B E N D E R's non sweary review site, roubaixcycling.cc (and general kit discussion)

pinno

Garry H wrote:

Pinno wrote:

So if the MAMIL Banker Bonks whilst wearing his Bonka, at least he'll stay warm.





I'll get my coat.

Better get two coats. The mercury's dropping.

My Castelli alpha underneath my DHB. It works. Wish I had done it yesterday.
Although it's 5 to 6 degrees and almost bereft of wind, for some reason it feels really bitter. I had this odd day dream whilst still pedalling (on auto pilot set at geriatric snails pace), it was: "The cold in the SE is travelling all the way up to me underneath the thick blanket of cloud that won't go away." Which makes no meterological sense whatsoever but when you been too blase to put some Haribo/flapjack/chocolate cake in your back pocket and the mind wanders...

Garry H

Minus 3 over here just now. Think the ride will need to wait until the afternoon. Might need to add a long sleeve jersey to the Rapha pro team jacket/endura baselayer combo!

daniel_b

Daniel B wrote:

Ok, so got my hands on this properly this morning - went for the medium, and I am currently 73kg, 37" chest, have a few kg to get rid of.

It is what I would definitely call a race fit, snug around the throat, snug across the chest, and around the waist, but I do need to reduce the size of the latter.

Nice gripper all the way around the hem, reckon it will keep it in place nicely.
It seems to have a windblocker of sorts on the arms, but not so much on the torso.

Quality is good, not up there with Rapha etc, but probably on a par with Mavic\Castelli\Giordana.

Pretty pleased with it, and think it will be a keeper - going to sell a Castelli one that for whatever reason I have not gelled with.

bendertherobot

Tidy, I reckon I'd be a large rather than the XL I've got.

wolfsbane2k

Has anyone on here tried the btwin warm jackets? I got a 2xl and a 3xl at a bargain 15.99 each, neither fit great as have have short backs (but lovely long arms) but for that price a windstopper top seams a steal, so trying to work out if it's worth ripping the tags off to give one a try out,or just to return them straight off.

supermurph09

First outing for my Rapha winter hat http://www.rapha.cc/us/en_US/shop/winte ... 05XXNVYXXX yesterday. 40 miles at tempo in 2-3 degrees and it was brilliant. Wicked away the sweat and not once did I feel cold in that area. Fits great under the helmet, peak is nice length so doesn't obscure the road. Highly recommended.

matt_n-2

Really love my Rapha winter hat.

bendertherobot

I don't really get one with anything thicker than not really thick at all. So my go to has always been this:

http://www.startfitness.co.uk/craft-act ... -9920.html

Review of that soon as Craft have sent me one to review, but I already had one anyway and have done for about 6 years!

bendertherobot

https://roubaixcycling.cc/2017/01/23/al ... er-jacket/

Good jacket, if anyone wants to buy that from me, it is slightly too big, then I'd do it for £75 all in.

apreading

bendertherobot wrote:

https://roubaixcycling.cc/2017/01/23/ale-arcobaleno-winter-jacket/

Good jacket, if anyone wants to buy that from me, it is slightly too big, then I'd do it for £75 all in.

Sounds a bit like the Mortirolo?

bendertherobot

Yeah, good shout though I'd say the Mortirolo is a bit thicker overall but has the same lack of weather proofing.

bendertherobot

Wore my Mossa.2 at -2 today, it's so warm. Just a pig that they don't have a proper dealer network where it's easy to get stuff.

robbo2011

Bender,

Is the Mossa.2 warmer than the Alpha Jacket? its fearsomely cold over here in Switzerland this winter (it is -7 deg C as I write this at 1 pm in the afternoon) and I've been wearing the alpha Jacket with a base layer and an Aeron LS Roubaix Jersey underneath. Its OK, but I feel a bit like the Michelin man.

How does the Mossa compare?

bendertherobot

I'd say it's that bit warmer but there's not a massive amount in it. That said, thick base layer and this and I cannot imagine being cold. Only thing that compares is, IMO, the Bonka.

robbo2011

Ok, Thanks. I'll stick it out then. It's meant to get a bit warmer at the weekend anyway (i.e. above freezing). That'll be nice!

bendertherobot

I've loads in the pipeline but should also be getting some Bax Carbon disc brake (carbon natch) wheels. That's a very sparse market unless you got up to the £800 point. (or take a punt on ebay)

pinno

bendertherobot wrote:

I've loads in the pipeline but should also be getting some Bax Carbon disc brake (carbon natch) wheels. That's a very sparse market unless you got up to the £800 point. (or take a punt on ebay)

How the hell are they meant to keep me warm? :roll:

sinbad_ni

bendertherobot wrote:

Wore my Mossa.2 at -2 today, it's so warm. Just a pig that they don't have a proper dealer network where it's easy to get stuff.

Yeah, I agree. I'd have loads more Parentini stuff if it was more readily available.
For example, the K-Dry arm warmers I have from them are so much better than any others I've tried

Ciclimattio looks like the only real place to get the stuff, at least they are good to deal with.
https://en.ciclimattio.com/c/parentini/?q=PARENTINI&marche=205&price-range=0,207

bendertherobot

They keep meaning to sort it. They'd make a mint. Today, Mossa.2 and K-Shark bibtights. -3 degrees all the way in. No issues at all.

robbo2011

How long is your commute?

Maybe I am stating the obvious but what I find with winter jackets is that most of them are fine for rides up to about 90 minutes. It's after that I start to notice differences, I think it is mostly due to moisture control/breathability as on longer rides, sweat build up starts to become an issue with the less breathable jackets.

For example, I have been cold in my Alpha Jacket after a 3 hour ride at +5 deg C, but toasty warm for a 1 hour ride at -2 degC. Personally, I think the true test of a winter jacket is how it holds up for 3 hours in the cold. Short rides don't tell the full story, IMO.

bendertherobot

18 miles each way. And, you're quite right, about an hour or so. But I've done 2-3 hours in it comfortably. But, you are also right that it does build up some moisture inside.

I still think that the Bonka manages all of this the best. But, that price....................

robbo2011

The Black series Bonka is CHF499 over here :shock: Crazy prices, I can't justify that.

pinno

robbo2011 wrote:

How long is your commute?

Maybe I am stating the obvious but what I find with winter jackets is that most of them are fine for rides up to about 90 minutes. It's after that I start to notice differences, I think it is mostly due to moisture control/breathability as on longer rides, sweat build up starts to become an issue with the less breathable jackets.

For example, I have been cold in my Alpha Jacket after a 3 hour ride at +5 deg C, but toasty warm for a 1 hour ride at -2 degC. Personally, I think the true test of a winter jacket is how it holds up for 3 hours in the cold. Short rides don't tell the full story, IMO.

Ditto. Spot on.

My DHB breathes a lot better than my Alpha. I know it's slightly spurious to compare a softshell with a Jacket but surely you would expect a Jacket to perform better than a softshell?

What is a step up in terms of warmth from my DHB Aeron softshell BTR? I'm fed up of being cold. 3 hour ride last Thursday and got really chilly after 2 hours. Peripheries were warm enough but then when my core got cold, it was hell and I was cold all over. Not much of a breeze either, so despite very little wind chill.
My ideal Jacket/softshell would have really good wind resistance and thicker insulation. I don't quite know why weight is an issue, i'm on my bike furnished with Crudcatchers, lights, bottle, tools - it's winter ffs. I would happily add 300 gms plus to the existing weight of a jacket for all the right reasons.

Perhaps I should Taylor a couple of black sheepskins, replete with lanolin.

pinno

robbo2011 wrote:

The Black series Bonka is CHF499 over here :shock: Crazy prices, I can't justify that.

£355 at Wiggle. That is, as far as I am concerned, silly money.

I'd rather continue to be Michelin man than justify that.

fenix

Pinno - what else were you wearing ? And how cold was it ? (i always use the Garmin Connect weather temp as a guide to what it was like).

I've been wearing windproof longs, overshoes and merino socks, aldi gloves, HH base layer if not too cold, merino ls base if it is cold and an extra LS jersey underneath if its round zero.

Oh and a windstopper skullcap too. I've been fine for 3hrs plus with the DHB jacket.

Maybe take a packable gilet if you find yourself getting cold 2/3 of the way in - or else you'd be too hot for the first 2 hours ?

pinno

Too hot? Wonderful. It's breathability that's the issue. I wore:

1 x merino base layer.
1 x HH freeze.
1 x SS Jersey
1 x DHB
4 x socks (2 x thick ankle Merino socks and a thin pair that goes over the top of the intersection of the bottom of the bib tights and the socks).
Overshoes
Hat
Lined woolly gloves.
1 x Endura Roubaix tights
1 x bib shorts shorts.

Head, feet and hands were cosy cosy until the body got cool. On Sunday, 2 hour ride with all the above and my Alpha Jacket underneath the DHB! Great for 2 hours but I wouldn't have gone for 3 as there isn't a lot of moisture wicking with that lot on.
It's the tops of the arms and the shoulders that I wish I could keep warm.
The head, the feet, the legs, the hands - no problem with what I have. It's keeping the core warm that's the issue. I love winter riding if it's dry and here's a touch of sun and I am warm. If it's less than 5 deg, it's hell.

fenix

Blimey - thats a lot of layers. 2 layers on the bottom half. 4 layers on the top.

Moisture is really going to struggle to get out of that - no matter what the top layer is. Maybe less is more ?

bendertherobot

Warmth is a very variable thing. We all run differently and, of course, what you put underneath is key.

So, today, -3, Mossa and HH Warm.

My personal experience of all jackets warmth is a bit like this, assuming pootling rather than burning along but, also, we are talking degrees, let's see, this is descending. This makes no account, at all, of weather proofing.

Assos Bonka,
Assos Fugujack
Parentini Mossa.2
Castelli Alpha, Assos 851 Airjack, Gore Tool
Castelli Espresso Due
dhb Aeron, Gore Xenon, Gore Oxygen, Lusso Extreme Repel
Ale Arcobaleno, Assos ij.habu,
Castelli Alpha jersey, dhb Windslam blade
Castelli Trasparente

I'll no doubt remember other things shortly and tweak that.

bendertherobot

https://roubaixcycling.cc/2017/01/25/gi ... ps-helmet/

Synthe!

pinno

Fenix wrote:

Blimey - thats a lot of layers. 2 layers on the bottom half. 4 layers on the top.

Moisture is really going to struggle to get out of that - no matter what the top layer is. Maybe less is more ?

I was born in Kenya, I hate being cold. I come alive at 25 deg +. I'm quite happy cycling in 35 deg c. I don't suffer dehydration like others do either. I also run cold (up to 20 deg).
I cannot reduce the layers. If I layer up, at least I have a ride limit of 2 hours in temps below 5 or 6 deg. It's very difficult to express the problem to a native The funny thing is, I spent time in Sweden but didn't feel the cold as bad as I do here. I think that it's a damp sort of cold not a dry cold, if that makes any sense.

That Parentini Mossa 2 looks do able, except who stocks it? I am flush at the moment (won't last) so would try one if I could get my hands on it for a little less than the £190 rrp. But TBH, if it did the job, I would buy it at full price and sell my Alpha Jacket.
Perhaps I could couple that with a moisture wicking vest? Is there such a thing?