We're going with 5" JP

*frantically begins measuring his socks*

Shut up and take my money.

(fixed your typo Dave)
  

Hahaha, the phrase sans gif is supposed to indicate that I'm completely serious about it, which I am. I want those socks!

I like em

@BenFinoRadin Which jersey are you wearing in this photo? Looks comfortable and sharp. https://us.v-cdn.net/5019667/uploads/editor/rx/3xyr9du0w16p.png 

MaxThorn said:

@BenFinoRadin Which jersey are you wearing in this photo? Looks comfortable and sharp. https://us.v-cdn.net/5019667/uploads/editor/rx/3xyr9du0w16p.png 

I think it's the Apex Aero? It's suuuuuuper comfy and a great fit – good grippers etc. Two downsides: expensive, and the long-ish sleeves make for silly tan lines (think like an inch above your elbow).

If the sleeves were shorter, it'd be the perfect jersey. Anyone have suggestions on a model with that fit, but shorter sleeves?

Oh, the rules.

If tan lines are tattoos, then the ones the aero jersey makes are tramp stamps

to those ordering champsys bibs: beware your thighs.  sizing is always mysterious with champ sys...

always a medium in their bibs but apparently i'm not anymore, despite losing weight?  picked up some new kit and started wearing it exclusively this week and lo, champsys left its mark on me.  aspiring dermatologists, please expound



is champsys still a good deal?  it seems more expensive than years past.  i prefer my thigh pain to come from intervals

Damn.
I've had new kit slice my skin, my legs with grippers, and my ass.  Makes for a difficult shower.  
It eventually stops cutting.  
Think ChampSys could use that as a slogan?

Jesus Brandon your legs must be growing.

Brendan Rigby said:

is champsys still a good deal?  it seems more expensive than years past.  i prefer my thigh pain to come from intervals

This question comes up every year and is super valid.

The serious answer to this is "go see for yourself." In 2015 there were about twenty different kit manufacturers that had an online presence. That number is surely twice as big now.

Keep in mind the factors that go into the decision:

• cost - remember Rapha does custom clothing too
• per-person collating
• shipping time/cost
• how many orders per year
• clothing pieces available
• clothing quality (turns out Castelli's custom kit is nothing like their retail merch)
• sponsorship
• difficulty of managing proofs and changes
• difficult of managing the online store

As I'm sure anyone who has worked on the club's kit will attest it's a ton of work before you consider changing designs or manufacturers.

Nothing lasts forever though, so if you have the time/information/skills to help with clothing reach out to the Board via email and make something happen.

Just don't expect it's free in terms of time/effort.

My team in Houston is dealing with this issue.  Past kits came from Castelli, but the rep went AWOL for a while, their support wasn't very good and apparently the chami falls apart pretty quick.  So the team manager decided to partner with Endo, some hipster manufacturer out of LA.  Kits designed, sent to them, and then they went AWOL.  Straight ghosted like a Tinder date.  They've gone back to Castelli, but no timeline when we'll get them.  It's been nearly seven months of this nonsense since I paid my $$.

For now, HAM Cycle's loss is Kissena's gain, as I'm repping Kissena at the local races.

At least there's a happy ending to this story

I will echo what has been said.

Champion is surprisingly, and unfortunately, a good representation of what the market for custom's kit is.

All manufacturers have pros and cons, but at this time changing from Champion will bring significant upfront work, with no clear benefits to the club.

This is a good example of the grass is always greener. And probably, also, a good example of a market space where disruption might be possible.

JohnMalcolmson said:

Proposed sock designs for CX and road.
Min order is 100 pair so we'll start with one design. Projected fall delivery. 

Bump?

#icanhazsocks?

when i rudely nagged John about the socks this morning he said that he needed to finish the new website first. the nerve...it's like we're not paying him to work or something!

Website to be unleashed soon. Socks will follow.

On that note, if anyone has any pithy lines to add to the in-shoe area bring them on (with the caveat that we might want to sell to general public at some point). 

The story of Kissena Park is tied to Samuel Bowne Parsons, a botanist who established a nursery in the present-day park in 1872. He is the namesake for Parsons Boulevard, which approaches the park. An amateur historian, he studied the Native Americans and bestowed the Chippewa word for “it is cold” on the lake. It did not seem to matter that the Chippewa nation lived further to the west. The name appeared fitting as it was used at the time for ice harvesting in winter.

JohnMalcolmson said:

Website to be unleashed soon. Socks will follow.

On that note, if anyone has any pithy lines to add to the in-shoe area bring them on (with the caveat that we might want to sell to general public at some point). 

At one time, I would have pushed for Gymkata!  or Khan! but I think that moment has passed.  

looking forward to the new site.

Ah, Gymkata!

Good times...

I do fondly remember the perplexed looks that yelling Gymkataaaaa! while winning a Floyd race garnered. 

Maybe "wrongway"

wins on multiple levels.

Any mention of "Chippewa" would be remiss without some Gordon Lightfoot..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vST6hVRj2A

Jules said:

Maybe "wrongway"

wins on multiple levels.

This gets my vote x 100

I posted some team kit (and non-team kit) for sale or trade over on the Marketplace thread. Check it out!

And I'm finally getting around to posting photos of my busted POC rain booties. I bought these late last winter. They have not held up well. 


The arches were first to go. 


The heel didn't last much longer.


The toe came unstitched.


A zipper broke, and most of the reflective tape has long since flaked away. 


And the waterproof seam-tape has peeled away. 

@MaxThorn How many times did you wear the booties? They don't look as sturdy as winter booties but I would have expected the to hold up though plenty of spring rainy days. 

max, love the photographs...life cycle of a cycling boot!  cycling booties have always fallen short of my expectations.  they always disintegrate.  that's why i decided to just buy boots.  i guess us urban riders unclip and put the foot down too often...

edit: but i've never had one where the toe came unstitched!  that's a new low

@PatrickG I wore them probably nine or ten times before they started showing wear, first the fabric underneath on the arch, then the reflective tape (whatever), then the seam tape (bad). I think @Brendan Rigby is right: in NYC we put our feet down more often than product engineers expect a rider to. By the time I posted the photos above, I'd probably worn them thirty or forty times. I learned very quickly at Bear Mountain 2015 that they wouldn't keep my feet that dry because water can easily come in through the top of the cuff, which does not fit snugly around my ankle. (Try before you buy!) I'll still wear them whenever it rains, but I began also wearing them as a wind-breaking outer layer on cold days over my DeFeet booties. They work fine that way, but I believe I'm due for something new. Suggestions, anyone? 

@MaxThorn i got these from Redbeard: http://www.fizik.com/eu_en/men/shoes/accessories/wp-winter-overshoe.html

they fit very well and seem to do the trick. i was assured they're waterproof but haven't yet ridden through any cataclysms to truly test them. they also appear sturdy and well put together (i.e. strong) so hopefully they'll hold together for a while. I got mine a bit later in the winter this year so haven't had the chance to wear them more than a dozen times or so. Still look mint though.