Upon first inspection, it’s, well, different. The jersey is a great material with longer sleeves and torso. It’s got a nice low neck in the front, but is tall enough to keep the sun off the back. There’s no bunching of the arms thanks to the clean finish and longer cut. The shorts look completely different than anything else I’ve worn. The pad is not sewn into the short, but is part of the short’s construction. The ULTRA cycling pad feels stout enough to hold up for a nice long ride to Sonoita, but it feels like it’ll move with you unlike the “diaper” pads of some brands. I can’t wait to try them out. I like riding in good quality stuff, so this gear has its work cut out for it.
First ride: wow. The kit is nice, light, very comfortable and wicks sweat very well. I didn’t feel dirty, stinky, or sticky afterwards like with some clothing. In fact, I had the gear on for a good hour plus after the ride, until Jill made me shower. The jersey fit well but tight, so if you’re a loose-cut aficionado then you’ll want to size up. I like the slim racer fit so it worked well for me. There are 5 pockets in the back (2 overlapping on each side, one large pocket in the middle). This worked well to keep my open gel packs off my car keys, and my iPod away from my body separated by one more layer of lycra. The ventilator mesh was great in making me feel fresh all ride, evening the mildly cool temps today. A bargain at $85.
The ULTRA short was AMAZING. Truly. The integrated pad felt like it wasn’t a pad at all. I felt like I was wearing a comfortable short was not a cycling short. The material they used was very nice—comparable to shorts at a much higher price point than the $130 for these shorts. The pad itself felt a bit different than other pads I’ve used. In feeling the pad prior to the ride, it felt like the stiff part of Velcro, but putting on the short it felt nice. It was a stiffer pad that I’m used to, but this means it takes up the pressure of the saddle very well. Even after a couple of hours I wasn’t feeling anything but love. It’s like the difference between the seats in my Subaru (very nice) and those in my friend’s Porsche (ooohhhhhh). These shorts are oooohhhhhhh.
Bottom line: Get some before everyone realizes that these are $250 shorts with a $130 price tag. Go to Trisports.com and get 10% off them using code BGRAS-S. Then go ride.
Brian
No comments:
Post a Comment