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One thing I’ve always respected about Rapha is scouting the perfect locations to photograph their seasonal lookbooks. This is deep winter. I.e. the reason I live in Texas. It takes a special kind of human to want to venture out in conditions like this, so if you’re going to do it, make sure you’ve got the right gear….
See the Rapha AW13 Deep Winter lookbook here!
Ornot is a small, new label based in San Francisco. Founded by the belief that you shouldn’t have to spend a lot of money, only to look like a rolling billboard. All of their garments are made in California and are minimally-branded.
Check out the full Ornot line here. I will say one thing: kudos to them for developing a women’s line at the same time as a men’s line and making them the same design!
Also, damn, I miss riding in California already!
For Autumn / Winter 2013, Rapha revisits some of their classic cold weather gear. My favorites this season are the thermal bibs, the longsleeve brevet jersey and the extensive women’s line. See the full product like at Rapha and check out the lookbook here.
You know what? I like stripes. A lot. I didn’t at first but then I wore one of these kits and I realized that they look damn nice. It doesn’t hurt that Sean’s also a rad dude. He’s worked with Endo customs on a set of compression bibs. They’re tight, won’t lose form, won’t fade and come in all black, including the logos. I have a pair and they rule.
TDBT has home jerseys, away jerseys and a wind vest up for pre-sale. See the full offering here. But hurry, the pre-order ends October 6th!
Tennyson and 43rd are the cross streets at which you can find Pearl Velo, Berkeley Supply and Avery County Cycles, some of my favorite shops in the USA. They believe in riding, racing and having fun! After last year’s SSCX team kits, a lot of locals asked about ordering one.
The Tennyson Collective doesn’t necessarily embody the three shops, as much as it embraces the community and its vernacular. The trolley was designed by their friend Josh Shively after the original trolley that ran in the shop’s area until 1950.
Pick up the new Endo Customs made Tennyson Collective kit or a t-shirt here!
Developing a women’s bib short isn’t easy. As the team at Ten Speed Hero point out, “This is not a sock. This is not designed to fit all.” Female bibs made right. That’s what TSH was going for. 8mm chamois and a special cut for women, they’re designed to fit women and women only.
Pick up a pair at Ten Speed Hero. Might I add that I love their product shots?
Kits, kits and more kits. The GSC kit redux is now available for pre-order. Check out more information at Tracko and pre-order yours here.
Peonfx and Pias Cycles recently teamed up to compete in the Tour of Singapore and to commemorate their partnership, they designed the Raven kits. Check out more at Peonfx, where you can pre-order the kit.
Cadence’s Turbo collection is boosting with new products each week. This week’s drop includes the new Grid Purist bottles and Grid kit. See the full line here.
Photos by Heather McGrath
The long-awaited Cat 1 for Fun, Geekhouse Bikes and Cuppow! Club kits are now available for pre-order. These Endo Customs explosions of radness are made by Endo Customs and are guaranteed to enable you to have fun on the bike.
Best of all, if you can’t fork out the money for a kit, Geekhouse also has a cap, bottles and a sock pre-order and they’re made by Defeet (Aireator Hi-Top), the best socks around!
Pre-order your dose of fun at Geekhouse!
It’s usually hotter than hell in Texas come this time of year but lately, we’ve been lucky. The 90’s have only just now crept in, but with all the rain and cloud cover, the roads and trails are still busy, even at the peak times. Naturally, with rain comes water holes, rope swings and excessive #Corndogging, meaning you’re usually spending some wet chamois time on the ride home. My usual kit of choice comes from Endo, but I’ve also been enjoying the Search and State bibs and these Rapha Lightweight Bib Shorts. All of which get heavy rotation from me, as I usually ride in the morning and evening come the summer months.
For the past few weeks, I’ve had the Rapha Lightweight bibs on more than I expected. As the name implies, they’re lightweight, super comfortable, fast drying and quite minimally branded. The signature asymmetrical leg band and classic fit can mesh quite well into any jersey combination and with a few extra details, you can tell Rapha took some time to think of the people who live in miserably hot conditions. A high-wicking mesh, more breathable fabric, SPF protection and a “thank god” cut-away back section keep your spine cool and ready for a cold water bottle squirt.
But my favorite feature of these shorts is how fast they dry. With all the rain we’ve had in Austin, a mid-ride dip in the Greenbelt, Barton Springs or other hole is inevitable, and sometimes a creek crossing depending on how dialed your route is. Regardless as to how you find yourself getting wet, these shorts dry out faster than any other bib I’ve had and that goes for the post-ride wash as well.
One concern is the fit. Since they’re a bit stretchy, you might consider going down a size, depending on how tight you like your shorts. The fit on the Lightweight bibs is a lot like the Classic bibs, with a little more room than the Pro line but since the fabric is lighter, I find it stretches about 30 minutes into a ride. I wear a large here, but could probably squeeze into the medium. This is also probably do to my own weight loss as well though. Bottom line is: try them on first if you can.
Bibs are one of the most essential items in one’s kit. Options are great and all the bibs I mentioned above are worthy of anyone’s drawer, so next time you see these in your shop, feel them, try them on but don’t be afraid to pull the trigger… Check out some more narrated photos in the Gallery.
Without a doubt, green is a color of spring…
I’ve been a supporter of Search and State since I first caught wind of their operations in New York City. Their S1-A jersey is a staple in my daily rotation (see my older product review here) and now, the S1-S bibs have been providing me with comfortable rides on all my bikes. S&S’s line is minimally branded, made in New York City from technical fabrics and is far from your standard cycling apparel.
So far, I’ve logged about 10 rides in the shorts, washed them, hung them out to dry and even dried them on medium heat. They still look brand new and they hold their black dye. I know the price might seem a little steep, but bibs are something you’ll wear much more than a jersey. Plus, they’re each made by hand in NYC and domestic production is a little more expensive for a reason.
As far as fit is concerned, I’d rate their sizing a bit like a club cut. If you’re unsure which size to get, go down. I usually wear an medium or large in club bibs and XL in race cut. Here, I’m wearing a large and the fit is comfortable, without being restricting. What I’m most impressed with though is the detailing and how soft the fabric feels. That and they look great with any jersey…
While this particular color-pairing looks great on the road, it also beckons for the ‘wood, so I took to the trails yesterday afternoon before shooting these photos. Check out my thoughts on these two garments in the narrated Gallery.
Search and State S1-A Riding Jersey $125
Search and State S1-S Riding Short $210
Look, I know this is a very metal kit and some of you aren’t into metal. TOO BAD. Even Tracko wears this kit and he’s as hippy as they come. Since the last run of the Endo Customs-made Necronomicog kits, I’ve received a ton of emails asking to do another run. Well, you’ve got a month to pre-order this time and I even listed it close to payday.
You have until June 1st to place your order. Expect shipments mid-July (maybe sooner).
Click here for the jersey – $115
Click here for the bibs – $135
Click here for one pair of arm and one pair of knee warmers – $75
These kits are made in Los Angeles from only the best quality materials. Almost every kit I wear is made by Endo and I wouldn’t use anyone else!
There has been a huge push in American-manufactured cycling wear over the past few months and I’m very excited to see Search & State leading the charge. I wear the shit out of the Riding Jacket, especially while traveling and now they’ve just added Riding Shorts to their line. Also, don’t miss the new OD green jersey!
It’s going to be a green spring this year…
In Kyle‘s words:
Pre-swoop These Colors Ride…HERE!
Pre-swoop The New Wave…HERE!
Pre-swoop Rule #14 Unisex Bib…HERE!
You can also see more images of the kit…HERE!
After months upon months of design, development and prototyping, the Giro New Road line is now available at select shops. I’ve had hands on experience with many of these pieces and I’m very impressed with the concept and construction. While they look like casual silhouettes, these jerseys are part of an innovative design that allows you to access pockets on the bib “briefs”. Some of these products are meant to work as a kit and others are to be treated as a normal jersey. It’s hard to describe but the product photos below explain better than I can.
The technical, merino blends fit great and have clean, modern lines but most importantly for me, the New Road line is made in the USA and is still affordable. I have and will commend Giro for developing, designing and manufacturing this product line in the state of California.
There’s more to come but for now, you can see the product shots below.
Photos by Ben Ingham
Check out the newest offerings from Rapha’s SS13 line. I’m pumped to see some more women’s offerings and as always, the full line looks great. See more from the Spring Summer 2013 Lookbook for Training & Racing here and the women’s bib shorts here.
Hey Cindy and Mal!
Andy from Fyxomatosis has the best designer: himself. The man has an eye for classics, and his newest kits reflect that. Now if he’d only ship me some meat pies…
Pick up the new FYXO kits here!
