Merino Base Layers
Hoopdriver
Posts: 2,023
Now that it is getting rather nippy on morning rides I have been digging out my old base layers and trying out a new one. Knowing that people are looking around to buy base layers this tie of year, I have written a review of three merino base layers with which I am familiar in the hopes it might be of use:
Rapha
Icebreaker
Endura Baa Baa
You can read it here:
http://my-bicycle-and-i.co.uk/2012/merino-base-layers/
Rapha
Icebreaker
Endura Baa Baa
You can read it here:
http://my-bicycle-and-i.co.uk/2012/merino-base-layers/
0
Posts
Your reviews infuriate me.. what kind of review is it without an actual picture of the items being reviewed!??!
On a more serious note I am a professional writer/photographer with a long record in journalism as well as artistic photography. I am very good at what I do, but my field is not product photography or advertising. Rather than have some half-asked attempt at it, and have clumsy, lesser quality photos muddying up my site, I provide links to the manufacturer of every product I review.
And to that extent, I suppose, I rely on the broad intelligence of the reader - in this case an assumption they will have a general idea of what a base layer looks like (they are all pretty much the same, visually, by the way) and those who might be interested in investigating further, and possibly buying, will have the links ready and at their disposal.
For the Exmoor Beast I used a 175 weight Stoic base under a roubaix jersey and for the 200k audax last week I used a 200 weight Icebreaker under an Endura softshell. Toasty on both occasions despite freezing wind and rain.
I wasn't being aggressive or anything, it just seems odd to not have a picture of the products given that appearance is a key part of the perceived performance of any product.-> yes it would mean making the effort of presenting the items in an artistic way because as you said you don't want to muddy up your site...
..but essentially you are just making it impractical for the reader. The point of blogging is about self-promotion and you're not helping yourself by putting in barriers into my consumption of the media you produce.
Lets say you want to publish some of your photos on your site and you own the rights to the images, you don't create a page with text describing the image, then have an external link to the image because it creates a barrier to consumption.
Contemporary on-line marketing long ago moved away from the 'drill-down' approach involving clicking, clicking, clicking, clicking etc. to get to what the consumer wants - its about integration onto one web page and streamlining the consumer's experience.
For starters, my blog is not about self-promotion or marketing but simply to give me an outlet for cycling inspired writings and photographs that I do not find in the course of my professional magazine work which is mainly travel, wildlife or 'street' photography. With winter coming on and a growing interest in winter cycling gear I have written, I think, four reviews - that is not a frequency which makes me want to spend the time and effort in turning out professional quality advertising or product photography, which is the level of what I would want and expect to have on my site. It is I suppose a selfish indulgence but one as the creator and owner of the site I am free to indulge in. And I do. I much prefer to have beautiful photography, or none.
The written review, I think, stands up. If it is spoiled for you by not having product shots, however clumsy, well, there we are. As I say, I do provide links to every product and I don't think one click is impractical.
hmm... not convinced by the whole 'its not about self-promotion' thing. You may have misunderstood my point, that it to say that its not necessarily about promoting your business as a photographer, but it is about promoting you as a person and online personality within an online community.
Otherwise why go to the effort of creating a website and all this high quality content (apart from the lack of images in reviews
You could just use trolingl on forums as your outlet like the rest of us
I make no money from it, nor do I seek any, nor am I ever likely to gain any writing or photography assignments from it. I am in pretty solid with the editors for whom I usually write, none of whom are cyclists and so would not be likely to read my blog anyway. It is, as I say, art for art's sake and as with any other art form people are free to like it or not like as they wish.
Because I stop and take a lot of photos during the course of my rides, and as a result am constantly cooling down and warming up again, I find the Endura useful in (slightly) warmer conditions than I would if I was riding steadily and swiftly. I am also typically riding very earlyin hte morning - usually 4:30 to 6:30am. Even so if the temperature rises much above 5C it starts to become warm for me
One typo to report: "All it did over the next eighty miserable was absorb sweat"
miles? km? Not that it makes much difference, but I tripped as I read.
And "The wicking qualities of merino not only helps take the moisture away from your skin but in doing so breaks the sweat droplets up into smaller more manageable molecules" ...
.. I know what you mean, but it really doesn't
As a writer, I'm sure you'll know that you can spoil the impact and hence reception of an otherwise good article by including a minor point that is so inaccurate, and sometimes laughably so, that it distracts from the main narrative.
In this case, it's your use of the word 'molecules'. If the base layer was really breaking the water in the sweat into smaller molecules, you'd have a handy way of generating fuel - since the only smaller molecules available from water are hydrogen and oxygen.
I realise it's a minor point. I write a lot of technical and user documentation, and I know how important it is to be clear as well as accurate, and consequently I always appreciate feedback on the material I produce. I thought you might too.