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Kit Connoisseur

1364 comments · 17487 views
Jeff Owens
May 05, 2014 at 12:15 AM
It's true. It's the biggest Fred overpriced sham out there. Cheaper than Assos, but they have really diluted the brand. Who knew that cycling would still attract even more desperate rich people post-Lance that they would pay $300 for bib shorts, $175 for short finger gloves, $50 for a fucking cap, etc. Yet, here we are!

I guess those guys were like "these idiots are buying $7,000 BEGINNER bikes...candy from a baby. Let's do this."
vlad
May 05, 2014 at 09:26 PM
When I see them on the roads, I like to think of people in Rapha kits as Freds from the future who've traveled back in time to ride our unspoiled roads.

An Assos kit on the other hand is the international symbol for douchebag.
ChiZhang
May 05, 2014 at 09:57 PM
does anyone have a solution to stop bibshorts from riding up when using warmers? The grip doesn't seems to work on the warmer surface and the shorts get bunched up in my crouch area
Marc Bertucco
May 06, 2014 at 04:12 AM

So here's a weird thing. I'm playing Facebook and see a picture of one of my midwest racing buddies, wearing a Weather Channel kit. The very same one that we see here locally. And so I ask him, is this the same team? And he says yes. But no additional information, other than he here's the Weather Channel dudes out here are scary.

Anyone know what's going on here with Weather Channel kitting up riders in two different regions of the country?
mugwump
May 06, 2014 at 11:20 AM
Chi said:
does anyone have a solution to stop bibshorts from riding up when using warmers? The grip doesn't seems to work on the warmer surface and the shorts get bunched up in my crouch area
Go track style--warmers on top of the shorts. Boonen does it.
ian ellis
May 06, 2014 at 02:19 PM
@Jeff

I've developed a bit of a thing for Rapha too. It started because I need wool jersey for this L'Eroica ride and Rapha have a Strade Bianche edition jersey - which seemed too appropriate to pass on.
Then Champ-sys stopped doing team socks - and the Rapha white merino socks are just so damned nice - and they are old school ankle socks too - not these mid-calf abominations that are all the rage.

Oh .... and they do lots of nice pink flourishes on their apparel - but I think you already knew that.
Craig London
May 06, 2014 at 07:27 PM
Champ sys question for skinsuits- does anyone have a favorite CS skinsuit? They have many diff flavors. I'm leaning towards the Apex suit. Seems like a happy medium between the speed suit and the regular skinsuit. Anyone with experience? I had the regular vanilla CS skinsuit and the leg grippers were miserable and cut into my legs.
mugwump
May 07, 2014 at 12:51 AM
Craig London said:
Champ sys question for skinsuits- does anyone have a favorite CS skinsuit? They have many diff flavors. I'm leaning towards the Apex suit. Seems like a happy medium between the speed suit and the regular skinsuit. Anyone with experience? I had the regular vanilla CS skinsuit and the leg grippers were miserable and cut into my legs.
Summer short sleeve skinsuit.  Love it for racing.  Never had a problem with the grippers.  
Marc Bertucco
May 07, 2014 at 12:58 AM
mugwump said:
Craig London said:
Champ sys question for skinsuits- does anyone have a favorite CS skinsuit? They have many diff flavors. I'm leaning towards the Apex suit. Seems like a happy medium between the speed suit and the regular skinsuit. Anyone with experience? I had the regular vanilla CS skinsuit and the leg grippers were miserable and cut into my legs.
Summer short sleeve skinsuit.  Love it for racing.  Never had a problem with the grippers.  
Warning...JP likes his kit...meshy.
mugwump
May 07, 2014 at 01:51 AM
Marc,
I know you love a good salty sweat.  All the same, there's ample evidence that running cool is faster.  
ChiZhang
May 07, 2014 at 03:49 PM
check this out http://www.racedots.com/shop/
no more pin holes
jesselash
May 09, 2014 at 09:57 PM
Can anyone speak to the bill length of the Euro vs CS Tech Style cap? I ordered a Euro last order, but have to wear it really far back on my head to be able to see anything at all, even in the hoods. Is the bill of the CS Tech Style shorter? Is my head just tiny?
Dan Reiners
May 09, 2014 at 10:50 PM
Chi said:
check this out http://www.racedots.com/shop/
no more pin holes
I can see these totally getting lost in the laundry, and those mini magnets are a real swallowing hazard around small children. I'll take the handful of pinholes that my racing puts in my jerseys before the elastic gives out or they turn into dirty nasty messes from riding/racing in the rain.

you could buy 500 of these for about the same price as 5 of those
http://www.amazon.com/Craft-Hobby-Neodymium-Magnets-3x1-5mm/dp/B0065O63BK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399676081&sr=8-1&keywords=mini+magnets
Jules
May 09, 2014 at 11:25 PM
RARE EARTH MAGNETS ARE INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS TO CHILDREN!

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24084613

Imagine what happens when a child ingests two magnets and they "find" one another in the kids intestines. 


Dan Reiners
May 10, 2014 at 02:58 AM
@Jules

 You're right, the hazard is not the swallowing, it is the rest of the process, and I think it would do the same to an adult's intestines.

I wouldn't try to test it, but then again I've eaten street food across SE Asia, so I mine must be lined with the same stuff they make Armadillo tires from.
Bruce van-Schalkwyk
May 10, 2014 at 05:11 PM
At the Tuesday Floyd race, I helped Migs from CIS put his number on with rare earth magnets.  It took both of us to get his jersey on so the magnets wouldn't contact each other.  His number stayed on, no holes in his jersey, but it was definitely a two-man job.

You can't quite see the magnets here, he's in the red kit, but his number is staying put.

I should add that I don't like the things.  They're very powerful, and I hadn't even considered the danger to children.
Jules
May 10, 2014 at 05:45 PM
Rare earth magnets are just behind button batteries in lethality I believe. Button batteries will burn through all the organs they come in contact with.

#familymen/women take care
Jules
May 14, 2014 at 07:40 PM
Paging Mr. @Owens, POC is ready for your deposit...

http://www.competitivecyclist.com/competitivecyclist/POC-Road-Apparel/cat100205271/promo.html?cmp_id=EM_CC_1091684_M1&mv_pc=r105
Jeff Apruzzese
May 15, 2014 at 01:34 AM
that orange poc helmet is pretty sick
Jules
May 15, 2014 at 01:39 AM
21% off if you order while the Giro is underway... just sayin'
(although the nice lady on the phone said they weren't expecting them to arrive until early June)
Dan Reiners
May 15, 2014 at 03:01 AM
I was riding in the park this evening as the drizzle was coming down. There were several other riders who were enjoying the park as well, with the fading light, and sparse traffic on a wet evening. Including a larger rider, wearing an all white kit. 

Why would you wear overstretched white lycra on a day with a strong chance of rain/wet?
Jules
May 15, 2014 at 03:03 AM
^so you're saying you got some eye-stank along with the drizzle?
Dan Reiners
May 15, 2014 at 03:08 AM

^ I was happy my glasses were covered in water droplets when I passed him, but I didn't even need the mental image his kit conjured.
Jeff Owens
May 16, 2014 at 02:28 PM
I will never, ever, get tired of the obese guy in the Lampre kit photo.  It's second only to the fat twins on the mopeds pic.  I giggle out loud every time I see them.  Tee hee!
Craig London
May 20, 2014 at 11:20 AM
If anyone has an extra size medium skinsuit with endurance chamois to sell let me know. I'm happy to buy one from you.
Jules
May 20, 2014 at 02:34 PM
I have a medium summer (mesh) skinsuit with tags still on it. Rare blue belly edition!
mugwump
May 20, 2014 at 06:04 PM
Chi said:
check this out http://www.racedots.com/shop/
no more pin holes
some guy had them in the 1/2/3 race on Sunday.   He said that he put them on no problem, but when he was trying to put on his jersey the magnets stuck together and he needed a screwdriver to pry them apart.  Maybe no more pin holes, but screwdriver holes are worse.

writing of magnets, I did find this on eBay somehow.  Nice for people who don't want to epoxy or zip tie a magnet to pretty cranks.  However, you need stee spindles for it to work.  (and the issue Jules brings up is still operative.)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Icarus-Hidden-CADENCE-SENSOR-MAGNET-for-bicycle-pedal-Garmin-Sigma-Polar-/271260607862?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f28646576
Jules
May 20, 2014 at 06:26 PM
I like my pinholes. They remind me I've been doing more than posing in pretty kit.
Unknown
May 20, 2014 at 09:42 PM
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David Yang
May 20, 2014 at 09:50 PM
Did something happen to your bars?  Where did the drops go?  Why are your numbers pinned on your stems?