Thread & Spoke

Thread and Spoke produce some great and unique cycling focused T-shirt collections. They run limited batches of the designs in multiple colors and are always mixing up their catalog. As I only work from my office 2-3 days a week I pretty much live in shorts and T-shirts and as I already had a pile of their shirts in heavy rotation it seemed like a match made in heaven to partner with them and help promote the brand and collection.

I took delivery of a box this week which contained a good cross (no pun intended) and eclectic selection on offer. Given that it is Cross Season there was a couple of CX focused designs the rest covered a broad spectrum of cycling interests. All the designs are colorful and topical. From experience the shirts are great quality, wear, wash, dry (in a dryer) and repeat and you’re good to go!

Right now they have a great promotion of 20% off orders of $45 which is basically two shirts for $40. They often have sales too as they rotate through the collections. Additionally open an account and you will accumulate points which you can cash in at a later date! So everybody wins!

Check them out now at Thread & Spoke and tell them I sent you!

Review; Voler Black Label DX

So the good folks at Voler sent me the latest iteration of their Black Label kit. I reviewed the original Black Label kit back in 2014 and one point of feedback in the review was that the jersey was a little loose on me. This time I requested the newer DX version which is slimmer fit and is described by Voler as “Aero/Tight”.

As I noted back in 2014 Black Label is a premium line that avoids the fanfare of team or sponsorship logos and is targeted against other brands where the cache is the brand/badge/logo of the manufacturers, think Castelli, Hincapie, Santini and the like. It’s a limited line in terms of items of clothing currently only offering bottoms; bibs and shorts, top; undershirts, jerseys, vest and jacket and thermal booties. New this year is the introduction of Woolen undershirts. It combines all the elements found in their proven team kits and serves them up in a highly functional and cosmetically simple but satisfying formula.

This year I am actually 7-8lbs lighter this year compared to 2014 (this morning I was 167.7lbs vs. 175 in 2014) so the slimmer fit would be a good choice. I am still 6’1” and so compared to my previous experience I ordered a size Large. All the photos below were taken with my Garmin VirbX.

Out of the bag both the jersey and bibs ooze quality. Soft and strong fabrics form the construction and they are both extremely lightweight.

The jersey. The jersey is constructed from multiple fabrics. There are distinct color coded DryTech panels on the side and at the base of your neck are made from a moisture wicking and heat dispersing fabric, this works very well in letting you cool off.  Despite the darker colors I had no issues with heat management.

The DX version has longer than average sleeves that sit closer to your elbows vs. the typical jersey sleeve which is more likely to sit mid bicep. The base of the sleeve in banded with PowerGrip, this is a silicon free fabric that holds the jersey in place.

At the back you have the customary three pockets and the added benefit from a small zippered pocket, ideal for a Credit card or cash and handy when reaching behind you grab a gel and don’t litter the road with all your valuables. There is some reflective trim on the back too. At the bottom there is a PowerGrip strip to stop the jersey from riding up etc. The pockets are plenty spacious and I had no issues filling them with all my usual goodies; bars, pump, phone, spares etc.

One new item which I really like is the light weight zipper on the front of the jersey which avoids zipper bulge when in a riding position.

The entire jersey is constructed with Flat Seams, crucial in avoiding chaffing.

The bibs; I have been wearing bibs for many years now, there really is no comparison to wearing shorts. The Black Label line up does offer shorts for folks who prefer them but for this review I opted for bibs. Similar to the jersey there is distinct feel of quality. It’s a seven panel construction and is highly compressive. The fabric is the Italian milled ForzaHC. This fabric offers a visually interesting dimpled look, it shimmers in the sun but is not shiney. As I opted for the red jersey the matching bibs came with a subtle splash of color on them that match the jersey.

Similar to the jersey the legs are finished on the inside with PowerGrip. These did a great job of holding the bibs in the right place and avoid them sliding up. The inseam on the large measures and is a little shorter than those found on Pactimo bibs which I usually wear. I had no issues with this other than the visual of seeing a little more leg than I am used to. The straps/braces are made from the same DryTech fabric as the bibs and are quick wicking.

The most important part of any cycling bottoms is the chamois and Voler have stuck with the tried and true Cytech CompHP. Italian made, Cytech manufacture chamois for many cycling brands including Assos, De Marchi, DHB, Gore, Rapha, Spuik and many others. Designated as a pad that can be used for 6 hours plus I had no issues on my three test rides the longest of which was just under 5 hours. The best thing I can say about it was that I didn’t notice it. There is lots of technical information available here of you really want to get into it.

So as mentioned I rode it three times for test rides.

A 75 mile, 4500’ gain 4:47hrs ride.

A 54 mile, 5100’ gain 4:09hrs ride.

A 25 mile, 1400’ gain 1:27hrs ride.

So just over 150 miles, over 10,000’ of climbing and over 10 hours in the saddle. For each ride I had no issues and was comfortable for every mile and every foot gained. I even garnered a couple of complements at traffic lights from other cyclists. 

Overall much like the original I really like this kit. The understated non logo or overly patterned material is just timeless. The focus on quality is evident and the less is more look really appeals to me. The changes from the original; PowerGrip finishes and the lightweight zip on the jersey are great upgrades as is the use of PowerGrip on the bibs.

So if you’re looking for something that is full of quality and makes you noticeable without looking like a billboard or an explosion in a paint factory and want to save some $$ to actually be able to buy a espresso on those coffee shop rides this could be the kit for you.

There has been a slight price increase in two years and the bibs are now $149 and the Jersey is $119, the DX versions are $10 more than the non DX version.

Black Label is made in Grover Beach USA, in fact 99% of what Voler make is made in the USA. The name may sound French (it’s pronounced “Vol-lay”), and the style may err on the side of the Mediterranean but the elbow grease that goes into them is good old fashioned USA!

PS I paired the kit with a pair of SGX 8” socks from SockGuy which took my MatchyMatchy game to Level 11!

This Product was provided by Voler. See previous gear reviews in the Reviews tab above. If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at quadrathon@gmail.com

Pactimo July Stage Event Week 2

Week 2 of the Tour is here, the riders have had their first rest day and will be heading out of the Pyrenees and it’s time for the next round of Pactimo geat to rotate into the eye of the sale!

Jerseys, Jackets, Made to Order kit and accessories are on offer with between 25%-35% off. Check out this link to restock you wardrobe!

Pactimo July Stage Event

It’s no surprise to anyone that I love my Pactimo gear, I pretty much live in it all year round! During July they have this great event where each week you can scoop up some amazing deals! There is an outline of the list below.

Sign up for their mailing list as a reminder and a chance to win a $500 spending spree!

Everesting Equipment List

This is a list post. It’s all the equipment list that I used for my Everesting ride, if you have any questions leave a comment below and I will do my best to answer.

Bike; a 2010 Cervelo R3, the R3 is their “comfort” bike, think Paris-Roubaix rather than Tour de France. The bike comes pretty well speced with a full Shimano Ultegra groupset and 3T cockpit and seat post. I have had this bike since new and other than replacing things that have worn out, cassettes, chain, bar tape I have hardly touched it in terms of upgrades. I had originally switched out the Fi`zi:k stock saddle for a Selle Italia model. This year that was replaced with an ISM Prologue saddle. I was riding in Speedplay pedals but switched these out for Garmin Vector 2s in September.

Drivetrain; for this ride I swapped out the 11-25 cassette for a 12-30, I also put on a Compact (50/34) Chainset, this change meant a shorter chain.

Wheels; after some research and before receiving my OrbisII wheels from 3T I opted for Shimano DuraAce 9000 C24s, lightweight and stiff. I was obviously more interested in the weight. Tire wise I had Continental Grand Prix 4000 IIS (23mm). Inner tubes were Avenir Lite 700x23x48

Lights and Power; I was fortunate enough that Garmin also sent me a Varia Light set. I was really impressed with these. I supplemented these with two Vomlite Cree lights on the front and a Magnus Innovation Bold II rear light. I had no expectation of any of these lasting through two nights. The Vomlites needed mains power so Becca charged these when she went home during the day, the Garmin and Bold lights were USB chargeable so they were charged in Base camp. I used an Anker PowerCore 10400 to charge my Garmin Edge 810 on the fly

Data Measurement; I mentioned I used my Garmin Edge 810, I recharged it once during the ride. I also had on my Garmin Fenix3, this was a backup. Like this 810 I charged it once during the ride and when I saw that the 810 would be good through to the end then I ignored it. It captured everything except the last couple of hours.

Clothing and Shoes; it was cold and it was only during the middle of the day that I was able to get the “warmers” off and get down to a Jersey, Vest and short fingered gloves, other than that I wore pretty much everything all the time! From the bottom up:

• Bontrager RXL Shoes
• Pactimo Alpine Toe Covers
• Defeet Socks
• Pearl Izumi leg warmers
• Pactimo Ascent Pro Bibs
• Pactimo Zero Weight Base Layer
• Pactimo 2.0 Jersey
• Pactimo Breckenridge Vest
• Pactimo Breckenridge Jacket
• Pactimo Cascade Jacket
• Pearl Izumi Arm Warmers
• Pearl Izumi Cyclone Gel Gloves (long fingered)
• Castelli S Uno Gloves (short fingered)
• Pactimo Neck Gaiter
• Pactimo Cap
• Pearl Izumi ear warmers
• Headsweats Skull Cap
• Louis Garneau Course Helmet

Miscellaneous;

• Oakley Fast Jacket glasses during the day and Perfomance Bike clear glasses at night
• TransIt saddle bag with spares
• Camelbak 21oz Podium Insulated bottle
• Garmin Edge/Varia mount
• Garmin GSC10 cadence monitor
• Serfas Bento Box to hold the Anker power

Food/Nutrition; Much of my food was from the Skratch Portables book. Becca cooked up a storm in the kitchen with baked eggs, French Toast muffins and Mushroom Swiss Fritata. Becca also made up Skratch Raspberry Bars. beyond that I was also stocked with Lara Bars, Chips and Bananas. Fluid-wise I lived on warm Skratch Apple and Cinnamon, I would get through a bottle roughly every hour. This was supplemented with Hot Chocolate, Mexican (real sugar) coke, chicken noodle soup and good old coffee!

With the exception of some of the cold weather gear everything had been tested in the months prior. The wheels/tires were used for the Westlake Century and wheels and drivetrain was used for the Mike Nosco Memoroal Ride. The lights (except the Varia) were used at 12 Hours of Temecula.  

So as I said this is list post and this is everything I can remember.

A clean pair of heels!

White shoes…on the face of it is there anything more ridiculous for cycling footwear! Exposed to the elements and about as close to road you can get! Well as I have three pairs; Road, MTB and Triathlon I am clearly a candidate for ridicule! That said when clean and bright they look awesome, with a snowy white or brightly patterned socks and a good tan they are hard to beat!

I had trouble finding road shoes, it took me so long that I even got bored looking for them! In the end I lucked into a pair of Bontager RXLs which were on sale at a local bike shop for 50% off and I took them. They are light, stiff and expensive shoes, even with the discount! They are 95% perfect, there is one annoying feature which is the upper strap is fully adjustable so you can position it squarely over your foot and sometimes it slips. It doesn’t happen all the time but it does happen…so about 95% perfect.

I have had them now for almost a couple of years and of course they are showing some wear. Fortunately where I ride I get 277 days of sunshine and only 25 rainy days a year they really don’t get put through the wringer! A quick wipe down with a Veloshine does the trick usually. Mine have been taking somewhat of a beating from the inside out, this is more of a result of hours spent on the trainer which does not have air circulation to dry your feet that you would have on the road and they were starting to take on the color of the socks, specifically a pink hue was permeating the mesh panels and stitching, they were taking on somewhat of a fuchsia glow.

I had tried a couple of things to clean it with but with no luck and it was when I was standing in line at the grocery store that I noticed the Clorox Bleach Pen by the Candy and Chapstick. I wondered if I could bleach them clean…for $3.00 it was worth a try!

Well 15 minutes work with a stiff brush and the Clorox answered the question, yes I could! It took a couple of attempts and will probably take another round but the mesh has cleaned up pretty well, the stitching still needs some work but it’s not really noticeable when riding.

I am a big believer in, as they say in the military; “husbandry”, that is looking after your stuff and this is a easy and quick fix that will help you pass muster!

Pactimo; Match your Ride Bundles

Pactimo have just made it significantly easier for you to look sharp and be super matchy-matchy on your bike. Last month they introduced a new concept called “Match your Ride”. This allows you to color match a jersey, bib (or shorts) and cap to your bike’s color scheme…ingenious right!

Color schemes are available in 11 colors;

• Celeste (PAC 3375)
• Kelly Green (PAC C-019)
• Lime Green (PAC 376)
• Manic (PAC C-005)
• Neon Pink (Rhodamine)
• Pactimo Red (PAC 485)
• Royal Blue (PAC 2995)
• Violet
• Warm Red (PAC/C)
• White
• Yellow

That pretty much covers anything you could possibly be riding. The top and bottom design is simple and classic and comprises they Ascent Air Jersey and Ascent Pro Bibs, both of which have been updated this year.

Ascent Air Jersey;

Built for a sleek aero fit, lightweight feel and extreme breathability, the Ascent Air jersey features ultra-lite, super-stretchy and ventilated Speedskin fabric across the front panels, sleeves and collar. Back and side panels are constructed from Arrido mesh to provide lightweight breathability. Designed with comfort in mind, the Ascent Air jersey includes silicone waist gripper, neck tape, and a full-length zipper. You'll love how whisper light this jersey feels on those hot summer days.

• Lightweight and breathable Speedskin and Arrido mesh fabrics
• Pactimo TotalFit™ design for excellent anatomical fit
• Anti-chafe neck tape in collar
• Full-length YKK zipper with Pactimo pull-tab
• Ultra-soft silicone gripper at waist
• 3 full rear pockets
• Rear pocket opening for headphones and earbud loop in neckline
• Rear reflective trim

Ascent Pro Bibs;

Whether you’re racing in a local crit or enjoying an epic weekend ride, the Ascent Pro Bib Shorts are built to deliver. Using our proprietary Silhouette™ Engineering, the Ascent Pro Bib Shorts are specifically made for performance and comfort in the riding position. These bibs feature 7.5cm leg compression bands for a longer, more comfortable short that will not ride up or bind. (Cyclists preferring a shorter inseam should consider the Ascent bib shorts.)

• Worn by pro and elite cyclists worldwide, these bib shorts incorporate high performance lycra and exceptional chamois design. Whether racing or going long distance, the Ascent Pro Bib Shorts will enhance your ride.
• Italian Miti® Zaffiro Shield XC fabric (78% Nylon 22% Spandex; 200g)
• Silhouette™ Engineering: Integrated anatomical design for enhanced compression and support
• Italian-made Cytech CyTech E.I.T. Liege Carbonium chamois: 3 multi-structured levels (10-8-4mm), high protection foam, anatomical shaping and Elastic Bioactive surface fabric with carbon fiber
• Non-binding, double-layer fabric compression leg band
• Flatlock stitching eliminates chafe points
• 9.5" Inseam

Worried about buying a jersey and bib set, are you all legs or all body, don’t panic! You may exchange a single item for a different size, however you cannot return a single item for a refund. The entire bundle must be returned for a refund.

A Match my Ride full kit costs $240 and has free shipping, you also qualify for free points which you can use for future purchases, more info on that here. Jerseys are available for $105 and Bibs for $135, Shorts are $105. However you won’t get the free cap which is what tips it (no pun intended) in favor of buying a complete kit at once.

Trade up to a new Pactimo Jersey!

I can tell you until I am blue in the face how great Pactimo jerseys are, but at the end of the day, the best testimony comes 30-50 miles into a hard ride when you’re happy with how comfortable it still feels.

So, as a way to get you into their clothing…they are offering 50% off a new Pactimo jersey!

All you have to do is send in one of your old jerseys. Any cycling jersey, any brand; old, new, worn they will take it. More info is available here

It’s actually for a good cause too. All gently used jerseys will be donated to The Bike Depot in Denver  is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community bike shop that supports Denver communities with a wide range of bicycling programs, services and products. They strive to foster the growth of bicyclists and bicycle communities through programs, education and access. One of their main initiatives that we will be partnering with is the Bike Rodeo. See what they did last year

All the eligible jerseys are listed here, personally I’m taken with this stealth mode one…black is always in style!

#HeadsweatySelfie Contest

Headsweats are running this great contest and it’s an easy opportunity to win some free stuff!

I am sure you are all up on how to take a selfie etc so here are the rules!

1.  Take an awesome selfie in your favorite Headsweats
2.  Post to your Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram using the #HeadsweatySelfie hashtag
3.  Be entered to win a FREE piece of Headsweats headwear!

Yup that’s it…like all the best things in life it’s nice and simple!

At the end of each month, we will pick 2 #HeadsweatySelfie winners to receive the prize.  It’s ongoing throughout the year so set yourself a reminder!

Race, training, golf, beach, whatever…make it fun!

Not sure exactly what a HeadsweatySelfie is?  No worries – I’ll start you off!

Review; i Am – Not Your Average Shirt!

I was approached a couple of months ago by “I Am shirts”, and with most things I am running behind on writing up a review. I was offered a free shirt and having looked through their website I choose the High Mileage one, ‘cos you know I am!

The shirt arrived and I have been able to wear, wash rinse repeat for the last few months now. My verdict…pure awesome. In terms of fit they have really nailed it! Broad enough across my shoulders to avoid that seam pull from your armpit, they are fitted so you avoid that baggy shape that you end up with when you size up and they are plenty long enough to fit my taller than average 6’1” frame,

The shirts are pitched as vintage and they have then super soft worn in feel, there are a blended fabric including rayon. The designs are dyed into the fabric, rather than on top, which means that they will not fad over time, in fact the shirt feels better the more you wear and wash it. But wait rather than let me go on and on about them here is a quick video that tells you all you need to know!

i Am - Not Your Average Shirt from i Am Brand on Vimeo.

Another thing I like about this brand is that it’s a small home-grown company, based in Louisiana, they don’t take themselves too seriously and they have plenty of unique designs. They are not all running based and they should appeal to your inner Geek, Musician, New Orleanian or Pilot!

With the Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday upon us here’s a good opportunity to push out their discounted weekend deals and offer a freebie to one lucky ready.

Between now and Monday when you order on line and use the Coupon Code “BLACKCYBER” you’ll get 30% and free shipping on orders over $25. One lucky reader will win a free shirt, all you have to do is;

• Like them on Facebook = 1 entry
• Follow the on Twitter = 1 entry
• Tweet “I just entered the @quadrathon contest to win an awesome @theIamBrand t-shirt, you can too here http://bit.ly/127KXdh #quadiambrand”

Tweet this once a day between now and December 5 gets you another 7 entries for a maximum of 9, a winner will be drawn over the following weekend and you can choose your own shirt!

This shirt was provided free of charge by the good folks at theiambrand See previous gear reviews in the sidebar on the right. If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at quadrathon@gmail.com.

Review; Pactimo Summit Jersey & Bibs

I was lucky enough to get hooked up Pactimo for a full kit in advance of 6 Hours of Temecula. Applying a tad of nothing new on Race Day I rode for it in a few time prior to race day to make sure there was not errantly wrong with its fit and other than that it was good to go on race day. This was the second set of Pactimo kit I had owned, the first set was as a result of accruing miles on Vamovo.

I choose the color way of this kit for no other reason that my bikes are black/white/red. It’s become a standing joke in our house that this is the modus operandi of my style and well, that’s fine. It’s sharp and doesn’t show the dust!

The Summit line is premium line and as such has all the bells and whistles, technical fabrics including cooling and reflecting technology!

Let’s look at the jersey.

Summit Speed Jersey. The jersey is soft and comfortable. It has a modification on the traditional raglan sleeves that reduces the number of seams and therefore the number of friction points. It has the more fashionable longer sleeves and they do not have those annoying skin pulling silicon grips that other jerseys have. The front is substantially shorter than the back, this is based on the ergonomics of bike riding, you are typically leaning forward which shortens the front and lengthens the back. Pactimo has actually cut the jersey to accommodate this. There is a full zip at the front. At the rear there are smaller pockets and an internal pocket for your race radio! There is a silicon gripper at the bottom of the jersey to keep it down

Summary. Having worn this (and crashed in it) at 6 Hours at Temecula this jersey is, quite frankly, amazing. It fit’s like a glove and despite its dark color the heat is not an issue. It looks sharp and it fits great which for me is not a usual thing…tall and thin has issues!

Now the bibs.

If you wear shorts and have never worn bibs all I can say is get some, right now!

Summit Raptor Bibs. These bibs come laden with technology. They draw heat and water away from your skin, they reflect the heat, the pad (let’s be honest this is the important bit) is “a unique curved anatomic shape. Offering the all-way stretch of the Elastic Interface™ Technology with a special high density foam throughout for maximum comfort and performance. Endurance Anatomic Men has a central channel to relieve pressure from the perineal zone and provide better airflow”. What does that mean, comfort, go all day comfort! Like the jersey they are shaped to conform to a riding position, this makes so much sense! Having a shape that mimics your position removes all those wrinkles and curves that get in your way! The legs are silicon gripper free

Summary. Much like the jersey these bibs fit like a glove. So much so that you just forget they are there! There is none of the elegant crotch pulling that you often see at traffic lights. They are the right length in the right proportion, I am 6’1 and both the bibs and the jersey were a size Large.

Overall. Pactimo is a smaller US (Colorado) based company. Based on my experience they offer a quality well priced and well-designed wardrobe of clothing. Their patterns are fresh and the clothing is laden with the technology that you expect in clothing that is usually two or three times the price! If you’re in the market for some new kit to see you into the fall and winter check out their website, I am sure you won’t be disappointed!

This jersey and bib were provided free of charge by the good folks at Pactimo. See previous gear reviews in the sidebar on the right. If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at quadrathon@gmail.com.

Review; Opedix KNEE-Tec Tights

Amidst all this cycling I am going to stick in a review of a running item, but with the caveat that it can be used as a tool for cycling too!

The good folks at Opedix sent me a pair of their KNEE-Tec Tights to try. At a basic level beyond the obvious benefits of warmth during the winter, yes (rolls eyes) we even have a winter in Southern California, Opedix have combined two recent game changers into the sports industry; compression clothing and Kinsio Tape, well to be honest the latter has been around for a while but has only really come to prominence in the last few years with KTTape and Rock Tape leading the charge…but I digress!

So from the Opedix Website;

“Every style of Opedix tights incorporate our patented knee support and have scientifically designed tensioning systems within a comfortable, form-fitting base layer to enhance the kinetic functioning of your body. Working like a muscle, the scientific design uses a combination of fabric tensions to anatomically correct the body's inside forces and reconnected joints to harmoniously function in a kinetic chain.

Scientifically Designed and Tested to Reduce: Destructive Knee Forces, Quadricep Fatigue, Knee Pain and Improve: Dynamic Balance

Opedix KNEE-Tec™ Tights and CORE-Tec™ Shorts have scientifically designed  tensioning systems built within a comfortable, form-fitting base layer to enhance the kinetic functioning of your body. Working like an external muscle, a combination of fabric tensions help direct the body’s internal forces and optimize harmonious joint function in the body’s kinetic chain.”

As you may have noticed since my bike crash my training has shifted away from Ironman St George and onto the bike but prior to that end I was putting in 3-4 runs a week and the later night or earlier morning runs were perfect for putting these tights through their paces. I was sent a Black pair with contrasting orange stitching, they are also available in Black with contrasting Gray panels. They could do with some reflective qualities for those night runs!

So out of the box the tights are nice and durable they defiantly have a quality feel to them. There are two distinct fabrics; the webbing part that provides the tensioning system and the regular fabric that surrounds it.

Webbing Top Right, non webbing Bottom Left

You can see in these photos how the webbing is sculptured around the leg to support the main muscle groups and knee it the sections that look light Black/Gray. I borrowed these images from their website….you do not want to see me in tights!

I should point out that I was initially sent a size Medium, this was based on my waist size, height and weight (32”, 6’1 and 175lb) I struggled to get them over my thighs (a problem I have with regular jeans and chinos too) so I exchanged them for a size Large and these were a much better fit. Something to consider if when you order a pair. They sit comfortable at the waist with a nice wide waistband. There is a drawstring to avoid the ever attractive saggy crotch! Length wise, as per the picture above, they don’t reach my socks but that’s fine. There is a handy small pocket on the back, big enough for a key, gel or Credit Card but too small for a phone unless it is a flip phone. They are not overly logo’d a couple of discreet mentions on the thigh and calf.

So onto the road test. As you would expect the fit is…well tight! Not overly so though it does take some getting used to the webbing material. At first the webbing feels a little restrictive but once you get into your stride you soon become adjusted and you can feel the “rebound” effect. They are very supportive and I can only describe the effect of the webbing as feeling like there a rubber bands tensioning your muscles to contract as you move. The only caveat is I did find that when I was running faster i.e. when doing fartleks or striders etc they did feel a little tighter which I expect is due to the greater range of motion needed, rather than my usual shuffle!

For post runs I wore them a couple of times to recover in and also I have worn them post ride. The benefits of compression are much more widely accepted for recovery than during exercise so this seemed like a great time to try them too. Around the house they were fine, sitting at a dining table chair is ok, you wouldn’t want a 3 course meal in them though as that much bend in the knee makes them a little too tight but for feet up in front the TV there are great.

I could go on about the Science and all the reasons why these are great but Opedix created a short video that does a much better job than I can! 
 

Looking after them is easy, cold wash and air dry! No shrinkage and after several months no real signs of any wear, fading, unraveling stitching etc. They are made in the US so that keeps jobs Stateside too which is a bonus in this economy. Talking of economy one benefit these have over Tape is that Tape wears out and falls off, so long term this is a more cost effective solution!

So all in all a quality product that does what it says it does. Should you buy a pair, well that’s for you to decide but if you have the need for cold weather gear (did someone say Polar Vortex), and functionally supportive pair of tights then these could be good for you! If you’re rehabing an injury or a prone to something these are well worth looking at, prevention is always better then a cure.

You can also use them for skiing, I don’t ski but a couple of reviewers have tried them for that and also when cycling. The weather here is too mild cold tights on the bike with the exception of few days (sorry World) but I can see the benefits rolling across lots of sports!

Available through their website they retail for $225 which may seem like a lot and well it is but these are a lot more that your basic cold weather tights and are in the same ball-park as what you would pay for the other similar offerings from CEP and CW-X.

These tights were provided free of charge by the good folks at Opedix. See previous gear reviews in the tab above. If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at quadrathon@gmail.com.