GEAR REVIEW

Cycling gear is expensive, unbelievably expensive! We are bombarded with information, new technology, and sexy ads. In an earlier post it was mentioned about buying speed or coolness. We can add to the mix the weight weenies and aero aficionados. Toss this all together like a Caesar salad and you have more confusion than Astana trying figure out who is riding for whom.

There is no doubt that quality gear adds to comfort. If you want to perform better, lose five pounds and train more, train faster, don’t buy stuff. To me the most important piece of gear is the piece that protects your butt from the saddle. You got it, your shorts. The amount of time I spend in the saddle I need comfort, especially for the weekend ride. I have tried many brands and prices with mostly unsatisfactory results. Here are two brands that bring the best balance of price, quality, performance, and comfort for me:

GORE BIKE WEAR Power Bib Short $79.99 (Reg$109.00) at Performance Bike. These are by far my favorite shorts. They have extended the chamois area with a soft layer which makes them very comfortable.

Performance Elite Bib Short $79.00 also at Performance Bike and Bicycle magazine rated them as best value.

Spending eighty bucks on some shorts is a lot, but there are shorts out there that hit $250.00 plus and trust me, you do not want the $30.00 pair. Not only will they not last, but they will not give you the protection you need.

I read a story about Bob Roll. He and some friends were training together in Northern CA. One of them had a sponsor that provided him with fancy jerseys and outer layers. Bob wore his mother’s hand me down, third generation from his grandmother, cashmere sweaters as an outer layer because cashmere is wool and stays warm regardless if it is wet. Needless to say he got a lot of grief and ribbing for his “jersey”, but he said it just motivated him to ride harder. The point is more expensive does not necessarily make it better.