Gear: Castelli fails me … again

My near-daily e-mail from Competitive Cyclist arrived today, and I was scanning the close-out deals. I was tempted to order a pair of Castelli bib shorts, marked down by about 50 percent, but then I remembered my love-hate relationship with Castelli. Love the fit, styling and design.  Hate the unreliable quality.

I’ve talked about this before when I reviewed Castelli’s Sottile rain cape. I’ve just had a few bad experiences with Castelli garments falling apart way too soon – sometimes after the first or second ride with them. I thought that the Sottile was going to help change my opinion. Purchased in February 2010, the rain jacket has served me well. It’s super light and the material is amazingly durable. I thought I had a real winner. But the other day when I put it on for a rainy workout, I couldn’t zip it up. The zipper got jammed up. There’s no obvious damage to the zipper. It simply won’t go up, and it’s difficult to undo once the zipper thingy is engaged. For $80, I expect much, much more. I’m going to take it to my neighborhood alternation shop to see if the zipper can be fixed, but I’m not optimistic.

I realize wet-weather gear takes a lot of punishment. But I’ve got a wind vest and jacket, both made by Pearl Izumi, that are still doing hard duty for me after 5+ years. I much prefer the design and fit of Castelli, but I love the way my Pearl Izumi gear just doesn’t seem to wear out.

Gear Review: Pearl Izumi AmFIB tights

My wise-cracking wife saw me slipping into my new Pearl Izumi AmFIB tights. She walked over, pinched the material around my thigh, laughed and said, “What’s this? Is it your new scuba suit? Ha ha ha ha!” I had to admit with a chuckle that my wife – a harsh critic of bike geekery - was right. The tights are made of a thick, almost rubbery-looking material that seems better suited for deepsea diving. I was worried they would cause some serious chaffing and discomfort  on long rides. But that hasn’t been the case at all. They’ve been extremely comfortable and warm. So far, they’re my best investment this winter. They provide excellent protection from the wind (I really don’t feel it) and my legs stay warm. Best yet, I don’t need to stick a wool sock or mitten in my crotch area to keep my junk from freezing. The tights protect me there, too.

I’m a frugal, patient shopper who rarely pays the retail price for gear. I tend to wait for the end-of-the-season sales and stock up with the bargains. I was tempted to wait for the Pearl Izumi tights to be marked down next month or in March. But it quickly became apparent that the leg warmers and Lycra tights that served me well in subtropical southern China were no match for the  Michigan winter. So I pulled the trigger early and paid $120 for the heavy-duty tights through REI online. The price was lower than competing brands, and Pearl Izumi has NEVER disappointed me when it comes to design and durability. The stuff wears like iron. I’ve had three pairs of Pearl bib shorts in my regular rotation for the past five years!

I had three options: 1) bib tights 2) bibless tights with a chamois or 3)bibless without a chamois. I went with option No. 3 - bibless without chamois - because I’m a huge proponent of flexible layering. I wanted to be able to strip off the tights if there was a drastic change in weather. That would have been hard to do with the bibs. I also planned to wear bib shorts under the tights for extra warmth. There also might be times when I wear the tights for snowshoeing or running, and the chamois would just be unneeded bulk.

Technical details: The tights are made of “Elite softshell” that serves as a wind barrier. They’re lined with fuzzy “thermal fleece,” which provides warmth and moves moisture away from the skin. The legs have a long bottom zipper, and reflective stripes that provide 360-degree reflectivity.  Grippy silicone material around the ankles keep the tights in place. The panel construction with the flat seams helps the tights hug the legs. The legs are cut with a slightly bend, which looks weird on the hanger but makes sense when you’re on the bike. A medium was the best fit for my body (1.83 meters tall, 78 kilos). The only thing I don’t like about them is that the waist line feels like it’s riding a bit low. But when I feel back there to see if I’m rocking a plumber’s butt, everything seems to be fitting fine. It’s weird but minor. I’ll get used to it.

Gear Review: Booty call – Part I, the lightweights

If I have a trademark, it would be that I almost always wear booties when riding. I started doing this three years ago while cycling in China. I called them “shoe condoms” because they protected my feet from all the nasty road muck common in developing nations, where roads also serve as sewage canals, toilets and spittoons. The booties also helped extend the life of my insanely expensive Sidi shoes, which have intricate stitching and seams that are extremely hard to clean when coated with gunk.

But the real reason I wear shoe covers is that they look cool.   

I don’t own many pairs because: a) they’re expensive and b) I’m not a collector; when I find a product I like, I just use it until it’s beyond repair. But I have ridden with a decent sampling of shoe covers, and I thought it might be interesting to share my thoughts about them.

Sidi Chrono. Price: $35-$40. 

Good: A simple design with flashy Sidi logos on the top of the toes, side and heel. Easy to slip on and the zipper stays zipped. They grip the foot like a glove. They also come in a bunch of cool colors: black, white, blue, lime green, white/black.

Bad: The Lycra is too thin and can be torn easily. In the photo above, you can see how I ruptured the booty when my foot rubbed up against a curb. The booty barely clears the ankle and should go higher to give better protection against road gunk that might try to trickle down your leg. At about $40, they’re too expensive.  However, they’re made in Italy so let’s hope much of the high price is going toward a living wage and benefits for the workers.

Pearl Izumi. (Sorry, the model is discontinued and I can’t recall its name or price. )

Good: My all-time favorites. A durable polyester/spandex booty that goes high above the ankle. The fabric has a funky weave, and the thick material is super grippy on the shoe. Easy to slip on, and the zipper stays up and doesn’t dig into your skin. I’ve gone through two pairs and wore the heck out of both of them. I really loved the electric blue ones. They’re reminiscent of the powder blue Duegi booties popular in the 80s.  

Bad: It would be great if some kind of vinyl material reinforced areas – such as the toes and heels – that are more exposed to the road. My booties are barely holding together in the toe area.  Some reflective stripes would also be welcomed.

Pearl Izumi’s newest version of the booty is called the Aero. From the pictures on the Web site, the design seems to be generally the same, but Pearl has ditched the zipper and is using the pull-on design. The price seems right at $15. I’ve been tempted to buy some really expensive covers from Assos, but I changed my mind when I started thinking about how easy it is to trash a pair. So $15 is really an outstanding price for the Pearls – a brand that has yet to disappoint me.  One unfortunate thing: The booties are only offered in white and black.  

Castelli Lycra Shoe Cover. Price: $35

Good: No zipper and super easy to slip on. The toes and heel are reinforced with vinyl material. Reflective piping up the heel makes it easier for cars to see you.

Bad: The Lycra isn’t grippy enough so the fit seems a bit baggy, not glove like. The booty doesn’t go high enough over the ankle and isn’t tight enough around the top of the ankle. This makes it easier for rocks and grit to work their way down inside the shoe cover. The purple color was unfortunate. I bought them online and in the catalogue photo, the bootie was more of a royal blue, and I was surprised to see the purple. This probably wasn’t Castelli’s fault, though.

The booties reviewed here don’t offer much warmth. In an upcoming post, I’ll take a look at some winterized shoe covers.