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Cool, you been around a lot in that area. I also really like the Tauernradweg along the Salzach, very beautiful. It's in Austria, but close to Germany.

I rode both the German and the Austrian sections, and on one of those times continued nearly to Budapest before turning off and riding down to Trieste - although after Vienna the it really isn’t the same thing. The German and Austrian parts are brilliant. I love the Donau Radveg. I’ve toured all over the world and that is one of my all time favourite rides.

Yes, it is! Wow, the Donau Radweg twice is a really long distance! But you only did the German Donau Radweg, not the Austrian too?

Germany is such a great place to tour on a bicycle! I have ridden through the Black Forest and followed the whole length of the Donau Radveg (twice!) Not in heels though … 😊

I can imagine that flat palstic pedals will be very slippery. I don't have special pedals, but they're metal and offer good grip. I use them with normal shoes for bike tours and also with heels. They're fine for both 🙂 This will sure be fun!

Yes it very much depends on your pedals! I never got into the modern trend for clipless pedals and the pedals on my bicycles are all old-school quill pedals and my feet never slip on them. But a lot if cheaper bikes and rental bikes have these flat pedals with plastic platforms that can be very slippery when wet. I rodeo e once and being used to really nice bicycle, I was appalled. i think it will be fun to put in my stilettos and ride to a place where i can practice. Come spring I hope to be doing this!

Ah, now I see what you mean. Yes, that seems possible. But even with the most slippery soles I never had that issue. Sure also depends on the pedals you have. Right, cycling to such places is a good idea!

It’s unlikely, but if the ball of your foot slid outwardly on the pedals and you were wearing stilettos your heel could hit the front mech on the downstroke. Unlikely, but I think it’s possible. in any event it’s perfectly possible to cycle in heels, and something I am considering so I can get to places to practice in my 12cm stilettos

Cycling in heels is really no big deal, you're overthinking it 😉 As Shyheels said, the heel doesn't even touch the pedal, so it doesn't matter what type of heel you wear. Only platforms change the feeling of the pedals, but with low platforms this also doesn't change that much for me. I also never had a heel stuck in the front shifting mechanism and can't imagine how that could possibly happen.

There’s no way your heel should get stuck on the pedals. Your heel doesn’t touch the pedal, no matter what kind if footwear you’re wearing. It’s just the ball if your foot on the pedal. Dismounting might feel strange in heels, but that’s all. The biggest problem woukd be the risk of scuffing your nice heels on the chain if you don’t have a chain guard, or getting a long stiletto heel stuck in the front shifting mechanism. If you were careful and pedalling at a measured pace there should be no problem

Those new boots are beautiful, and fit your legs so nicely, would love to see some more close up shots of them I used to love driving my 5 speed car in heels, very exciting. I would "guess" that riding a bike in heels would be fine, but alot depends on the type/design/height of the heels. I'm thinking the best set up would be moderately sized block heeled boots that more or less lock themselves over the pedal. But, then again, dismounting might be tricky if the heel gets stuck on the pedal. Someone made a point that rings true for me. I am usually so concerned about scuffing the boots/heels while driving, which probably prevents me from relaxing and enjoying it.

Those boots look great and will pair well with many different outfits.

Absolutely! It would be very inconvenient to change shoes everytime when getting in and out of the car.

I had the same initial thought as Shyheels - the Netherlands are made for cycling! Slippery soles can be a bit tricky for riding a bicycle, but this can also get better if the soles are still new. Once they're worn in, they will also offer better grip. Glad you didn't have any damage 🙂

HiH, I'm going to wear those boots with a a grey sweater dress and black tights. Happy Heeling, bluejay

Love your ensemble. Your new boots look great on you. The fit is perfect on you, another guy that has thin calves like myself. That's an ensemble that I would definitely wear. BTW. Happy Birthday to your wife. Happy Heeling, bluejay

There is clearly scope to make a tidy profit (potentially tax-free) by 'flipping' houses bought, lived in and refurbished, before selling and repeating the exercise. A person with sufficient skill (or good contacts) can do or manage the refurb himself, possibly full-time, and thus derive a fair income whilst having a place to live in rent-free - but not free of other outgoings. And the cost and disruption of buying/selling/moving every year or so is quite daunting and not to be undertaken lightly. It is certainly not something I would wish to do - and I've lived in my current house for 26 years, steadily improving it where necessary. In theory, it is my 'forever' home, but my wife and I will probably have to downsize at some point - something I dread. As to never realising the enhanced value of both impovements and inflation - in my case around 400% in all - that is academic whilst we still have the security of a comfortable home. When the second of us dies, our five sons will inherit a tidy windfall - assuming that the government has not taxed it out of existence. As to the ongoing cost of a second home, such as that I bought in 2011 and refurbed steadily over the next four years, the outgoings (council tax, insurance, utlities, minor repairs and (not to be overlooked), interest on capital), the total represents the 'rent' for the use and enjoyment of that second home - around £8,500 ($11,300) p.a. Not a small sum and one which some would not consider worthwhile, even if the property was used regularly. As we have made less use of ours in the last few years - particularly as our sons and their families are now living further away - and maintenance has become more of a chore, we decided to sell, although are currently letting it. We don't need the capital that would arise on sale, but our sons will benefit at a time when they have a need to move to larger homes with their growing families.

I always said I would never ride a bike in heels, simply because it was a bridge too far--you have to go to Asia to see that, or possibly Europe. Now, everything is a bridge too far, as I'm pretty much the only one who wears heels casually and regularly anymore, so I think I probably would now if given the chance. Unfortunately, my good bicycle was stolen a few years back (from in front of our church, if you can believe that), and my other two bicycles are currently quite inaccessible due to our overly full garage. Nowadays, it's which motorized two wheeled vehicle will I ride in heels?

As you all know, I am not opposed to sending in pictures, but I am certainly not interested in any kind of "contest." It seems likely to me that the lady who came up with the idea years ago was kind of mocking us anyway, and she is no longer active. I like to think of it as more of a fashion show, rather than a beauty pageant. To be fair, my contributions are probably more like a JCPenney catalog than they are a fashion show.

I had never really considered buying investment houses and actually living in them. That would certainly be a good way for us to get rid of a lot of junk (all three of us tend toward being hoarders). But that's not how I roll. I'm going to die in this house. I like it here. Speaking of free lunches, I'm scheduled to get one tomorrow at work. With any luck, I'll get laid off the next day. With less luck, I won't get laid off the next day. Either way is fine.

Oh for sure… the greater the risk, the greater the reward, so sitting on real estate can be scary, but time everything well, and it can work well to your advantage too. Years ago, a person would buy a home to live in it, and now that notion is gone and so people buy and sell homes in order to work the most equity out of a place. My wife and I have bought and sold (7) properties in the last four years but it is not our main form of income. You are right too in calculating in interest gained from your own money. It works a little different for me and my wife, but yes, if we took the same money and invested it into a certificate of deposit for instance, we should off-set those gains in a guaranteed way. To be fair, it would have to be a CD or something guaranteed because while there are other higher forms of investments, there is no guarantee you would pick one that gained instead of loss. In looking right now, the best CD rate is for 12 months at 4%. So instead of putting $50,000 in a house over two years, we could put it in a CD for a year and then redo the CD again and get $4000 extra. So at the end of two years, we would have made $54,000. We would be silly to do that though because you are failing to calculate one important point… you have to have a place to live. With a house, you live there rent-free AND make $70,000 in financial gain in two years. If I rented an apartment I would have made $4000 on my $50,000, but also spent $24,000 on rent over the same past 2 years. But it is even worse if you live in a forever-home and never sell it. All those improvements needed for the home over the years, never get deducted so it really ends up costing the homeowner a huge amount of money. It is $50,000 spent over 20 years instead of 2, but it can never be deducted because the owner dies before they sell. And that is the real price for constantly buying and selling homes: you never get to live in a nice home that is all fixed up. Once it is nice, you pick up stakes and move on. You are not paying a mortgage or rent, and making investment money too granted, but only because you are constantly doing work on the place. There is no such thing as a free lunch…

I don't understand how cycling in the Netherlands can be considered challenging. The place is made for cycling. Europe in general is excellent - at least compared with Britain - and the Dutch and Danish in particular have it down to an art. The challenge with cycling in heels will depend on the type of bicycle you're riding - the classic Dutch commuter bike, with the chain guard, wouldn't pose a problem. With others there's a chance of getting a long stiletto heel scuffed on the chain or caught in the front shifting mechanism. Smooth leather soles could slip off some styles of pedals, especially in the rain, and obviously you couldn't ride clipless pedals but the old standard quill pedal should give you sufficient grip.

Just noticed this thread. I look at driving in heels as another daily task to master if one is to really enjoy them. Have driven thousands of miles across more than 20 states in heels over the last 30 years. Wedges are my favorites overall but have driven in both boots to different venues and both wedges and stilettos to weddings and parties. It is important to adjust the seat and know when to use cruise control. HinH

I’m always in for sending in some pics and showing my heels and outfits. It’s been hard to follow who has won in the past. We should stop trying though. HinH

Bluejay, Looked at the link and those boots look both cumfy and sturdy. Think they would go well with jeans, skirt or a dress. Don’t have as many boots as some here but live the ones I do have. HinH