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.

Reviews Revisited: Castelli’s Sottile rain cape

With most product reviews, I suspect reviewers remove the item from the box, inspect it a bit, take it out for a spin or two, then write the review. I can’t remember ever seeing a follow-up review – a post mortem after the product is used for a season or several months – in the mainstream cycling press. That’s what I’m going to do with things reviewed on Waffles & Steel.

Way back in February, I checked out the Castelli Sottile rain cape. I had two main worries about the garment – and the brand in general. The first concern was that although I’ve long been a fan of Castelli, some of my latest purchases were disappointing. The zipper on a full-zip jersey broke. I mailed it back and the company replaced it with a half-zip. Grrrrrrr. I also had a pair of bib shorts with stitching that started unraveling after the first ride. The company replaced them without a hassle, but the new pair developed the same problem – again after the first ride! So I bought the Sottile rain cape with some extreme reservations and concerns about quality. I was essentially giving Castelli one last chance.

The second concern was that the jacket’s transparent material seemed a bit too light. It felt slightly heavier than the cling wrap you use to wrap your sandwiches for lunch. I could easily picture the material snagging and ripping after the third ride and the US$80 garment would end up in the bin. (I bought it with my own waffle money.)

After three months of regular wear during the wet Guangzhou “winter,” I’m happy to say that I’m extremely impressed with the rain cape. It’s surprisingly rugged and so far shows few signs of wear. It’s super light and is easy to scrunch up into a little bundle that fits easily into a back jersey pocket. In Guangzhou, you can never tell if the skies are dark because of the pollution or approaching storms. So it’s smart to carry a rain cape on most days in the winter and spring. The Sottile is so light and easy to carry that I rarely debate whether to take it with me. I don’t notice it when it’s in my back jersey so I pack it on most days.

The rain cape also breathes extremely well and is comfortable to wear. Last week, I set off on a pre-work morning ride in a light drizzle. About 15 minutes into the ride, it stopped raining and I thought about taking off the jacket. But since the ride was only an hourlong, I didn’t want to waste time stopping and holding up my riding buddy. So I kept the jacket on and I felt fine. If I were wearing a traditional PVC plastic rain cape, I’m sure I would want to remove it. One thing I’ve noticed with people who wear those things is that they’re ready to get rid of them the second the rain stops because they’re so hot.

It’s nice to have dry arms in the cold, clammy Guangzhou “winters,” but it’s not a big problem in the summer. That’s why I’m seriously thinking about investing in the vest version of the Sottile.