Gearing up …
It’s wintertime.
Which means going out for a ride entails putting on a LOT of clothes.
It sometimes feels like getting dressed takes more time than the actual ride.
And here in Switzerland our apartments tend to be quite well heated. So you really have to time putting on the final items (thermal jacket, gloves, hat, booties) so you don’t end up overheating before even getting out the door.
There have been times when I’ve been sweating just standing there in my hallway, particularly if I’ve been struggling to put on my overshoes. I guess it is one way of warming up pre-ride …
Pulling out all these clothes recently has made me think about what my favourite piece of kit is.
Now does favourite equate to most used, or most comfortable, or most stylish (i.e. the thing I most enjoy wearing due to the look)?
Rather than decide, let’s take each classification in turn.
Most Used
My go to most used item are my Castelli Perfetto RoS (Rain or Shine) gloves. These are hands down (ahem) the best gloves I have ever owned.
They are long fingered gloves made with Gore-Tex Windstopper fabric and feel like a neoprene type glove. They are lightweight for a winter glove but have always kept my hands warm.
Especially good in damp conditions, they don’t hold too much water (and you can always wring them out during a ride if they get too wet).
They’re rated to be effective from 4-14 deg C but I’ve ridden in them in below zero temperatures and they still keep the cold away from my fingers.
They’re my go to glove for any ride from Autumn right through to Spring. And they’re always helpful to have on hand for cold summer mornings too. They seem to have that magic ability to be warm enough in the cold and not too hot on warmer days.
So they’re for sure my most used item in my collection.
Most Comfortable
Not my legs
Comfort.
This section has to be won by a pair of bib shorts.
For long rides the one thing that is going to determine how much you’re going to enjoy your day out is how your rear feels 3 or 4 hours into that ride.
The most recent 2 pairs of shorts I bought both happen to be made by Q36.5. But the best out of the two is the Dottore L1 Bib Short.
They balance a great level of compression with a super comfy pad. They are also made from a brilliant material (woven microfibre apparently) that dries really quickly. It also has the added benefit of looking really nice and a gives them a different look from normal shorts.
The straps are super light too, they don’t cut in or irritate in any way.
They are one of the brand’s cheaper bibs – but still not super cheap, but what price comfort?
Most Stylish
I love the look of my CHPT3 Rocka winter jacket. I bought this quite a few years ago now, but it still looks pretty much brand new despite getting a lot of muddy winter wear.
The jacket was a collaboration with Castelli, and a variant on their Gabba jacket at the time. It has a great high collar that can be fastened either way to keep warm or to give a flash of colour.
Whilst stylish, I do have an issue with the rear pockets, of which there are only two rather than the typical three and have a rain proof flap over the entrance. These two things combined make getting my hands into the pockets quite difficult.
But I do really like the little pocket on the front of the jacket – perfect for my keys (or my pocket watch).
Allied with being stylish, it is also super warm and waterproof against all but the heaviest storms.
I’m sure you all have your favourite bits of kit - let me know in the comments below
Consistency is key
I’m sure many of us are trying to work out how to ensure we’re in good shape come our big summer rides, events or cycling holidays. I’ve written before about my training plan (drop me a line if you want a copy you can use) and I’ve just finished reading an interesting article on the Escape Collective.
It is about how different training plans compare in effectiveness. The article is behind a membership paywall but I fully recommend signing up to the site if you’re at all interested in road and / or mountain biking.
The short version is that it doesn’t really matter what type of cycling training plan you are on, the key thing is sticking to it and being consistent in your training. And don’t worry to much about if you have a crappy session, or you miss one. Sticking to the 12 or 16 weeks you’ve got mapped out towards your goal is the way to success. Don’t be discouraged either if you don’t see immediate gains – they’ll come through your regular training and recovery.
Featured Tour
Ventoux Long Weekend 28th May - 1st June
We’re organising an early season training trip down to Provence to test our legs up Mont Ventoux and on the roads around. This is a four day trip, with relatively short days compared to our usual tours - think 60-80 km per day. We’ll climb Ventoux from Bedoin and from Malaucene, as well as taking in the amazing roads in the region - including Les Gorges des Nesque.
Drop me a line paul@bornecycling.com if you’re interested in joining.
What I’ve been listening to while writing
Funkrock - Various Artists
This is a playlist I’ve had to build as the album itself is not on Spotify - but luckily all the tracks are. I picked this album up on vinyl back in 2007 and it is packed with some classics and some forgotten tunes that are true classics themselves. From Trip to Your Heart by Sly and the Family Stone sampled by LL Cool J , to The Moog Machine covering a song from Hair, and the amazing Anti Love Song by Betty Davis. This album is all about where rock meets funk.
Enjoy.