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

mrb123

https://www.sungod.co/pro-team

The Pro Team are a good looking bunch!

bendertherobot

I quite like Hannah

keef66

bendertherobot wrote:

RoubaixMB wrote:

Wow, how much roof space in those houses????

Massive space but all cross members. Mrs wants to convert but it's a bastard of a job.

Big house just round the corner from us did it very quickly this summer. Less of a conversion, more a replacement / expansion. Massive scaffolding cage / tin roof. Old* roof into skips, nothing left above the eaves but brickwork. New timbers / steels in. New tiles on, extra brickwork in the new gables, new windows in. All done in about 4 weeks.

They've turned a well-proportioned 5 bedroom detached house into a 7 bedroom Disney castle with a 1970s church window in one of the gables.

*I say old, but the houses were only built about 7 years ago. They didn't reuse any of the tiles despite the fact they've gone for what looks like identical new ones. Must've cost them a fortune judging by how many trades they had on site at once. Looked like DIY SOS.

bendertherobot

keef66 wrote:

bendertherobot wrote:

RoubaixMB wrote:

Wow, how much roof space in those houses????

Massive space but all cross members. Mrs wants to convert but it's a bastard of a job.

Big house just round the corner from us did it very quickly this summer. Less of a conversion, more a replacement / expansion. Massive scaffolding cage / tin roof. Old* roof into skips, nothing left above the eaves but brickwork. New timbers / steels in. New tiles on, extra brickwork in the new gables, new windows in. All done in about 4 weeks.

They've turned a well-proportioned 5 bedroom detached house into a 7 bedroom Disney castle with a 1970s church window in one of the gables.

*I say old, but the houses were only built about 7 years ago. They didn't reuse any of the tiles despite the fact they've gone for what looks like identical new ones. Must've cost them a fortune judging by how many trades they had on site at once. Looked like DIY SOS.

Ours is complicated by the fact that the rear roof is full (end to end) of solar panels and the kit is also in the attic. I've told her to bog off for the time being. Harsh I know.

roubaixmb

bendertherobot wrote:

RoubaixMB wrote:

Wow, how much roof space in those houses????

Massive space but all cross members. Mrs wants to convert but it's a bastard of a job.

Hmmm, same here. Right down to the solar panels and gubbins in loft....

keef66

RoubaixMB wrote:

bendertherobot wrote:

RoubaixMB wrote:

Wow, how much roof space in those houses????

Massive space but all cross members. Mrs wants to convert but it's a bastard of a job.

Hmmm, same here. Right down to the solar panels and gubbins in loft....

Better get digging instead then!

roubaixmb

I want to knock down and rebuild...

bendertherobot

RoubaixMB wrote:

I want to knock down and rebuild...

I'd rather not, it's only 3 years old

bendertherobot

https://roubaixcycling.cc/2017/09/09/su ... rs-part-2/

agentorange88

Bought a pair on the back of your original review and used the promo code that took them to £48 +p&p.
Went for an all black look with hiviz blue lenses for the same reason you have to compliment my bright light glasses.
Only tried them at home so far, lens clarity is indistinguishable from my Oakleys but found they didn’t feel as instantly comfortable. Replaced the nose piece with the deeper spare piece has improved things. They passed my mandatory head shake test to see how well they stay put. Heading out tomorrow for a full road test but seem to be a cost effective alternative to Oakleys.

bendertherobot

I swapped out the nose piece initially to the bigger one and found the same, not instantly comfortable. Went back to the smaller one and that's the one that suits me. So you do need to get the right one as it were.

luv2ride

See you've recently picked up a Perfetto Convertible. Would you know if it's broadly similar the previous Gabba convertible, or is the body more similar to the Perfetto Light? Only ask as I've just picked up a Perfetto Light short sleeve (mk2) which works brilliantly for me given I tend to run hot. Castelli have got me well confused with their garment name changes!
Cheers

EDIT: ...don't worry, was being lazy fixed it looking at the Castelli website. Looks like "Gabba" name reserved for the short sleeve jacket, Perfetto name now applied to long sleeve and convertible jacket. Perfetto Light...well, clue is in the name!

bendertherobot

Luv2ride wrote:

See you've recently picked up a Perfetto Convertible. Would you know if it's broadly similar the previous Gabba convertible, or is the body more similar to the Perfetto Light? Only ask as I've just picked up a Perfetto Light short sleeve (mk2) which works brilliantly for me given I tend to run hot. Castelli have got me well confused with their garment name changes!
Cheers

EDIT: ...don't worry, was being lazy fixed it looking at the Castelli website. Looks like "Gabba" name reserved for the short sleeve jacket, Perfetto name now applied to long sleeve and convertible jacket. Perfetto Light...well, clue is in the name!

Yep. Castelli like to confuse. I've got an XL in the Perfetto (Gabba) Convertible and an XXL in the Perfetto light for the exact (ish) same fit. But the Perfetto light is way too big in the neck at that size. Perfetto better sizing overall. Tidy kit. Bought it primarily as it will do for the foul commutes and winter training and also double up as a crap weather CX top.

luv2ride

For me, a Perfetto Light Convertible, now that would be ideal, more versatile than my Alpha wind jersey....

bendertherobot

Luv2ride wrote:

For me, a Perfetto Light Convertible, now that would be ideal, more versatile than my Alpha wind jersey....

It would be truly excellent.

This week I'm going to order either the Alpha ROS or the new Transition jacket. Can't quite decide. Obvs the latter is somewhat cheaper.

bendertherobot

https://roubaixcycling.cc/2017/09/11/ca ... ba-family/

apreading

bendertherobot wrote:

https://roubaixcycling.cc/2017/09/11/castelli-perfetto-2-light-and-a-guide-to-the-gabba-family/

I think there may be an innacuracy there. I thought initially that the Perfetto Light would be a Fawesome with short sleeves. But it isnt.

The back is a heavier fabric on the Perfetto Light than the Fawesome. I think the fawesome uses Velocity fabric.

And I think the front is lighter on the Fawesome than the Gabba.

I am specifically talking about the Fawesome here - I havent looked at the vest since the rename to Perfetto, so maybe they changed the construction. But the Fawesomes I have are all much cooler than the Perfetto Light SS. This is why I was dissapointed with the Perfetto Light SS - its too hot for me until the temps are so cold that actually I would almost always want sleeves/warmers so would probably choose to wear the Alpha Jersey.

bendertherobot

apreading wrote:

bendertherobot wrote:

https://roubaixcycling.cc/2017/09/11/castelli-perfetto-2-light-and-a-guide-to-the-gabba-family/

I think there may be an innacuracy there. I thought initially that the Perfetto Light would be a Fawesome with short sleeves. But it isnt.

The back is a heavier fabric on the Perfetto Light than the Fawesome. I think the fawesome uses Velocity fabric.

And I think the front is lighter on the Fawesome than the Gabba.

I am specifically talking about the Fawesome here - I havent looked at the vest since the rename to Perfetto, so maybe they changed the construction. But the Fawesomes I have are all much cooler than the Perfetto Light SS. This is why I was dissapointed with the Perfetto Light SS - its too hot for me until the temps are so cold that actually I would almost always want sleeves/warmers so would probably choose to wear the Alpha Jersey.

Which bit? The Fawesome is unchanged in the Perfetto form. Still the Gabba X-Lite fabric.

Or do you mean that I'm comparing the Perfetto to the Fawesome?

apreading

The Perfetto Light SS is a very different material on the back to the Fawesome. Perfetto light material is actually not that nice to the touch and is thicker so the whole thing ends up warmer, its probably more water resistant though. Fawesome back is very thin and stretchy.

And I think the Fawesome front is not as thick as the original Gabba - I think maybe about the same thickness as the Perfetto SS. I would have to put them all together to do a comparison to be sure but I think I looked at this in the past.

bendertherobot

apreading wrote:

The Perfetto Light SS is a very different material on the back to the Fawesome. Perfetto light material is actually not that nice to the touch and is thicker so the whole thing ends up warmer, its probably more water resistant though. Fawesome back is very thin and stretchy.

And I think the Fawesome front is not as thick as the original Gabba - I think maybe about the same thickness as the Perfetto SS. I would have to put them all together to do a comparison to be sure but I think I looked at this in the past.

I've just said that both are, in effect, a lighter fabric than being a shell. I could certainly change that, but both are Nano. The Perfetto is Nano light, the Vest is Nano Flex.

The vest is the same as the Gabba material though, Windstopper X lite

apreading

You are right - reading it now you do say nano-flex and nano-light, I didnt notice as I only picked up on the nano part. The strange thing is that the nano-flex is obviously lighter than the nano-light, which is not what you would think from the names of the materials...!

I will compare the fronts tonight - as that is not my recollection.

bendertherobot

That's Castelli confusion for you!

I don't think there are two weights of X-Lite, both being described as being 92% polyester and 8% elastane.

Anyhow, Perfetto next!

wolfsbane2k

I keep reading about these perfecto/gabba things but nothing comes in my size - I've tried the XXL/3XL version of them all.
Does anyone else produce similar foul weather gear in more "large dutch" and less "race" sizing?
Given that most of the time I'm only on the bike for an hour tops, but I ride in all weather, I'd really like something that's as capable.

bendertherobot

Wolfsbane2k wrote:

I keep reading about these perfecto/gabba things but nothing comes in my size - I've tried the XXL/3XL version of them all.
Does anyone else produce similar foul weather gear in more "large dutch" and less "race" sizing?
Given that most of the time I'm only on the bike for an hour tops, but I ride in all weather, I'd really like something that's as capable.

Drop Lusso a line and ask about the chest size on this:

https://www.lusso.bike/product/aqua-repel-jacket/

and Prendas on this:

https://www.prendas.co.uk/products/pren ... 0462618247

(I suspect you may be out of luck on the latter......but, you may find a Santini Reef knocking round somewhere?)

wolfsbane2k

bendertherobot wrote:

Drop Lusso a line and ask about the chest size on this:

https://www.lusso.bike/product/aqua-repel-jacket/

and Prendas on this:

https://www.prendas.co.uk/products/pren ... 0462618247

(I suspect you may be out of luck on the latter......but, you may find a Santini Reef knocking round somewhere?)

Cheers!

bendertherobot

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/castelli-alpha-ros-jersey/

Oddly Wiggle confirm that despite listing the product on the search page, the won't actually be selling it. But are selling M/F jackets and the F jersey. Odd.

scott_w1987

Bender - My medium Mossa is far too big for me, so looking to replace it with a Lusso as it's much easier/cheaper to source. Do you know how your Lusso aqua repel compared in size to your Mossa?

bendertherobot

scott_w1987 wrote:

Bender - My medium Mossa is far too big for me, so looking to replace it with a Lusso as it's much easier/cheaper to source. Do you know how your Lusso aqua repel compared in size to your Mossa?

I had the Lusso Extreme (winter) version in large and, as you know, the Mossa in large. I've not had the repel (which is basically a Mossa in my view) but I'd imagine a large would be the same. The Extreme was a tiny bit smaller but it was marginal. Lusso are bloody great at responding, drop them a line and see what they say but, I reckon, you may be a small? Difficult to say.

However, here's the killer. Lusso will make one for you to your measurements.

kingstongraham

Thanks for the recommendation on the Sungod glasses - really nice. And for an earlier recommendation on the Castelli Sorpasso windstopper tights. Made a couple of very cold days in the mountains much more comfortable.

bendertherobot

KingstonGraham wrote:

Thanks for the recommendation on the Sungod glasses - really nice. And for an earlier recommendation on the Castelli Sorpasso windstopper tights. Made a couple of very cold days in the mountains much more comfortable.

Have a look at, and I might too, the new Castelli LW tights, designed, apparently, for those days when you would normally not wear tights.