Replica team kits etc.

Recently I've been emulating my heroes by purchasing and wearing some replica cycling team kit. 

I should point out they're not actually my heroes at all. They're people who get paid to ride bicycles for a living. I'm sure it's hard to do but I'd hardly describe it as heroic. Also, I'm not really emulating them; they don't have to pay for the stuff they wear and they use the top quality versions rather than the cheaper facsimiles I've purchased. 

So, in summary, almost everything I wrote in the first sentence is inaccurate. At best I'm an idiot and at worst I'm a filthy liar.

I was telling the truth about buying replica team kit. It's something I've only started doing this year. Well, even that's a bit of a lie. I've got a couple of Liquigas, Rabobank, Caisse d'Epargne, Cofidis, Garmin and CSC jerseys from a year or two ago but I only started buying other matching items this year. Am I confusing? Am I boring? Yes and yes. 

Anyway, it started with my getting 2011 Lampre bib-shorts and a jersey from Dave Kane Cycles in Belfast (which is a very good pair of shops staffed by a lovely helpful, patient with me and my annoying ways, family). That being the case, I may as well start with a bit of a ramble about them...

Lampre

Items - 2011 bib-shorts (£30GBP @ Dave Kane Cycles), 2011 jersey (£30GBP @ Dave Kane Cycles), 2011 cap, 2012 socks and 2012 bandana

Manufacturer - Santini

Pros - The gripper on the bib-shorts is good and the items all fit me well (although that might say as much about me as it does about the clothing)

I like the pre-shaped bandana. Even I can't screw up tying that one on

Cons - Although it's better than it looks, the chamois/insert on the bib-shorts is rather basic and might not be particularly suitable for regular long rides

Short zip on the jersey 

White socks get grubby and can't be washed at a hot enough temperature to get them looking spotless again

Overall - For what I paid, I shouldn't complain at all but undoubtedly shall. Santini makes a bit of a fuss about all its items being produced in Italy but I don't think the quality of the items is any better than those made elsewhere. If anything, its quality is around the lower end of replica kit I have. It looks the part and is, at the very least, functional but there are higher quality team replica kits out there at similar prices. It does, however, look great. I love the aesthetic of the Lampre kit.

Right, that's enough of that for now. While writing, I found I was even boring myself. I'll witter about some other replica kit in the future OR maybe I won't because it was pretty darned tedious.

P is for...

As threatened promised, P is for Purchasing. I'm going to write some more ill informed opinion about something I've bought recently. What a treat this must be for you.

Today's subject is Castelli's Fondo bib-tights. Before I go any further, I'll ruin it by telling you, in almost the words of Tony the Tiger, 'They're frickin' great!'.

I'd rather not have to wear bib-tights in the middle of May but, if I've got to, these are great bib-tights to find myself wearing. 

Unlike some other bib-tights I could mention, the Fondo tights are a marvellous fit; they may well be the best fitting cycling item of clothing I own. No flapping or loose crotches with these tights. They're snug and extremely comfortable while allowing full freedom of motion. I don't find myself having to adjust them at all once they're on and the KISS3 chamois  more than does its job. 

At the risk of sounding like a complete pervert, it seems to diminish that awful smell of one's sweaty gusset extremely well. If I give it a quick sniff upon getting home, it's not absolutely rancid. Who even knew that was possible? In addition to being fairly stink free, the KISS3 (despite being fairly thin and unobtrusive) is remarkably good in terms of comfort.

The tights themselves are splendid. They seem to give me the most support where needed and allow my blood to flow where it's supposed to be going. Although not of the super warm variety, they definitely keep me snug and happy in the temperatures suggested on the Castelli website. They don't have any special windproofing qualities (or pretend to) so an additional pair of windproof tights might be wise to own for blustery conditions OR maybe looking out the window, saying "It's a bit windy, I think I'll stay inside" would be even more wise.

As an indication of how highly I regard these bib-tights; I've bought six pairs of them. That's not to be taken entirely out of context. I should point out I haven't payed the £109GBP RRP (or close to it) for any of them. I firstly bought two plain black pairs from ProBikeKit for £59-40GBP each and then noticed Evans (as in the bike shop rather than the clothes shop for the medium to larger lady) was selling them for (including a 15% discount offer at the time and some Quidco cashback) less than £50GBP a pair. That being the case, I bought another four pairs from there (one in blue and three in Italian Flag). Smashing! All in all, I got six pairs of Fondo bib-tights for the RRP of three. Hoorah! 

At the time of writing this, Evans is still selling them for £59-99GBP and currently has a 10% discount on top of that. If you're interested, you could do a lot worse.

P is for...

P is for P-P-P-Puppy Power...

...but not in this case.

It's for Purchasing again. As promised/threatened, I'm going to write a blathering load of auld muck about some stuff I've bought in the past couple of months. This time, I'll witter about a couple of pairs of bib-tights.

Craft Performance Bike Storm Bib-Tights

As their catchy name suggests, these are some windproof bib-tights made by the company Craft. What do I think of them? As I'm lazy, I'll copy and paste the overlong review I did for ProBikeKit and they seem to have chosen not to post.

PROS:

• Windstopper type fabric does, as suggested, stop the wind.
• Tights are generally warmer than the thin material at the back (windstopper at the front) might suggest.
• Chamois, while not outstanding, is at least 'good enough'. There are superior chamois available but it's definitely comfy enough to go for a few hours on the bicycle without any pain or problems.
• Stitching etc. seems good and the general quality of the bib-tights is fairly high.

CONS:

• A bit of a weird fit. I'm about 5' 10"/1.78m tall and weigh around 152 lbs/69Kg. I bought size medium and they're pretty loose round the legs and a little MC Hammer at the gusset.
  I don't think it's merely my stick-like bird's legs causing problems; they're a snug fit in other bib-tights. I wonder if it's partly to do with the windstopper fabric. It doesn't seem to have the same stretch as the likes of Lycra and might not pull so taught to one's legs. Or, alternatively, I could be completely wrong. Whatever the case, the bib-tights aren't as snug as fit as one might like.
• Despite also listing it as a pro, I think the chamois could be better on a pair of tights retailing at over £100 GBP. Maybe I'm slightly delusional about what one can expect his/her money.

In summary; I think the RRP (£107 GBP) on these bib-tights was a tad on the high side, given their 'fitting' concerns but the ProBikeKit sale price (£70-20 GBP when I bought them but up to £97-20 GBP at the time of posting this) is considerably better value. 

The looser legs and low slung crotch aren't really a major problem when pedalling (although there is the odd bit of catching on the end of the saddle to annoy one with). It generally takes a bit of 'hiking up' to get into a comfortable position before setting off and never sits quite as one would desire. If one has huge, thick but quite short, legs s/he'll probably find they're an excellent fit. Otherwise, s/he'll probably discover a smaller size would fit the girth of his/her legs better but the usual size will fit the length.

I hope that's of some use. Apologies for wittering.