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

ayjaycee

bendertherobot wrote:

That's a bit of a shame about the case! I'm making do at the moment with just the bags. I think you can buy 2 for £15 reducing them a bit but a slight bad mark! I won't ever go back to Oakley now. Just get loads more of these. Their casual stuff is brilliant too.

Bender - This (or similar) is the case that I was talking about - they have gone up since last year:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sunglasses-Re ... Sw4CFYvnCf

bendertherobot

Not quite as nice as the SunGod one (nicer shape and embossed) but it's just a case after all. Good value.

apreading

That looks exactly like the case all my Tifosi classes have come in too...

bendertherobot

(and my Joakleys)

bendertherobot

New See Sense Ace goes live on Kickstarter at 5pm this evening.

agentorange88

Am i missing something with the Kickstarter? If the Ace ends up selling at a price similar to the Icon then a 40% saving would equate to the amount pledged?
is that the idea, its more of a loan than outright donation?

gabriel959

Yep, just pledged for a set for £40, delivery June 2018.

pinno

KingstonGraham wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Pinno wrote:

Bought a Craft base layer off Wiggle. My god it's thin. It's classed for very cold temperatures but unless it has some magic material, I dunno how it will keep me warmer than my standard stock of Merino base layers. It just might go back.

They're great, especially if the kit it goes under is rather skin-tight as it is.

Agreed - I really like them, for riding and running when it's cold.

I'll give it a go and see how it does.

kingstongraham

bendertherobot wrote:

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.

Just got a pair - feel really comfy. Look to be warmer fabric to just below the knee, and thinner fabric below the knee. Next time I would have worn leg warmers, I'll give them a go.

bendertherobot

Haven't got mine yet but also getting the Assos Habu Mille S7 today which are billed as spring/autumn tights.

ayjaycee

Back to the Sungod PaceBreakers, I have now used mine a few times and, due to the mixed weather down my way, have also tried both of the lenses that I bought with the frames. The 4KO Pace Blue Polarised are fantastic in bright sun, the the 4KO Pace Hi Vis Blue are just as good for low light - all in all, I remain well chuffed. One [minor] minus point is that I find changing lenses a bit of a pain (but that might get easier with practise). However, on the plus side, they work very well with my helmets - I use either a Specialised S-Works Prevail (latest version) or a Specialised Airnet (Mk 1, I think) and there is no conflict at all with either of them. They also fit very well in the 'sunglass parking slots' on both. In summary, I would recommend the Sungods to anybody looking for a new pair of shades and doesn't need prescription lenses (I actually do have a prescription insert for my Rudy Project Rydons but, luckily, can see reasonably well without - the prescription sharpens my vision up a bit but my optician tells me that I am still legal to drive without).

FatTed

Double post

FatTed

FatTed wrote:

ayjaycee how do the Pace Blue Polarised, compare with the Oakley Prizm lens, I don't think I have the polarised Prizim.

bendertherobot

I had road prizm polarised. The green pacebreaker polarised are just as good.

bendertherobot

I should do a lens swap video. I’ve got it down to 30 seconds now

ayjaycee

Ted - My only comparisons with Oakleys are from using Sapphire Iridium Polarised which looked very similar from the front but the actual colour is slightly different from the PaceBreakers Polarised when viewing the world through them. Weirdly, I have also got some shooting specific Oakleys, the colour of which is completely different from the PaceBreaker Hi Vis when looking at them but are a very similar looking through them! That said, I have no hesitation in saying that both PaceBreakers are at least the equal of the Oakley optically (and of my Rudy Projects which IMHO are also as good as Oakleys).

Bender - Apart from my obvious lack of technique, my problem with changing the lenses is not only the apparent stiffness of the material but my seeming inability to change them whilst keeping them clear of fingerprints and smears. I'll get over it eventually.

bendertherobot

ayjaycee wrote:

Ted - My only comparisons with Oakleys are from using Sapphire Iridium Polarised which looked very similar from the front but the actual colour is slightly different from the PaceBreakers Polarised when viewing the world through them. Weirdly, I have also got some shooting specific Oakleys, the colour of which is completely different from the PaceBreaker Hi Vis when looking at them but are a very similar looking through them! That said, I have no hesitation in saying that both PaceBreakers are at least the equal of the Oakley optically (and of my Rudy Projects which IMHO are also as good as Oakleys).

Bender - Apart from my obvious lack of technique, my problem with changing the lenses is not only the apparent stiffness of the material but my seeming inability to change them whilst keeping them clear of fingerprints and smears. I'll get over it eventually.

Ah, yes. I'm pretty OCD about that too. But I couldn't manage that with my Oakley Jawbreaker either, there's always something left. So I just go for it now. Then clean them thoroughly! Maybe we should invest in those jewellers gloves!

daniel_b

Whenever I have to change lenses, I just use a microfibre cloth over my hand\s, so I never actually touch the lens itself.

Seems to work a treat.

mrb123

Maybe get some of those gloves that snooker referees wear when handling and cleaning their balls.

bendertherobot

Got a few things coming, lots of Assos, old Tiburu 3/4 v new Mille Tiburu 3/4, the new Mille tights (S7) (these are double lined from the groin to the knee), the lighter Habu Mille tights, the Sturmprinz etc. So, there's a lot right there. Also the new Chapeau club LS jersey, the Castelli LW bibtights, I should probably write about my Tacx Neo, Wahoo Bolt and stuff. I'm sure I've forgotten something too......

pinno

MrB123 wrote:

Maybe get some of those gloves that snooker referees wear when handling and cleaning their balls.

That's waaaay off topic.

bendertherobot

https://roubaixcycling.cc/2017/10/21/ha ... stilities/

pinno

Nice piece, well written.

Though I realise that a lot of your piece is about Z-PR and the (transient) media fuelled hysteria, I think that if there was any faint hope that the non-cycling public were to read your article or were to be convinced of the efficacy of a more rational perspecitve, this needs a little elaboration:

" I don’t think the stats, anecdotally, are out of line with the lack of basic education that surrounds what our roads are for, who they were built for and the relationship between licensing, registration and road fund/emissions."

That aside, isn't the root problem the fact that first, the roads, (which used to be the domain of the driver to an overwhelming extent) has now been 'invaded; by the cyclist which is compounded by, second; the fact that there is too much traffic on the road sharing the same unstructured, ad hoc network?

As regards to the latter, are there any sort of laws that could legislate for the fact that there is too much traffic on the roads fighting for the same finite space?

bendertherobot

I agree. Strength in numbers = better claim on the resource, it seems. And back to being an entitled society.

In terms of legislating, I don't think we'll see that soon but we are at a tipping point.

mrb123

Are you planning to get your hands on the new Alpha jersey and/or Jacket Bender?

bendertherobot

Not at the moment, I don't really get very much free kit, certainly not from Castelli etc, so it's spectacularly hard to afford it all!

grenw

bendertherobot wrote:

old Tiburu 3/4 v new Mille Tiburu 3/4,

What's the difference? Difficult to tell from their website as the descriptions don't really compare well.

matt_n-2

BTR, I know you reviewed the Rapha Brevet Windblock and felt a bit at odds with its purpose, I am currently considering the SS as a commuting jersey on the basis that in spring / autumn I normally commute in a SS jersey with arm warmers and gilet. I also ride with a back pack which means my back is well covered and the addition of the gilet just adds layers where I probably don't need it.

The SS Windblock should give me the flexibility of using arm warmers in the morning then ditching in the avo if it's warm enough whilst providing the wind protection to my chest without overheating my back.

It seems quite specific to single it out for commuting use by to my mind it makes sense, are there any other jerseys that you know of that are similar and does my thinking make sense to anyone else?!

robbo2011

GrenW wrote:

bendertherobot wrote:

old Tiburu 3/4 v new Mille Tiburu 3/4,

What's the difference? Difficult to tell from their website as the descriptions don't really compare well.

They are cheaper for a start.

Educated guesses here, but the most likely differences are a looser fit and simpler construction, with no windproofing in the groin area and mille pad instead of the Equipe pad.

I would rather the older version, personally.

mrb123

Matt_N wrote:

BTR, I know you reviewed the Rapha Brevet Windblock and felt a bit at odds with its purpose, I am currently considering the SS as a commuting jersey on the basis that in spring / autumn I normally commute in a SS jersey with arm warmers and gilet. I also ride with a back pack which means my back is well covered and the addition of the gilet just adds layers where I probably don't need it.

The SS Windblock should give me the flexibility of using arm warmers in the morning then ditching in the avo if it's warm enough whilst providing the wind protection to my chest without overheating my back.

It seems quite specific to single it out for commuting use by to my mind it makes sense, are there any other jerseys that you know of that are similar and does my thinking make sense to anyone else?!

What about trying the Craft baselayer with the windproof front panel? I've found it greatly extends the lower temperature range achievable with a standard SS jersey plus armwarmers.
https://www.merlincycles.com/craft-be-a ... gKosPD_BwE