Sorry to repeat question
is a winter kit order pending 

Yea, we're working on finalizing a few things with sponsors and kit proofs.  We are hoping to get the store open in the next couple of weeks.

For sale: LeCol Kissena Bib Shorts, Size Small.

They seem well-constructed, the spandex is nice, the chamois is comfy, and the leg bands solid.  But, for me, the legs are just too long.  I guess my legs are kind of stumpy.  The inseam on these measure about 11", which is about 2" longer than my Kissena Champ-Sys shorts.

The leg bands are made out of a heavier spandex and have lots of gripper material on them.  THey stick well on Champ-Sys knee warmers.  The bands are about 2.5" tall and are about 14" around.  The blue spandex seems to go up higher in the back than with the Champ-Sys bottoms.  The bib material seems about the same.  There's quite a bit of stetch left in the bibs.  I think someone with longer legs or taller and with longer legs, would fit these better.

Worn twice.  Washed twice.  

Asking $65.


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I also find the legs long on the ones i got

same. way too long. 

Out of idle curiosity, with the length discrepancy between the two, I'm guessing for Champ Sys bibs you guys don't utilize the additional length option they provide? I usually add extra length to Champ Sys since I have longer legs so I don't find the difference into be too stark

I typically ride Medium for Champ Sys, and got a Small for LeCol -- the Le Col is easily 4 to 5 inches longer, falling basically on my knee. Not sure why it matters, we wont be ordering from LeCol again.

Just idle curiosity to distract me from doing the work that's piling up on the my desk

Maybe off topic but not sure:

How do some of these companies like MAAP, PNS, and Rapha get away with charging $300 for a pair of bib shorts? Are they REALLY all that more advanced than a $180 pair or $100 pair? I’m assuming it’s all branding and marketing mark-up, but let me know if you feel different? Do you get $300 worth of benefits out of a nice pair of bibs?

The short answer is no. A good pair of $100 bibs that fits well be as good as any other at any price.

The longer answer is that premium is a very real thing, and the brands you mention (MAAPS, PNS, Rapha) certainly have upped the game in the past decade or so: fabrics are better, if you get the right size the fit will too be a bit better, the pad will often last longer, and they way they "feel" is too better. They usually have good support too (any kind of defect, if a seam opens they'll replace it, etc) -- you are correct tho, part of the price is what goes into marketing, support, etc... 

Of course, we ride champ sys, they have 3 tiers, and you can test all levels. Tech is their lower tier, and frankly, all you would need. Performance, middle tier, is then more than enough, and as the name suggests a little more racey. Apex is tour de france quality (in fact, Pogi won a tour on it) we don't really need it, but a piece or two can feel nice. 

Your mileage will vary. 

Agree with Eloy , except I have a pair of PAs Normal 3/4 knickers and the Chamois is no where nearly as comfortable as the champ systems , I think sometimes a brand works for you and not others 

Chiming on here, didn't see this brand mentioned so figured I'd share. I found out about The Black Bibs from reddit and have 2 pairs of thermal bib tights from them. They are $100, and they are amazing. I only just got my champ sys tights so haven't worn them out IRL yet, but fully endorse black bibs. I have a thermal long sleeve jersey from them that's also great, not quite a race fit but I may have just bought a looser model. https://theblackbibs.com/

I do have one pair of rapha bib shorts, they are definitely nice and the chamois is super comfy. Noticeably better than the few Przewalski or Pearl Izumi bib shorts I've bought on amazon for training, but of course much pricier and an indulgence. The Przewalski/Pearl Izumi bibs have been perfectly fine for me for all manners of training/rides, and esp for ripping around prospect park. I tend to save the Rapha bib for longer rides.

Does anyone here have any experience with getting prescription lenses for cycling glasses? Oakley offers it but it’s really expensive. There seem to be some online brands offering them for a lot less, although I don’t know what the quality of the frame and lenses would be like.

LennartZandbergen said:

Does anyone here have any experience with getting prescription lenses for cycling glasses? Oakley offers it but it’s really expensive. There seem to be some online brands offering them for a lot less, although I don’t know what the quality of the frame and lenses would be like.

This is, IMO, much trickier than even getting sports glasses.  I've found with cycling glasses that the variables are hugely important--face shape working, or not, with lens and frame geometry.  Some sports glasses fit my face fine, while others fog up quickly and a few barely offer any protection.  In terms of shape, I'd want to try before I buy, especially when considering it's an investment.

There's a company out in Colorado that seems to be able to put prescription lenses in any sports glasses. they are https://sportsoptical.com/. A friend has used them with success.

Tifosi, which is a 'discount' brand, has pretty good lenses for their regular sports glasses.  I have mixed feelings about their aesthetics.  I'm happy with the quality of the lens, I think Greg Hoge is as well, and they were reviewed by VeloNews (now Velo) a few years back as having pretty much the same clarity as Oakley.  Tifosi does have a prescription offer;  I might know someone who has done it.  

On the Oakley front, I saw on Saturday that a friend had just gotten a new set of prescription Oakleys--it was that tall guy Marco at the GWB.  However, his decision might have been influenced by his bike club: he rides for that Colavita outfit of largely Italian expats, and one of the guys in the group works for Luxottica.  

Thanks very much for this!

I agree there's a lot of variables with cycling glasses, and quality differs massively. One of the reason I'm leaning towards Oakley's is my experience with the five years old Radar EV I have now. Except for needing prescription, I could happily use them for many years more. The fact that I can try on their products in practically any bike shop in town helps too.

Also, they currently have a huge discount on their prescription offering, so I might be tempted to not try another brand. However, the Colorado shop looks very promising, and I see they do some Oakleys too. 

I see what you mean about Tifosi's aesthetics. Certainly for prescription glasses, there's not that much choice.

If you have optical insurance you can apply it on oakley's website. I've been meaning to do that but haven't gotten around to getting an updated prescription. 

@LennartZandbergen sportRX has loads of options for a variety of sports

Several years ago, I purchased a set of WindBlox ear warmers for my daughter.  I figured it was one less step to get her ready for school in the winter--we rode in all weather.  

Since those days are over, the ear warmers have been sitting in a bin.  Until today.

While I think the company over-hypes the benefits, they do keep my ears warmer than the thin earband I typically use. And it wasn't hard to have the temples of my glasses go between the warmers and my head.  However, it is hard to get the helmet on, as they kind of interfere with the secondary retention system.  And they dempen sound a good bit, so I needed to mentally adjust how fast a car is approaching--since I was solo, can't tell how it impacts conversation or not.   They sit a bit lower, which isn't great.

@LennartZandbergen I have progressive lenses for my Oakleys. I'm impressed with the lens quality

I'm not sure if you stated whether you needed something for distance, reading (the head unit), or both. For distance there are several manufacturers that make inserts (like Mark tagged above), but for readers there are fewer options 

It’s distance and some pretty strong astigmatism. Interestingly, I’ve always felt ok cycling without wearing my glasses but I would never ride a car without them. I’m starting to feel less comfortable biking without, so I guess it’s time to do something about it

I'm at the point where I am contemplating a bike computer with a bigger font (old man shakes fist).

Re: bibs

My partner works in fashion and we’ve been talking about this.

She says that most synthetic fabrics used for sports garments are very cheap by the square foot. Large volume manufacturers like Rapha are able to get those fabrics for $1, smaller brands with smaller runs could be paying up to $5. If a garment has Lycra on the label, the brand is paying a royalty fee to Lycra for that branded fabric.

@DavidVibert

Thanks for returning to this.

When I was doing copywriting for Competitive Cyclist, the owner of Capo Cycling at the time loved referring to something as having "a nice hand," meaning the fabric was pleasing to touch.  I don't know what a roll of spandex fabric goes for, but there is definitely a difference not only in touch, but in durability across the spectrum of clothing producers.  

For years, Assos had much nicer-feeling fabric, and the stuff lasted longer than most of the other companies out there--the spandex would remain healthy and the grippers grippy well beyond almost everyone else.  When Rapha first came out, I felt like their stuff was designed to look good on a website, as the fabric was unimpressive.  They've certainly turned those things around, at least for the fancier stuff.

I generally find that more expensive threads seem to last longer, though it isn't universal.  I've got a pair of fancier Castelli bottoms and the spandex is starting to go in two places, even though they're barely four years old.  I checked their website and they seem to have discontinued the design, so perhaps there was something about the ways the panels pulled that caused the premature seeming wear.  I have a another pair of Castelli Bibs, their Bodypaint bottoms, which they somehow made out of a single piece of fabric. These are over a decade old. While the bib straps were thing and aren't doing great, the spandex still looks good and stretches well.  

I should add that when it comes to all bottoms, and some of the nicer, thinner tops, I put them in sweater bags before washing on cold and air dry whenever possible.  

Everything is substantially cheaper to make than people realize.  A good rule of thumb is the MSRP/4 is the cost to produce something.  Textiles and clothing have even higher markips simply because they are "consumable", people have a higher tendency of returning them, and their labor doesn't scale quite as well as hard goods.

As for bibs and cycling kit specifically, I've found that you get what you pay for.  Whether that's the brand name, branding/aesthetic, fabric r&d, cut/tailoring, or quality control.  

I picked up a set of Assos' Reform bibs this week. (https://www.assos.com/us/reform-bib-shorts-188703.html) They are their lowest end model and are a mash up of the previous generation equipe S7 chamios and Mille GT fabric.  Today was my first ride in them (73 miles) and they are by far the most comfortable bibs I have.  I typically use Neopro, Champsys Performance, and Black Bibs - nothing crazy high end.  I often get chafing by the end of longer rides but not today.  The chamios of the Reforms is not stitched down on the sides (all assos bibs are like this) so it can shift and move with your body and this seemed to help a good bit.  My one gripe is that the shoulder straps are a tad too short, but I have a long torso, so that a personal thing.  If you're Assos-curious like me, I suggest giving them a try.

JFC. What a fucking travesty

I now understand why MvdP wanted to win that rainbow jersey so bad