so... update... spoke with son... he thinks chesters would be a good step...
also decided I liked the SHimano shoes the way they are - work great with my shopping/errands/social ride bike, with the SPDs...
so I bought a pair of Ride Concept Livewires, and also ordered the Chesters from REI, with my 20% sale coupon...
so I'm committed to getting the most from my mtb time - there's a lot of great tips and drills on the web and youtube...
there really is a great variety of riding in my area, year-round !
Stoked !
Ride On
Yuri