all purpose gear thread

Oh boy winter. I've always biked to work but last year it was 2mi round trip 3x a week and now it is 7mi round trip 5x a week. I am totally not even sure of what to what with snow and fast cars and all

Also COOOOLD!! If you bundle up you are most assuredly stinky sweaty after 5 miles!

one of the BEST things about winter commuting is the very low sweat risk, imo. make sure your ears arms hands and feet are warm. overdress those if you have to do. the rest of you will usually be fine with street clothes and a breathable soft shell on the top. you needn't be stinky or sweaty or stinky sweaty.* if you are breathing harder than you would walking, youre going too hard. you won't be "warm" but you will be ok. because i commute in the morning in street clothes, not sweating is pretty much an obsession for me.

*if your ride includes like, 200 ft+ of continuous vert at 4%+, you may get sweaty if you exert yourself.

I have a serious aversion to cold though

What do people think of Vulpine? I think I am lusting after their jackets.

http://www.vulpine.cc/Shop

I need to buy a winter/rain/wind jacket but where to even start. maybe I'll just buy a gabba
http://www.wigglestatic.com/product-media/5360072722/castelli-gabba-rain-jersey-12-hrs.jpg

will rep the hell out my vaude racecut eVent jacket. no pockets, but really well-made, well-designed, and breathable.

like the look of that vulpine softshell a lot, but i doubt i'd buy a cycling specific softshell. i use a non-cycling marmot gravity for commuting, it's really great if you want a dual duty jacket, but cut all wrong for recreational riding.

Vulpine stuff I've seen in the stores is pretty great. It's cut so it looks good off the bike whilst being still functional on it. I've had the Rapha soft shell for the last 4 years or so and while it's a great jacket it's pretty slim cut and no so great if you want to get a shirt and a jumper under it for when you arrive at work. Depends what shape you are really.

I bought my sister a castellated soft shell last Christmas and that was very nice but I think I'm going off castelli, my latest shorts went baggy in the legs way too quickly and the logos don't stretch well with the fabric. I've lost some weight since I've been here but that shouldn't cause the leg cuffs to roll up.

The cold and rainy season's on its way, need softshell and gloves+shoe covers ... Vulpine (sold out!)+ GripGrab looks like a nice combo.

Oy! How do you ride a bike in the winter without having to spend $100+ on a jacket???

just gou out and hardman it. flandrien!

I just got GripGrab hurricane gloves and some shoe covers too. Not used the latter yet, but the former are really good after about five rides. Barely noticed I was wearing them which I take as a good sign.

The Vulpine softshell looks lush, but I'd be wanting to do 40-60 mile training rides in it from time to time, and I'm not entirely sure it'd be best suited to that. Whereas the Rapha seems more like it would...

just had my bike serviced

first ride - everything like butter
second ride - at low speed, there's a weird rubbing sound which goes away when you get rolling again. second ride was in the rain, and the sound was when climbing

what could that be?

I had something very similar a couple of weeks ago, actually, but it vanished after about 30 yards. Never heard it since so forgot about it, and it's been serviced since.

Rapha stuff seems awesome but normally when I buy clothing that expensive I only expose it to the elements when I'm walking from my horse-drawn carriage to the door of Francesca's palazzo.

i always think this thread is about steroids when i see it on sna

Rapha stuff seems awesome but normally when I buy clothing that expensive I only expose it to the elements when I'm walking from my horse-drawn carriage to the door of Francesca's palazzo.

― eris bueller (lukas), Thursday, 17 October 2013 10:56 (3 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Look at some Assos stuff some time, it is swiss and makes rapha look cheap.

It's also all disgusting.

I don't mind assos much; has a nice austere ~swissness~ vibe

I do prefer rapha tho and will probably invest in a rain jacket or race cape / softshell

I still think their bum grease is the best I've tried.

Think I'm definitely gonna get a Vulpine softshell when the new ones come out next month. Green, grey, or claret, though? Or, presumably, original black too?

I am thinking of a balaclava; I like the idea of all in one mouth/hat/scarf thing. I have a fleece one but it suuuucks bcz you cannot breathe in it! Anyone have a good one to recommend for like under 20 or 30? I feel like it might be one of those things where you can just get a regular one for cycling instead of a cycling-specific one but idk

Also I think this is the year I finally buy "gloves for cycling" (but again I am thinking maybe not "cycling gloves" bcz omg ex$pen$ive)

GripGrab god gloves. Rapha snood thing for balaclava.

For, not god. Fucksake.

that stuff is like crazy expensive. $40 for a fake hat!

"the hat can also be used as a collar, or even a headband for that bona fide 'Euro' aesthetic." barf

I mean I am fine w/ wacky multi purpose things but I am trying to score shit on the cheap here

still wearing summer socks w/overshoes and about an hour into my rides I lose feeling in my feet but I'm not sure if they're frozen or just pins-&-needle'd

surely I'd get the same sensation in my hands tho but they're well covered

I should probably invest in winter socks and some proper thermoroubaix overshoes right?

wearing oversocks not overshoes

Was tired of flappy ish wind vest, bought a castelli fawesome. Without tryin it on, hope it fits.

just picked up a capo lombardia jersey for winter. the same material as the gabba/fawesome at a lower price. aero fit & nice long sleeves so no gappy arm-warmers

the front isn't fleece-lined sadly but tht's not fatal

same material as the gabba/fawesome at a lower price

doh! i actually prefer arm warmers they are warmer (if not gappy) tho. i've never found a ls jersey that's just right- warm enough in the arms, not overheating my body. maybe capo is the one.

think fawesome still cheaper (it's just a gilet right?) actually

gabba jersey is rapha expensive but proof is in the peloton I guess

the lombardia is still s/s but they stop just above the elbow so that should eliminate the gappy arm warmer effect hopef

who makes good warm arm warmers? i always pick up generic spandex stuff that's not warm enough

i typically dislike pi stuff, it often has insufficient stretch and seems very unsupple, but i have their heavyweight-ish armwarmers and they are adequate. typical brushed fleece backing. looks like they don't make em like mine anymore, mine have cool asymmetrical cuffs that longer to the outside and slightly cut back by the thumb. i can wear them alone down to high thirties low forties if its sunny and dry.

can i have yours?

sure, if i find better ones for a good price i will send the pi to you. i'll be careful to wash the snot glaze off the back of the cuffs :)

I have capo and Rapha ones and they both work well (who has two sets of arm warmers? someone who asks for arm warmers for christmas, that's who). The raphia are heavier and warmer but the capo are still pretty decent and really both do well as if it gets too cold for the capo ones I'm going long sleeved.

want to upgrade the wheels on my winter bike to shimano R501s but the rear wheel is a cassette-style hub whereas my current wheels are 6-speed freewheel style

is it possible to use the R501s and how do I go about it?

semi-educated guess: you'll need to get the rear triangle spread to take the wider hub. you'll need a 6-sp cassette to replace yr freewheel, too, which might be more problematic.

hmmm sounds technical. so do I pay RRP and get a bike shop to do it or do I pay internet prices and try fudge it myself

RRP: £130. internet: £78 delivered

I'd look for a freewheel hub wheel, you could pick up some older ones on eBay or get some new ones. New ones will be cheap but distinctly un fancy.

is fused gear any good, it looks smart but not too sturdy imo? presumably to britishers as its a uk co afaict.

for example
http://www.alwaysriding.co.uk/fused-coated-canvas-14-litre-single-bike-pannier-2112.html

Abt to buy:

CatEye Volt 300 light (300 lumens for $60!!!)
Planet Bike Borealis gloves
maybe a cheap balaclava or hat

I have borealis gloves they are ok not great below 40. Stay recomendation of swix lobsters. 3 weeks ago I got the niterider 700 lumen for $90 on amazon, do shop, cheap hat balaclava always great.