles—on these hot, humid days with their ample bass.
I believe the Denon’s perform slightly better on Apple/iOS devices; while performance was just satisfactory from my Android phone when streaming the Diplo station on Pandora through to the earbuds. The volume they reach is somewhat inconsistent, and tracks by some bands sound dramatically louder than others, and I wish they would drive louder, although the lack of volume is actually an asset in this setting because it allows you to better hear other riders. All in all, they’re decent, and will keep you much safer while working out, and for a mere $100.
I hope to see you at the July 4th Riverfest Park ride, when I will likely have some more cycling accessories to tell you about.
