Not surprisingly, the Scandinavian
crew at Craft
Photo ©: James Huang
|
Craft winter clothing
Winter has arrived for those of us in the northern hemisphere,
but that hasn't kept our reviewers from hitting the road (or dirt,
as the case may be). New across the Tech Desk is a full complement
of cold weather gear from the Scandinavian clothing experts at Craft
to keep us toasty as the mercury drops.
Whilst it is seemingly most known for its excellent base layers,
Craft also produces a full line of both warm and cold weather cycling
apparel for both men and women. Included in our winter kit are Craft's
Pro Race winter-weight bib shorts along with accompanying winter
knee and leg warmers, and the Gore Windstopper thermal bike jacket.
Naturally, Craft also included its particularly insulative proZERO
long sleeve base layer as well as its protective Gore Windstopper
boxers. A snug-fitting Gore Windstopper skullcap fits neatly under
crash lids and a pair of Siberian gloves round out the package.
Price: Pro Race winter bib shorts: US$169.99; winter knee
warmer: US$49.99; winter leg warmer: US$54.99; Gore WS thermal bike
jacket: US$189.99; proZERO long sleeve crew: US$49.99; Gore WS Gunde
short: US$34.99; Gore WS skull hat: US$29.99; Siberian glove: US$59.99.
Louis Garneau's Speed TS
Jacket offers up wind and water protection
Photo ©: Jonathan Devich
|
Cool weather assortment from Louis Garneau
Canadian cyclists clearly know a thing or two about keeping warm
as the sun begins to cast continually longer shadows, and an assortment
of Louis Garneau cool weather gear arrived just in time for the
leaves to turn. The women's Finland Tights offer up a compressive
fit, courtesy of Lycra Power, that Garneau says offers up maximum
muscle support. A multitude of panels is joined with flat-lock seams
for a cycling-specific fit, and an Ergozone women's specific insert
is included to minimize layers. A drawstring waist, ankle zippers
and grippers, and reflective logos complete the package.
The Speed TS Jacket uses a windproof four-way stretch TexStretch
material that is supplemented by a DWR (Durable Water Repellent)
coating for a measure of water resistance. Further protection is
provided with the inner flap on the full-length zipper, a high-cut
and mesh-lined collar, and Lycra trim on the cuffs and hem.
Cyclingnews doesn't want its reviewers' feet to freeze, either,
so Louis Garneau finishes off the kit with a pair of Stop Tech booties,
made of a water- and windproof laminate with a reinforced toe and
heel. A full-length zippers eases entry and exit, and reflective
appliqués adorn the sides and heel.
Price: Finland chamois tights: US$169.99; Speed TS jacket:
US$99.99; Stop Tech booties: US$39.99.
Titan Carbon helmet
Photo ©: Jonathan Devich
|
Louis Garneau Titan Carbon helmet
In addition to a full line of clothing (and road and TT bikes,
for that matter), Louis Garneau also offers helmets, including its
top-of-the-line Titan Carbon. The company's new top-of-the-line
lid offers up 22 carbon-reinforced vents in an EPS liner with a
co-molded shell, along with its adjustable Spiderlock Elite retention
device. Airdry pads wick away moisture, and Garneau includes a handy
storage bag. The Titan Carbon is offered in three sizes as well
as three colours.
Price: US$169.99
Descente Coldout gear
The Shelter jacket from Descente
utilizes its three-layer Shelter Tri-Comp fabric
Photo ©: Emory Ball
|
Descente has only recently returned from ex-cycling apparel maker
purgatory, but comes to the party with top-notch duds and a legendary
pedigree, as well as an especially high-profile apparel sponsorship
of Team CSC. As part of Team CSC's package, Descente supplies its
riders with an ungodly assortment of gear, including up to five
different weights of fabrics for short-sleeved jerseys alone. The
rest of us make do with a more restricted palette, but Descente's
winter collection is extensive nonetheless.
Descente range features its Coldout fabric, including a pair of
Phantom chamois-equipped tights, arm warmers, and a form-fitting
beanie. According to Descente, Coldout offers a warm, high loft
interior and a sleek exterior, combined with four-way stretch and
moisture management properties.
Also included in the box are Descente's water and windproof Shelter
jacket, the Axiom shell with removable sleeves, the convertible
Wombat gloves, and a pair of base layers.
Price: Coldout tight with chamois: US$120; Coldout arm warmers:
US$30; Coldout beanie: US$25; Shelter jacket: US$200; Axiom jacket:
US$100; Wombat gloves: US$45.
Sportful's Mach collection
is designed for highly aerobic
Photo ©: James Huang
|
Sportful winter clothing
If you couldn't tell by now, we made a concerted effort this year
to bring you tech coverage of a variety of cold weather apparel.
Italian firm Sportful has been producing cycling clothing since
1985, and most recently had outfitted the World Championship-winning
squad from Italy, which included powerhouse Paolo Bettini.
Recently arriving across the Cyclingnews Tech Desk were the new
Mach Speed jacket and Mach bib tight. The Mach Speed jacket uses
Sportful's Windstopper San Remo material on the front and sleeves
of the garment for wind protection, wrapped over a mildly insulative
base layer that provides maximum breathability in highly aerobic
situations.
The Mach bib tight continues the windproof theme with a WindPro
Stretch abrasion-resistant material over the groin and knee areas,
coupled with a Teflon-coated ThermodrytexPlus fabric for water resistance.
Both garments are designed with a close, form-fit racing cut for
minimal fluttering and improved aerodynamics at speed.
Price: Mach Speed jacket: US$230; Mach bib tight: US$160.
The new CR950 cantilever
brakes from TRP
Photo ©: James Huang
|
TRP CR950 cantilever brakes and RL950 top mount brake levers
The snow may be starting to fall already, but cyclocross season
is still in full swing, with the US National Cyclocross Championship
just around the corner next month in Providence, RI, and the UCI
Cyclocross World Championship event coming in January in Belgium.
Just in time for the rest of the season, TRP sent over its CR950
cantilever brakes and RL950 top-mounted brake levers.
The CR950 boasts full carbon fibre construction and a super beefy
profile that promises solid stopping power. Titanium mounting hardware
brings the weight down to 152g per wheel with the included cartridge-style
pads, yet dual coil springs with micro-adjustable tension offer
up complete adjustability.
The RL950 levers include carbon fibre lever blades on minimal aluminum
perches, which are milled out, for even more weight reduction. Aluminum
barrel adjusters drop the weight even further to just 78g per pair.
Price: CR950 cantilever brakes: US$129.99 per wheel; RL950
levers: US$69.99 per pair
The R950 dual-pivot brake
calipers
Photo ©: James Huang
|
TRP R950 road brake calipers
TRP also sent along a set of its new R950 dual-pivot brake calipers
with carbon-wrapped aluminum construction. In this case, TRP promises
that the carbon is a structural, not just cosmetic, component of
the brake, which also utilises Teflon bushings and titanium hardware,
along with cartridge-style dual-compound brake pads. Weight on our
test set is just 290g, complete with mounting hardware (146g front,
144g rear).
Price: US$289.99 per pair
Fox 36 Talas RC2
Fox's 36 TALAS RC2 looks
like a monster,
Photo ©: James Huang
|
Along with the new Super D style of racing comes a new breed of
mountain bikes and suspension forks, and Fox's 36 air-sprung TALAS
RC2 epitomizes the category with up to 160mm of travel in a chassis
weighing just 2.4kg (5.4lbs). The 36mm diameter aluminum stanchion
tubes on our test fork combine with the massive magnesium lower
leg casting and 20mm thru-axle to virtually guarantee accurate steering
precision.
New for '07 is the three-position TALAS travel adjuster, which
switches between 100mm, 130mm, and 160mm setting with a simple turn.
Fox's proven RC2 damper allows for independently adjustable low-speed
and high-speed compression damping, along with adjustable low-speed
rebound damping.
Price: US$985
PhotographyFor a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by
James Huang/Cyclingnews.com
Images by
Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us
Images by
Emory Ball/Cyclingnews.com
Images by
James Huang/Cyclingnews.com
|
