CruiserbikeGirl Skirt

Convert to Skirt!  That’s SkirtSports founder, Nicole DeBoom’s advice to any woman athlete looking for a little more femininity in her sportswear.  I’d thought of SkirtSports as mainly a running apparel maker and I was pleasantly surprised to find out they also make a small line of cycling items.

Their CruiserbikeGirl Skirt is a very impressive bike short under a cute, flowy skirt with side slits for ease of movement.  The short is a great leg length (5.5 inches) and a patch pocket over the right hip that’s perfect for a small item or two.  The silicon leg grippers keep the short hem in place, however vigorously you might be working.  And the short pad is a medium density so you’ll have plenty of padding without going overboard and getting the “diaper” effect.  Although the shorts are called “CruiserbikeGirl” I was perfectly comfy on a 35-mile fast group ride – the pad is great for everything from bopping around the neighborhood to long-distance road riding.  There’s a little grommet-porthole near the waistband of the skirt itself to accomodate an earphone cord, so you could stow your player in that hip pocket.  The waistband is a very narrow elastic band at the top of a soft waist panel.  It’s adequate for keeping the skirt/shorts in place without constricting your breathing.  Some of the new soft waistbands on cycling shorts go overboard with the relaxed fit, giving you the feeling you’ll look down and find your shorts in the bikini position after awhile, but this skirt never slipped an inch.  I tested the black/white stripe model, but the CruiserbikeGirl Skirt comes in black/pink print (pictured), pink/black print, and plain old black.  Supercute, superfeminine, and still serious cyclewear!

SkirtSports.com $86.00

P.S.  SkirtSports is sponsoring several 5K running events around the country this summer – check them out at skirtchaser.com.  And check out our new Women’s Adventure event while you’re at it!

Part running shoe, part cycling shoe, the X-Alp is designed for both performance and comfort. The design is based on shoes used for hike-a-bike cross-alpine races. If you don’t use clipless pedals and cleats, you can still enjoy the benefits of a cycle-specific shoe. The stiffer sole lets you put more power into each pedal stroke.

We reviewed these shoes in our 2007 cycling issue and they still beat the competition for comfort, walkability, and the cute factor.  $90. www.pearlizumi.com

The kind folks at Sugoi sent us several jerseys to try out this spring and I had a hard time choosing just one, so you’re going to get a double dip of cycling goodness.

Sugoi Verve 3/4 Sleeve Jersey

Verve

This top looks pretty unassuming, with its simple clean lines and unobtrusive side zip pocket. It’s become one of my favorites for cool days because of its wonderful, flattering fit. It has a squared off bottom to the collar that gives it a multi-sport appearance and eliminates any need for zippers. I’ve been using it to ride to work and for weekend rides with the girls, and I wouldn’t hesitate to run, walk, or mountain bike in it.

If you’re a cycling packrat, you’ll mourn the loss of pocket real estate, but for shorter rides or under a hydration pack, it’s tops. The Verve does fine with wicking and venting through the mesh panels along the shoulders and sides. The 3/4 sleeve coverage is welcome under the beating sun or in the cool early mornings. My favorite little surprise on this jersey is the zip color – apple green on our white/gunmetal version! Four color variations, $50.00

Those are octopus arms across the front!

Sugoi Tentacles Jersey

This one is pure cycling. It has a nice length, flat non-elastic hem (yay!), tiny cap sleeves, the usual three-pocket arrangement on the back, and a fun design with a story. There’s a stylized image of the Pacific Giant Octopus on the back, based on Native American art, and a printed story on one of the back pockets about the significance of the octopus in Native American culture. So your riding buddies have something to read while they’re slogging up that hill behind you! It’s a really eye catching design, both fun and functional.  Teamestrogen.com carries this jersey and they have an image of the front and back, so you can see the entire design – cool!  $85.00

www.sugoi.com

Nangpa-La XCR

Here is a great choice for low mileage, two- to three-day backpacking trips. The beauty of these boots is that no break-in is needed—they are great right out of the box. The Nangpa-La XCR are pretty flexible but still give ample ankle and foot bed support.

The Gore-Tex lining kept our hikers’ feet dry in even the wettest conditions, and the sticky Vibram sole prevented slippage on wet rocks. The only bummer is it is geared more toward those with narrow feet. $175. www.scarpa.com

Gore Power Lady Tights

I try not to take the fancy stuff out when I’m just riding to work.  I’ve got some ratty old tights with a very minimal chamois that work fine and they’ve been through the wash so many times I can’t believe they still live.  But when I’m behind in laundry, I have to dip into my good stuff, so I’ve been wearing Gore Power Lady Shorts to commute to work.  Sort of like driving your Porsche to pick up a load of mulch.  But these tights are so comfy!  They’ve got Gore’s Advanced Lady chamois at work, which is a fancy way of saying great padding for long ride comfort.  Serious leg grips keep them from moving around and the waistband is soft and cut below your waist in the front, so you can take that deep breath when you need it (usually when you’re behind a big truck on a hill, unfortunately).

These are compression shorts.  If you’ve never used compression wear before, they do squeeze you, but the advantage is improvement in circulation and less muscle fatigue.  I’m all for less muscle fatigue.  I’ve found that, over the years, Gore cycle stuff really holds up to my cavalier treatment of washing and drying right along with the rest of my laundry (not recommended by Gore!).  So save them for those weekend rides if you must, but they’ll be happy to do cycling duty all week, too.

Gore Power Lady Shorts msrp $99.95 Available in short or 3/4 lengths.  www.gorebikewear.com