Rapha adds new cold-weather gear for 2011

High-end British cycling clothier Rapha has expanded its collection for 2011 with several cold-weather items, including the Pro Team Jacket, which will be available at the end of October and the Hooded Top, new for November. Also launching this month is a new zip-through cardigan-style Track Top, which adds to the line of city cycling jerseys, jeans and tops which the company has been rolling out over the last 18 months.

The new Pro Team Jacket is a high-performance softshell made from the proprietary Polartec membrane, which is windproof and water-repellent while remaining breathable and lightweight. The rear panels are constructed of Super-Roubaix fabric, providing essential wicking performance and insulation for cold-weather riding. Of the striking new color, which is new to the Rapha range of classic, muted hues, the company claims:

Scientific research shows the Chartreuse colourway offers exceptional visibility in low light. Though not technically fluorescent, studies have found that the rods in the retina – the part of the eye that work best in low light – are particularly receptive to the yellow/green color. As a result, chartreuse is increasingly used around the world for emergency vehicles.

The jacket – which is also available in black – features reflective side and rear trim, and the iconic Rapha armband is also reflective. It will be available late-October from the company website and will cost $275.

The Hooded Top is a clever mix of Merino for warmth, plus windproof panels to improve insulation. A close-fitting hood adds a contemporary edge to the top, and front and rear pockets add versatility. The Hooded Top will be available mid-November, and will sell for $195.

The Track Top is a characteristically low-key, elegant cardigan with a full-length zipper and subtle styling. Intended for wearing as a removable outer-layer in cool weather, the Track Top is constructed of 100% Merino wool, and is knitted – not stitched – together. It comes in charcoal gray or burgundy, and will sell for $165.

Already available, but new to the Rapha range, the Merino Roll Neck is a lightweight but high-performance woolen cycling jersey in the style of the classic jerseys worn by pro-riders in the early years of the 20th Century. Close-fitting, with a tall roll-neck and chest-level striping, the stylish jersey is available in one color – the popular Rapha black.

Rapha was recently named one of the fastest-growing UK companies by the Sunday Times in Britain. The company was founded in 2004, and has steadily built up a devoted following among cyclists in Europe and the US by offering low-key, classically-styled clothing of high-quality. A office in Portland, Oregon oversees the US market, which is increasingly receptive to the Rapha brand of old-school English tailoring. The company also sells high-performance waterproofs, shorts, accessories and a range of cosmetics and luggage.

Levi’s King Ridge Gran Fondo, 2011

If you follow me on Twitter you might already know that trip didn’t go exactly as planned. Sam and I got to Santa Rosa on Friday night as planned check in and headed downtown to have some dinner and a couple of drinks. Everything was great and both of us were feeling quite keen for the ride. But shortly after we’d gone to bed Sam got ill and in the morning he was barely able to get out of bed. Riding the bike was out of the question.

So I ditched him. I did offer to drive him home and just skip the ride, but in the end his wife drove on down to get him and I went out to ride by myself. Or with 7500 strangers.

The conditions were a lot different than the previous two years. Most of King Ridge and the approach to the coast were socked in with fog. It was cold, the roads were wet and the wind was blowing, but it was a good day. Amazingly, when we got to the coast, the sun came out and it started to warm a bit.

I felt pretty good and just ground out a good rhythm most of the day. After crossing the Russian River near Jenner I opted to turn left on Willow Creek Road for the dirt option and, while it was hard work, I was glad I did. Willow Creek was probably about 10 miles of dirt and gravel roads, all of it gradual climbing with about 3 miles of proper climbing.

I’ll put together another video in the next few days with the footage of Willow Creek Road I have, but for now, this pretty much captures how the day went:

the COLLARBONE

A nice little tumblr (soon to be iPad App) dedicated to pro-peloton photo journalism.

Photo from here.

Via.

almost makes me want to build a track bike

Image by Prolly
Chainring available here.

Cubicle Classic

Today is sports jersey day at the office. As it turns out I’m the only person in a cycling jersey – surprise! Here’s a list of things I want to do while I’m wearing it.

• While in a meeting, about half way through, reach into my jersey pocket, pull out GU packet, rip into it with my teeth, spit the foil, and suck down the contents.
• Have someone come into the meeting urgently and hand me a water bottle they’ve stuffed down the back of their shirt.
• With just a couple of minutes left in the meeting take a big gulp from my water bottle then throw it to the side of the room.
• Either at my cubicle or in a meeting, have the wheel on my chair fall off, I’d throw my hand in the air and someone would run up behind me with a new chair. Depending on how long it took, I may or may not throw my broken chair on the ground.
• Sit inches behind a co-worker while they work.
• Yell at someone in Italian when they won’t do what I’ve asked.
• Have someone hand me a musette as I walk down the hall.
• Look through the mussette putting things I want in my jersey pockets discarding the rest with a frown.
• Change the sign on the restroom to read “Doping Control”.
• Have someone run around next to me waving a giant Californian flag.
• Pass someone on the stairs and give them “the look.”

House Industries adventure cycling team, Finnish Edition

The House Industries Blog pointed me to “The Finnish branch of the House Industries adventure cycling team” and the video above.

The whole thing is pretty cool.

he won’t say how he did it

He’s 16. He’s rode his bike across a lake. He’s not saying how.

via clusterflock

Le Tour

via

May is was Bike Skin Cancer Awareness Month

I’ve had trouble writing this post. It’s one of those things that’s important to me but that’s difficult to make interesting. But this week I finally removed my arm warmers (hopefully for the remainder of the summer) and now I feel like it’s timely.

So. Here it goes.

I’m a skin cancer survivor.

Ok, so that’s a little misleading, I think. When you put the words “cancer” and “survivor” in that order, it tends to conjure images of chemo therapy, hair loss, weight loss and suffering. I went to a dermatologist and he said, “you have skin cancer.” Then “scraped and burned” it off – an unpleasant experience but only slightly.

My tumor was Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC). When I started researching for this article (we do sometimes do research around here) I was surprised to find that BCC is the most common kind of cancer. It’s slow growing and rarely, if ever metastasizes, and is, mostly, caused by exposure to harmful UV rays.

As a cyclist I spend a lot of time in the sun. So a skin cancer diagnosis was a bit of a wake-up call. I find that I rarely get a sunburn from being on the bike. Instead, I spend most of the summer watching my arms, face and neck get darker and darker. So, sunscreen was one of those things I might use, sometimes, on a long ride, if I remembered. Sometimes I’d actually avoid sunscreen, citing all the standard excuses: it’s too greasy, it smells, it makes my hands slippery, etc.

I do a little better now. One of the many things I pack in my commute bag is sunscreen and, almost every sleeveless afternoon, I put on the recommended amount of sunscreen (2 tablespoons). And I wear a hat. And sunglasses. I’m not perfect, but I’m getting better. I’ve found that I prefer “physical block” sunscreens to “chemical blocks”. The physical blocks generally contain a combination of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide – I find the lotion less greasy and less irritating.

If you can’t find a sunscreen that works for you, you can always try clothing. With summer highs in the 100s, it’s hard for me to imagine sporting sun sleeves like the ones offered by Pearl Izumi here in Sacramento, but it could be a great option for those of you lucky enough to live near the coast.

So, it’s June. The sun is out and you’re at risk. Do us a favor. Cover up.

For more information.

Wild Animals

Kurt saw a bobcat on his ride the other day and it got us to talking about all the wild animals we’d seen from the saddle.

My partial list:

1. Deer
2. Turkey
3. Chicken
4. Coyote
5. River Otter
6. Quail
7. Snake
8. Lizard
9. Rabbit
10. Egret
11. Duck
12. Squirrel

Not a bad list considering I do all my riding on paved roads.