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

bendertherobot

Stuff arrived. Espresso, excellent, quite a lot of updates from the old one and size one size down (as I recalled).

Sorpasso, lush, obvs.

Potenza, yeah it's everything I thought it might be. Looks superb. Size wise it's looser than Alpha, tighter than Espresso. But a lovely fit.

bendertherobot

https://goo.gl/photos/hwDu8pvZamjshz6w8

Potenza pics. Stupendous DWR on it. Light as a feather.

Garry H

DWR is always impressive on brand new garments. See what it's like in a couple of months.

I like the colour on that one, doesn't look as tracksuity as the black one

bendertherobot

A fair point Gary though I'm mystified why some (Ale) don't include it as standard, even if it wears off.

Garry H

bendertherobot wrote:

A fair point Gary though I'm mystified why some (Ale) don't include it as standard, even if it wears off.

That is surprising.

Lusso ordered

the_rover

Garry H wrote:

bendertherobot wrote:

A fair point Gary though I'm mystified why some (Ale) don't include it as standard, even if it wears off.

That is surprising.

Lusso ordered

This lusso?

http://road.cc/content/review/216789-lu ... pel-jacket

I've got one, only used it once due to an injury but it's very good.
Temps were around 5-8 degrees, 10-15mph winds and I had a HH warm freeze base layer on which turned out to be over kill.
Makes me wonder whether I really need my alpha jacket.
It's bright as fook as well!!

Garry H

The Rover wrote:

Garry H wrote:

bendertherobot wrote:

A fair point Gary though I'm mystified why some (Ale) don't include it as standard, even if it wears off.

That is surprising.

Lusso ordered

This lusso?

http://road.cc/content/review/216789-lu ... pel-jacket

I've got one, only used it once due to an injury but it's very good.
Temps were around 5-8 degrees, 10-15mph winds and I had a HH warm freeze base layer on which turned out to be over kill.
Makes me wonder whether I really need my alpha jacket.
It's bright as fook as well!!

Yup, that very one. Haven't found a bad review of it.

bendertherobot

It's brilliant.

Garry H

bendertherobot wrote:

It's brilliant.

and don't think I didn't notice that sneeky website plug in the above review

bendertherobot

Well, if they miss out the important pics......

#amateurs

PTestTeam

Garry H wrote:

DWR is always impressive on brand new garments. See what it's like in a couple of months.

I like the colour on that one, doesn't look as tracksuity as the black one

If you wash the garment properly then DWR lasts ages. And when it's repellency does diminish, you can 're-start' it by sticking it in the tumble drier. I have some Parentini K Dry bibtights that have DWR and their repellency is still superb after having them a year.

Garry H

PTestTeam wrote:

Garry H wrote:

DWR is always impressive on brand new garments. See what it's like in a couple of months.

I like the colour on that one, doesn't look as tracksuity as the black one

If you wash the garment properly then DWR lasts ages. And when it's repellency does diminish, you can 're-start' it by sticking it in the tumble drier. I have some Parentini K Dry bibtights that have DWR and their repellency is still superb after having them a year.

What was it that Mandy Rice-Davis said?

It's never as good as it was originally, is my point.

bendertherobot

https://roubaixcycling.cc/2017/02/08/ap ... ro-slayer/

Tidy little cheap camera

wolfsbane2k

bendertherobot wrote:

https://roubaixcycling.cc/2017/02/08/apeman-a70-action-camera-hd-wifi-lcd-screen-a-go-pro-slayer/

Tidy little cheap camera

Interesting. Whats it like at night for capturing reg # of passing cars? Looks like, from the videos ( acknowledging you've youtube smoothed it + youtube will add it's own artifacts), it doesn't look great.
Whats it like at night?

Ta!

bendertherobot

I'll try and get some better footage and do a direct file drop somewhere. They're never great at plates hence the shouting.

lakesluddite

looking at the photos and the video playback, it looks remarkably similar to the Matex version I get from Aldi for about £50 some weeks ago - even down to the clunky app!
It even looks like it records in 10 minute chunks, as the Aldi one does.
I tried the Matex (or is it Matrex, I can't remember off the top of my head) at night, and it wasn't great, but then again I didn't expect it to be. My front light didn't let the camera pick up much more than a couple of metres of road directly in front of the wheel, despite the light actually being much better than it looks.
Still, it was £50, so you get what you pay for.

bendertherobot

Yeah, thing is, if you have a look on my youtube channel, as far as tarmac is concerned, the Go Pro I had wasn't an awful lot better. For cross, on sunny days, it was pretty good. But that was almost £300.

apreading

Have you looked at any of the new Smart Lights such as: https://roadcyclinguk.com/gear/xeccon-m ... vxcRihg.97 to see how they compare to the See Sense?

I find the trouble with these is that we strap them on the bike but we cant see the cleverness that happens to show braking and when cars get too close etc - so its hard to recognise just how good they are or if they are a gimmick. My See Sense seems fine but I cant remember the last time I used the app - some of the intelligence is wasted really and I cant see myself ever using it as an alarm. My bugbear with it is that if you dont ride for a couple of weeks, the battery has gone flat because it still drains quite quickly when off - presumably because the bluetooth is still on, waiting for a connection?

bendertherobot

I'll have a look. I always turn my See Sense fully off with a full hold on the power button

apreading

bendertherobot wrote:

I'll have a look. I always turn my See Sense fully off with a full hold on the power button

Thats how I turn mine off too, but it still goes flat - I assumed it was because bluetooth was still listening or something?

bendertherobot

Shouldn't do! Mine seem to last and last. I'd have a word...

apreading

Yes - just double checked. Mine was turned off yesterday by holding the button in. Charged up to 100% on the mains last night. Just started the app on my phone and it was picked up without touching anything on the Icon. So bluetooth is obviously listening. Is there a way to turn this off? And if so, how would you turn it back on again?

bendertherobot

That's an odd one. On mine a small hold in will turn off but there's a light that flashes. A big hold turns it off dead.

pinno

I switch off me 'See Sense' button every time I buy bike stuff.

pblakeney

Pinno wrote:

I switch off me 'See Sense' button every time I buy bike stuff.

Where is this See Sense button?
I wouldn't want to activate it by mistake.

bendertherobot

Jackets
https://goo.gl/photos/evpeLzeQG45pKdzU9

pblakeney

So they are.
:?: :?

bendertherobot

1 for each season. A definitive roundup. Also featuring the Castelli Espresso

pinno

bendertherobot wrote:

...Castelli Espresso

Which I have yet to test. Not much use for it on the rollers. Bloody weather. Maybe tomorrow but there were no less than 6 accidents within 2 miles of where I live, all attributable to ice after the downpour yesterday and no doubt the back roads won't be gritted. Playing Russian Roulette with ice and cars ain't a good prospect.

pblakeney

bendertherobot wrote:

1 for each season. A definitive roundup. Also featuring the Castelli Espresso

Which one for which season? I will be in the market for next winter as my Gabba is now officially past it after 6 winters. The Aldi Performance is surprisingly good but too hot! :shock: