As most of you have felt… Winter is coming! The first snow has hit and people everywhere are looking to cuddle up with someone and snuggle up in front of the tele. But for the rest of us that have to or want to brave this winter on our bicycles, here are some ways to stay warm, dry, and all the while not looking like a the Michelin man. The best thing that you can do is Layer. Here are some good ideas to stay warm in the cold.
The first line of defense is a good jacket. We currently have in stock the Swrve Milwakee ES Hoodie Mid-Weight Soft Shell and the Mission Workshop Orion Waterproof Jacket. These two jackets are great for being the first line of defense when biking outdoors. The Milwakee Hoodie is wind and water resistant jacket with thermal lining. Every guy in the shop owns one personally and it’s an affordable tech jacket.
The Mission Workshop Orion Jacket is completely waterproof and made out of 4-way stretch Schoeller c_change material designed for all weather conditions.
The second best line of defense is an insulation layer. We currently have in stock the Mission Workshop Bosun Merino Wool Jacket. Merino wool is just about the best wool that you can get. The jacket is also blended with Lycra so you have full mobility and is the perfect under layer to the Orion Jacket.
We also have the two Chrome hoodies in stock. The Cobra Merino Hoodie for men and the Pasha Merino Hoodie for women is a more affordable way to get the benefits of Merino wool and also keeps you from looking like a dumpling (especially good for the ladies).
We just got in a shipment of Swrve winter clothing, including Softshell Trousers, WWR Trousers, and more Milwaukee ES Hoodies. Jason has been raving about the Swrve Milwaukee ES Hoodie for a little while now, and I’ve been loving the Swrve coated-denim jeans, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the Softshell Trousers. The water- and wind-resistant qualities make them perfect for this time of year, so expect a review soon…
Swrve hoodies, windbreakers, and base-layers ready to get you through the winter.
Swrve softshell trousers and denim jeans in stock now!
Wei Wei rocking the Swrve women’s wwr knickers and Swrve Merino wool base-layer top, along with an Outlier waxed-cotton cap, Knog Love/Hate gloves, and Puma Rings Hi boots.
Jason is digging the Swrve wwr trousers + Swrve Milwaukee ES Hoodie, with the Swrve Hiding Hoodie underneath, Nari/Furi gloves, and Chrome Saipan shoes.
I’m trying out the Swrve softshell trousers and the Swrve windbreaker, complimented here by white Vittoria 1976 shoes, white Rapha gloves, and a Superb cap.
Swrve is all hand-made in the USA, and the whole Swrve line is loaded with features for cyclists, such as articulated knees, seamless gusseted crotches, and well-placed reflective details for saftey at night. Come by the shop to check out the Swrve gear for yourself.
I just got a sneak peak at the new Chrome Shoe colors as well as the new slip on model. Expect to see smaller women’s sizing very soon, and the new colors and slip on is slated to be released this spring. We currently have the 4 original models in stock in all currently available sizes!
Chrome has just launched a new series of shoes specially designed for riding in. The shoes claim to have 1000d cordura, a propulsion plate, polyurethane slam pad, vents, reflective heal patch, vulcanized construction, lace garage, and flat lace cordura with steel aglet. Now that’s a lot to absorb, but it all comes down to the fact that these shoes have a stiff and comfortable sole and are made of very durable and weather resistant materials. They are available in 4 different styles, and 4 different colors, however not every style is available in every color. Styles go as follows: Kursk (lowtop) Midway (midtop), Saipan (hi top), and Arhem (Chukka). The Kursk and Saipan are very similar looking to Chucks except the Saipan adds a side zipper. The Midway is similar but uses suede instead of rubber for the toe and around the sides. The Arnhem is somewhere between a mid and hi made of all suede and has only a few laces, so it should not hang up at all on clips. So are they as good as they claim to be? I wanted to find out so I did a little comparison of the Kursks vs my lowtop Chucks.
Standing in the shoes the Kursks feel a little more solid and have a slightly thicker sole. Walking in the Kursks is quite comfortable out of the box and will most likely become more comfortable as they wear in but the added stiffness compared to my chucks didn’t feel unusual while walking at all.
Now for on the bike. With the Chuck on one foot and Kursk on the other it feels like night and day. At the edge of the pedal with my Chucks I can feel a sharp line across my foot where the sole is bending off the side from lack of support, however with the Kursk I can’t really even tell where the pedal ends because the sole isn’t flexing. The Kursk takes up a little more room in the straps so I had to adjust them slightly but they feel much more secure in the straps compared to the Chucks.
All in all I am rather impressed with these shoes. The attention to detail is there all the way to the steel tipped laces. We have these currently on display at Superb and will be getting our first shipment in as soon as they become available, which is supposed to be in a few weeks to a month.
