You can’t spell Classic without Class

Tee shirts are probably America’s favorite casual wear, so commonplace that most people will hardly give one a second look. So what people look for is a quality product, that has a pleasing and different design, and one that makes a statement about the wearer.

Like interesting people, an interesting tee shirt has something to say. It can be a conversation piece, which is why I think the trend is now to have the design on the front. A person would be unlikely to tap you on the shoulder and say, “Hey, I like the design on the back of your shirt.”

When I did an online search to find out what cycling related shirts were available, and what was trending, I was surprised, and somewhat disappointed, to find the choices limited, and often pretty generic. Hardly worth a second glance, or an “I like your shirt,” comment.

So I set about designing my own. My most recent one is at the top of the page, designed with the Vintage Bike enthusiast in mind. The bike picture I used was from an ad I placed in Velo-News back in January 8th, 1982, when I was still working in the Masi shop and trying to get my business off the ground. (See below.)

The original was a hand drawing from a photo of a bike I built in the late 1970s when I was back in England. The artist I only know as “Gustavson.” I don’t remember much about him, and I don’t think we actually met, he had contacted me by phone offering to do art work for me. Remember this was back long before computers and Photoshop.

One of my other recent designs (Above.) is my “Retirement Plan” shirt. The bike and rider is a modern one, I did not want to limit sales to “Vintage” bike enthusiasts. Designing tee shirts is just another way to keep my creative juices flowing.

To be successful in any venture one needs to be first, better, or different than everyone else. I can hardly be first, tee shirts have been around longer than I have. But I can produce a quality product that looks good and is different from others being offered. That business model served me well when I built bicycle frames. Wish me luck now. 

The shirts are available here: www.davemoultonstore.com Also eMail me davesbikeblog[AT]gmail[DOT]com if you would like the Classic design in a Hoodie Sweat Shirt, I am taking pre-orders. On the Hoodie the design will be on the back with a smaller design on the front left side. Let me know your size and color preference. 

Footnote: The Facebook Group for Dave Moulton Bikes is knocking on the door of 400 members. (396 at the time of writing this.) Check it out you don't have to be an owner to join.

  To Share click "Share Article" below

An open letter to all shorts manufacturers: Please take care of the Butt Crack issue

Back in 2007 I wrote a tongue in cheek piece called “Batman and Robin never had this problem.”

It addressed the problem of cycling shorts being so shear, that the outline of male genitalia could be seen in such detail that you could almost tell a person’s religious leanings, or ethnic background.

At the time I called for more padding in the shorts, and since then padding in cycling shorts has become larger and thicker, to the extent that we now see some serious male “Camel Toes” on the podium. This previous problem was not an issue when guys were actually riding their bike, but rather in parading around in coffee shops after riding. One does not want to see the “Brim of the Hat,” especially when eating.

So it seems cycling short manufacturers have taken care of the “Frontal” issue but are still ignoring the “Butt Crack” issue. The last thing I want to see when riding with a group, is to be staring at some guy’s butt crack as I am following his wheel.

Even if it is a female rider, there is nothing pleasing, or erotic about it, in fact it is downright embarrassing. I mean, what do you do? Ride along side and say, “Excuse me miss but did you know your butt crack is showing?” No you try to ignore it, and ride on wondering if anyone else notices.

In most cases if the shorts are worn properly with the rear seam centered correctly, it is amazing that a tiny row of stitching barely a quarter of an inch wide, is enough to hide the offending crack. But get the seam off to one side, as in the picture above, and the fabric stretched across the valley, becomes shear and see through. Especially when the sun shines on it. The old adage of “Put it where the sun don’t shine” does not apply in this case.

It is not just cheap shorts that have this problem, some expensive ones too. It seems to me that this would be an easy fix. An extra strip of the same material sewn on the inside would take care of it. This strip would only need to be no more than 2 inches wide. They could be advertised as “Hidden Valley” cycling shorts.

 To Share click "Share Article" below 

Winter Cycling Gloves

For die hard cyclists who train right through the winter, or maybe those who commute to work each day in all kinds of weather, a proper pair of winter cycling gloves, is a must.

I recently had the opportunity to try out two pairs of five finger winter gloves made by Castelli and Louis Garneau. 

The first pair I tried were the Castelli Diluvio Deluxe Gloves. (Picture left.)

Different than the usual approach to glove making, these are designed for keeping your hands warm, not only in cold conditions but cold, wet conditions, like winter rain or sleet. 

Made from neoprene, the same material wet suits are made from. The kind used by scuba divers and surfers.

The Castelli Diluvio Deluxe gloves are constructed from 3mm neoprene. The gloves insulate in order to keep out both wind and cold temperatures, but are thin enough that the wearer can feel the brake levers and gear controls.  

The design of these gloves is somewhat unique. Most gloves when not being worn lay flat with the fingers straight. These Castelli neoprene gloves when off the hand have the fingers pre shaped and curved.

When the gloves are put on the hand, the wearer’s fingers naturally take up the position they will form when wrapped around the handlebars or brake hoods. With the fingers pre curved in this way the neoprene material on the inside of the fingers has less of a tendency to bunch up.

A textured grip on the palm (See right.) makes sure the rider’s hold on the bars remains secure at all times, even in wet conditions. The glove has a long cuff that extends about four inches up the wrist, long enough to tuck into the sleeve of a jacket. This is very important because the blood flow to the hand needs to be kept warm in order for the hands to be warm. 

Because moisture can accumulate from sweat, is a good idea to turn the gloves inside out after a ride to allow them to dry, and disperse any smell that may accumulate. The gloves need to be hand washed and air dried.

These gloves are stylish and good looking. The company’s logo graphic is on the back of the hand, along with the Castelli name. A nose wipe strip on the back of the thumb, made from a soft fleecy fabric is a useful addition.

Although few materials excel at defeating the cold as well as neoprene, this material will keep out a light drizzle, it is not completely waterproof. However, like a wetsuit which is also worn next to the skin, the more water you encounter, the warmer that the gloves become. The Castelli Diluvio Deluxe Gloves come in the color Black and in the sizes Small/Medium, Large/X-Large, and XX-Large.

The second pair of gloves I tried were the Louis Garneau LG Shield Gloves. (Picture left.)

I am told that of Garneau's five-finger gloves, these are the warmest, and offer protection from wind, rain, sleet, and snow.

Unlike the Castelli neoprene gloves that are made from a single layer, the Garneau Shield Glove retains warmth by using layers of different materials.

This is accomplished by combining a 3M Drytex lining with varying thicknesses of Thinsulate interlining. There is more insulation layers around the fingers and less at the palm, which makes sense.

The exterior of the gloves is constructed of Garneau's Breathable Twillwave with a fully waterproof and breathable Hipora membrane.

There is a small ventilation panel in the middle of the palm (Pic. Right.) designed to allow sweat to evaporate.

A Faux Leather Amara palm, which fully extends inside all fingers and thumb, has strategically-placed foam padding at the base of the palm.

This glove has a soft nose wipe on the back of the thumb, and a Velcro tab to adjust the wrist closure for a snug fit. (See picture right.)

The gloves are warm and comfortable, and provide a good grip. Reflective piping on the back of the glove, (See above left.) provides some added visibility, when giving hand signals in the dark.

The Garneau LG Shield Gloves come in sizes Small through XX-Large and comes in a nice shade of black.

Both pairs of gloves are excelent quality, and performed well, although I did not get to try either in extreme wet conditions. Of the two I would slightly favor the Luis Garneau gloves, but for no reason other than they had a more familiar feel.

Note: After you click on the links to Evan’s Cycles at the beginning of each separate review, the glove prices can be set to your local currency at the top of each page.

  To Share click "Share Article" below

Retro style jerseys

A couple of weeks ago I received and email from Solo Cycling Clothing, a company from New Zealand that in April this year opened up a new branch in the US. They offered to send me a jersey to try out and review it here.

I am quite picky when it comes to reviewing products and I often turn down such offers; however, this one caught my attention because these jerseys were retro style, designed after those worn by pro riders from the 1950s through the 1970s.

This was my era, the period when I raced, when shorts only came in black, and jerseys were simple, tasteful designs, with a team name and that was it.

Paul Mason the founder of Solo said the company was born out dissatisfaction with the style of contemporary cycle clothing. He states,

“While I had a deep respect for modern pro-cyclists, I didn’t particularly admire the ‘moving billboard’ look of modern team kit.

What I did love was the clothing worn by the pro-riders of the 1950's - 1970's. These were simple and powerful designs which demonstrated that less is more.

Talking with my friends and cycling acquaintances made me realize there were other cyclists who felt the same.”

In certain cycling circles today it is frowned on to wear the modern team kit. My feelings are if a guy, or girl for that matter, is 20 or 30 something and looks like a pro, they can carry it off.

But if the cyclist has a middle age spread, and let’s face it many of us do, to be decked out in full team regalia with matching tops and bottoms is not always a pretty sight. Especially when sporting hairy legs, and a helmet with a sun-vizor.

My jersey arrived last week, it was a blue and black St. Neith design. (Picture left.)

Unfortunately I had ordered a Medium size, when I should have gone for the Large.

Not only was it too tight, it was too short and I had to struggle to reach the back pockets.

However, all was not lost; my wife who is now my regular riding partner found that it fitted her perfectly.

We did a longish ride of 40 plus miles last Sunday, and one of the first things my wife remarked on was the fact that the jersey didn’t ride up like her other jersey did. This was due to a rubber gripper strip that is sewn inside the bottom edge of the jersey. (Picture below.)

I’m sure this strip will also support the jersey when the pockets are fully loaded. I prefer to carry all I need on a long ride in my jersey pockets rather than have miscellaneous bags attached to my bike.

These jerseys, although retro in style, are made with the modern materials that wick sweat, keep you cool, and are easy to wash after a ride. An extremely well made product, and the price reflects this.

A nice retro touch is the knitted collar and sleeve cuffs. An extra zippered pocket on the right side rear is handy for money, keys and other stuff you don’t want to drop while pulling some other item from your pockets.

The jerseys are not replica jerseys, and do not represent actual teams of yester-year; but rather are unique designs inspired by retro jerseys. My wife loves the one Solo sent me, and will keep it. I am impressed enough that I will buy another in my size.

The US company's website is http://www.solocycleclothing.com/

The New Zealand company is http://www.solocc.com/

                       

Warm, practical and styling

I recently bought a pair of bib top, over the knee knickers. These are great for chilly mornings when it is too cold for shorts, but not yet cold enough for full length tights.

Now I have found these “Over the Calf” long sports socks that are advertised as suitable for soccer, baseball or volleyball; as far as I’m concerned they can add cycling to that list.

I find them ideal; they are warm, being 75% acrylic, and the rest a nylon, polyester and spandex mix.

They are inexpensive at $8.99 a pair, and they are made in the USA.

They are extremely practical; it now saves me the expense of buying another pair of full length tights.

And if a chilly morning ride turns into a warm sunny afternoon, I can remove these knee-highs and replace with ankle socks.

There is a wide choice of patterns and colors; I bought a lime green and black checkered, and an orange and black pair.

The top picture does not do the lime green color justice; they are bright, almost fluorescent; grabbing the kind of attention I need most, that of the distracted driver.

They are stylish and take me back to the 1950s when I wore plus-fours and fancy socks similar to those shown above worn by Fausto Coppi (Left.) and his brother Serse Coppi (Right.)

Then in the 1970s I had a pair of woolen over the knee knickers that I wore in similar style with knee length socks. (That's me on the right.)

I bought the socks from AbsoluteSocks.com and the over the knee knickers from ProBikeKit.

Once again I should point out that I was not paid for this endorsement.