Wednesday, January 23, 2013

At work today I jinxed myself; I commented how my bathroom pipes hadn't frozen.  When I got home and went upstairs, I commented to Mrs CB2 how cozy our bedroom was.  "I'm trying to thaw a frozen pipe" was her reply.

Doh!

Yes Winter is here, but that doesn't have to stop you from riding.

Here's what I've been wearing these past few days are:

The Shimano boots and the two Pearl Izumi pieces really are the standouts of my ensemble.  For me the Amfib's are too warm for anything but the most extreme weather (I have a somewhat freakish indifference to temperature*).  Warm and dry is the name of the game, and the Elite Soft Shell and Elite Thermal Fleece fabric deliver.

The Pro Soft Shell gloves have kept my hands comfortable this week.  They are as warm as some lobster gloves I've tried.  The primaloft® insulation provides a cozy yet not bulky anatomic habitat for your paws.  Tonight one of my pinkies was beginning to feel the chill by the time I got home, but single digits + 16 mph for an hour will do that.  I've worn them into the 40*F's without overheating but I haven't (fortunately) had the opportunity to test their water resistance.

**I started wearing the Shimano MW81 boots in October when the the temperature began dipping into the upper 30's on my commute and as the weather has gotten more "challenging" they have proven themselves time and time again.  The Gore Tex liner works well to to keep moisture out while breathing enough to keep my feet from over heating.  Yet even on the coldest rides this year the fleecy lining has kept my feet   indifferent to temperature.  The Velcro closures seem to be some sort of Super Velcro fastening the boots securely from the neoprene ankle wrap to the toe strap.  The sole is stiff enough for efficient power transfer, while the widely spaced lugs offer plenty of traction for off the bike excursions.  I'm skeptical of any claims of water resistance (or waterPROOF), but when a friend trying to be helpful sprayed me with the hose after a muddy ride, they remained impervious to the blast.  The comfort range I've experienced so far has been single digits to mid 40's.

There's an old saying "There's no bad weather, just bad clothing".  I don't know if I'd go that far, but with the right gear I've comfortably stayed on the bike and out of the car this Winter.


*when I'm exercising; sitting at home, sure I'll take another blanket

**Yeah, this rehashes the shoe review, but I needed something for work, but stop by and you'll see I'm using all of the above daily

2 comments:

fabian said...

Keep riding Charlie!

Hill Junkie said...

We think similarly on clothing. I also like the PI softshell jacket. Good down to +20F or so without a windbreaker, it is stretchy and works perfectly for XC skiing. Feels similar to the AmFib tight material. Only peeve with PI is they constantly change their designs and fabrics, and sometimes they produce a miss. I've worn many AmFib tights out and can never buy the ones I liked best again.