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Upgrade Your Cycling Wardrobe
Helmets, Gloves, Shoes
By Jon Sharp
Too often, as a mountain biker, I focus on my bike.
When I find that loose change between the couch cushions, components are
always first on my spending list. In this review, I found three good
reasons to upgrade your cycling wardrobe. Sure, a functioning bike is
important, but the gear you wear makes a difference on how well you enjoy
your ride.
First off, there's the helmet. We wear them because we value our lives,
not because they look cool. All helmets pass the same safety standards,
so look for helmets that fit the shape of your head. A few other things
to look for include the number of vents, whether it has a visor to shade
against the sun or not, and whether it has a retention system. Having a
helmet that fits well and has plenty of vents for that mid-summer ride, is
a notable advantage.
Gloves are a matter of personal preference. Some like 'em short, and
some like 'em long. If you are into 'freeriding' or downhill, then you
should definitely go for full-fingered gloves. Cross country riders might
prefer half- or three-quarter-fingered gloves. Even when riding traditional
cross country singletrack, I like the full-fingered gloves for the protection
against brush and branches, and unexpected falls.
As with helmets and gloves, fit is an important factor in shopping for
new shoes. If you are on a budget, your options will be velcro, laces, or
both. Laces offer a good fit, but without having a velcro closure over the
top, they can get snagged and caught in the cranks. Look for a good stiff
sole, because you're not buying them for hiking.
With that criteria in mind, I feel that the three products below offer
comfort and fit to make any ride more enjoyable.
Specialized King Cobra Helmet
Chiba Maverick Gloves
Answer Speeder Shoes
Specialized King Cobra Helmet
The King Cobra is Specialized's top-of-the-line helmet. As such, it is
loaded with features like the Brain Trust retention system, an in-molded
shell, and a snap on visor. All of these features make for a comfortable
and light helmet, whether you ride off-road or on.
The Brain Trust retention system is spring loaded. It is adjustable via
a small rubber dial in the rear. This system make it possible to fine-tune
the fit, no matter what size your head is. I found that it was easy to
adjust, and I was even able to do so while riding off-road. The in-molded
shell makes for a sturdy and light helmet, while having the added benefit of
better appearance. Because the shell is in-molded, that means that the helmet
and shell are, essentially, one.
The visor is good because it snaps on and off easily. The problem with
the visor is that it snaps on and off easily. On more than one occasion, I
accidentally brushed up against the visor, only to have it fly across the
trail and into the bushes. Another problem with the design is that the visor
isn't adjustable.
I found the fit of the helmet to be spot-on with the shape of my head.
While Giro helmets tend to fit more round heads, the King Cobra was more
suited to my oblong head. Although the fit was good, I found the pads to be
a little thin, making the helmet less comfortable on longer rides. One of
the greatest things about this helmet, though, is the vents. There are so
many vents, that I never had a problem keeping my head cool.
All in all, I really liked this helmet. The fit and cooling were great,
thanks to numerous vents and the Brain Trust retention system. I'd like a
more sturdy visor and some thicker padding, but these are minor issues.
Retail price for this helmet is $150-something else to consider when making
the purchase.
For more information, contact:
Specialized
1-800-245-3462
www.specialized.com
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Chiba Maverick Gloves
Chiba has been making gloves since 1853. How many companies do you know
of that have been around that long? The Maverick is a full-fingered glove
loaded with features and different fabrics. The palm is made of a synthetic
leather. There is a padded Kevlar patch on the heel of the palm for
protection against falls. The back is a breathable spandex fabric and the
thumb is terry. There are also rubberized areas on the fingers and across
the top of the palm for grip.
This is one of the most comfortable gloves I've ever used. It stretches
in just the right places. The rubberized areas make holding on with the
Maverick easy. The rubberized area at the tips of some of the fingers aids
with dexterity in trail-side repairs. The back of the velcro closure at the
wrist seemed a bit stiff, making it difficult for the velcro to wrap around
the curve of the wrist. Even so, I never had the velcro come all the way
open, so this wasn't a problem.
After a few months of riding, I became concerned about the durability of
the gloves. At the seam around the tip of the forefinger, some of the
materials started to tear away from the seams. Since noticing this, nothing
more seems to have come of it. If you are hard on gloves, though, you might
want to reconsider getting the Maverick's. Also, at $39.95, these aren't a
pair of gloves you'd want to replace often.
I found the overall comfort of the Maverick to be excellent. There is just
enough padding to make the ride better, without adding much bulk. If you've
never been quite happy with the fit and feel of your gloves, give Chiba a try.
For more information, contact:
Chiba Gloves
13750 McCormick Drive
Tampa, Florida, 33626
(813) 855-3400
Fax: (813) 818-7500
Toll free: 1-888-438-3400
www.chibagloves.com
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Answer Speeder Shoes
The Answer Speeder is an inexpensive mountain bike shoe. As with many
things in mountain biking, I'd expect to get what I paid for. I think
you'll find, as I did, that with the Speeder, this isn't the case.
For $70, the Speeder has a stiff sole with hard rubber lugs. The
uppers are a combination of breathable mesh and synthetic leather. The
Speeder is secured to your foot with shoe laces and two velcro straps.
As with most shoes of this closure type, there are two tongues-an inner
and an outer. The inner tongue on the Speeder is made of neoprene. The
outer, however, is a more durable synthetic leather with a neoprene patch
at the top where it contacts the foot.
All these features add up to a durable shoe that is very comfortable.
The sole gripped well in a variety of conditions and was fairly comfortable
to hike in. I say 'fairly' comfortable, because there is always a trade-off
between hiking comfort and cycling comfort. Here's a good test to see if a
shoe is a good shoe for biking: Is it more comfortable on the bike than off?
Because the Speeder has a stiff sole, biking is very comfortable. The give
of the neoprene on the tongues felt great while pedaling.
What do you get for your hard-earned 70 bucks? A comfortable, stiff shoe
that will last. I would recommend this shoe to anyone who is looking for a
new pair to replace an old. Answer could easily charge more for the features
included in the SpeederÖ just don't tell them that.
For more information, contact:
Answer Products
28209 Ave. Stanford
Valencia, CA 91355 -3984
661-257-4411
www.answerproducts.com
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Summary: If price is an issue, you might want to look at some of
Specialized's more humble offerings. Other than that, I recommend all three
of these products for anyone looking to improve their cycling gear wardrobe.
Good fit and feel in these three areas—helmets, shoes, and gloves—can make or
break you on an epic ride.
Jon Sharp is a Contributing Editor to GearReview.com specializing in mountain biking.
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