Woolen Socks and Tights: Winter Cycling Delights

Over the holidays I was gifted some wool socks and tights, and I thought it might be useful to review them. Wool is of course an essential part of winter cycling apparel, but there is something so nice about fluffy socks even beyond their practical applications. At least for me, wool socks might just be the "comfort food" of clothing.

So here is what I got:
. merino tights in black from J. Crew,
. cashmere blend leggings in charcoal from Victoria's Secret,
. cashmere blend over-the-knee socks in olive from Sock Dreams,
. merino over-the-knee socks in charcoal from American Essentials,
. merino mid-calf socks in black and white from J. Crew.

In terms of warmth, all of these have stood the test of winter temperatures so far. Keep in mind though, that the colder it is and the less active your feet are, the more layers you need to wear. We were doing a photo-shoot in the snow a couple of days ago, and after 1 hour my feet began to freeze in my boots even though I was wearing both a pair of wool tights and a pair of wool socks over them. For cycling, I have found just one layer plus boots to be sufficient so far, but your experience may vary.

While all the tights and socks I got did a good job at retaining warmth, they varied dramatically in sizing and quality. In terms of sizing, be aware that the Victoria's Secret cashmere blend leggings run a bit large, while the J. Crew wool tights run very small. I have long legs, so I typically wear M/L tights. These J. Crew tights were a "Large" and they are too small on me. I can wear them, but the fit is off and the wool is a bit overstretched in the leg area. If their largest size is too small on me, who the heck were these designed for?.. The Victoria's Secret leggings I got in size S, but these things are huge and XS would have been a better fit. All the other socks were true to size. I should add that both the Sock Dreams and the American Essentials over-the knee socks stay up pretty well, compared to others I have worn.

In terms of quality, I am dismayed to report that the J. Crew tights and socks underperformed all the others. The tights tore at the back seam while I was pulling them on for the first time. I examined the tear and it appears to be a result of faulty stitching. Easy enough to sew up, but does not inspire confidence in their quality. As for the J. Crew socks, they pilled and "fuzzed up" horribly after the very first time I wore them, which was disappointing. The other socks have held up fine so far. I wonder whether the "fuzzing" has to do with the quality of wool, the type of wool, the processing, or some other factor?

Wool tights, socks, leggings and legwarmers are absolutely great in the winter and can be worn in different combinations to keep you warm during different degrees of cold. All the items reviewd here are extremely affordable, and I would recommend them all except for J. Crew. Sock Dreams in particular seems to be a good source as they sell socks in different lengths, as well as leggings and legwarmers, at reasonable prices. If you have a favourite wool sock supplier, please do chime in. We could all use more "comfort food" for the feet!

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Our Satchels: a Review of Two

The Co-Habitant and I are often asked about our satchels. And as they are bike related (we use them to transport our laptops while cycling), I thought I'd review them here.

Mine is a brown leather satchel from Scaramanga. His is a black leather satchel from the Cambridge Satchel Co. Both are from the UK and both were purchased last summer.

The bag from the Cambridge Satchel Co. is technically not a satchel, but what they call a "batchel" - a satchel with a handle on top, so that you can carry it like a briefcase in addition to messenger style. The Cambridge Satchel Company offers traditionally made satchels, batchels and music bags in a variety of colours ranging from classic black, dark brown and navy blue, to eye popping red, yellow and purple. Their logo is a very cute bicycle, which is appropriate, as Cambridge is one of the few towns in England where bicycles rule the roads. The bags are handmade by skilled artisans in the North of England using traditional methods. I have to admit that I am biased in favour of this company, because the owner and I have a common alma mater and she generally seems like such a nice person. I wish her all the best, and definitely see a batchel of my own in the future once I have a smaller laptop.

This bag is the 15" size, measured on the outside. They come in a variety of sizes, but this is the largest. It accommodates a laptop that is 13" across (such as the smaller MacBooks) but will not fit a larger laptop. All satchels and batchels are available messenger style or backpack style, which I think is great. And notice the cute bicycle logo at the bottom!

Our favourite thing about this batchel aside from its beauty, is that it is structured. The leather is thick and stiff and retains its shape perfectly when the bag is empty. You can place the batchel down on a flat surface, and it will stand up on its own. This is great for carrying a laptop, because it provides support. The bags are unlined, but given the way they are made, I feel that lining is not necessary.

Closure is via the beautiful chrome coloured buckles you see in the photos. Everything is very sturdy; very well made, with beautiful forms and stitching.

Here is what the batchel looks like from the front, worn messenger-style. If you are male, the 15" size is really the only one that will fit your proportions, unless you are very short. If you are female, the smaller ones can be worn as a purse. And of course for children the smaller sizes are ideal and absolutely adorable in the red, yellow and purple colours.

I do not have any photos of the Co-Habitant wearing this bag while cycling, but he says it's great. The one alteration we had to make (to this and to my Scaramanga satchel as well), was to punch extra holes in the strap to allow us to shorten it - otherwise it is too long for cycling. Everything else was marvelous and perfect out of the box.

Now for my satchel! I do not know as much about Scaramanga Co. as I do about the Cambridge Satchel Co., but they sure make beautiful and comfortable bags. Available in a variety of sizes and styles, they offer purse-sized bags, laptop-sized bags, and enormous travel bags, in a choice of messenger style (the front flap is longer and has no buckles) or satchel style (shown in these photos). The natural, slightly distressed leather of my bag is the only material/colour available. It is a similar colour to Brooks "Honey", but perhaps with more tonal variation.

I love the way this bag is made - from the natural look of the leather to all the beautiful hardware, such as the rivets around the handle and closures. My bag is the "large, wide satchel" model, with handle (which is an optional add-on). It accommodates my 15" MacBookPro with room to spare. This is a very different bag from the Co-Habitant's batchel. The leather is soft and slouchy and the bag does not retain its shape when empty. Also, the leather does not provide enough thickness to support or cushion a laptop. If this is an issue for you, you will need to keep your laptop in a protective sleeve.

The sea green lining is beautiful! Inside, the satchel has two main compartments - each of them large enough to fit a 15"+ laptop or some books. There is an additional, smaller zipped up compartment in the front. However, as with the Co-Habitant's batchel, there are no small inner pockets for a mobile phone or camera, no pen loops, etc. For me that kind of stuff is actually important, but the overall quality of the bag nonetheless won over other bags that did have the small inner compartments. Perhaps some day I will make some pockets in it myself.

View from the front. As I have mentioned, we had to punch extra holes in the straps of both bags in order to make them short enough for cycling. So this is why you see the excessively long folded-over strap here. It is not entirely convenient, but not uncomfortable either. My only problem with this bag is that when I put my laptop and books in it, the overall weight is too much on my shoulder and back for cycling in the summer when I am wearing no extra padding over my skin: I get sores if I cycle with any bag other than Chrome worn over my bare skin. So if I am carrying something heavy, I can only wear satchels like this one once Fall begins and I have a sweater or a jacket on. However, with a smaller and lighter laptop this would not be a problem.

You can see some photos of me cycling with this bag here and here. I keep it either in the front basket or wear it, depending on the bike. Hope these reviews were useful - satchels are such wonderful things!

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Sackville Trunksack: How Fitting for a Rear Rack!

I have talked ad nauseum about my Carradice Barley bag, and so I thought it was time to review my other bag, the Sackville Trunksack. As far as I know, it is available exclusively from Rivendell, and you can read their product description here.

The Sackville Trunksack is a handsome box-shaped bag, in a dark-olive waterproof canvas with golden-brown leather trim and brass hardware. The large size is designed for the rear rack. It fits Pletscher-style racks perfectly, neither leaving portions of the rack uncovered, nor overhanging from any part of the rack. It looks great on many different types of bicycles, including the Motobecane mixte above and the Raleigh Lady's Sport on the first photo.

Here are some views of the bag. The zipper closure with two separate zippers is very convenient, as it allows you to open and close the bag from any side while remaining seated on the bicycle.

The leather flaps hide the zippers from view and prevent rain from entering.

3/4 view. The colour of the leather flap is an exact match for Brooks "honey" (pictured ont he 1st photo of the Raleigh here) and a shade lighter than the Brooks "brown" (above). The reflective strip is an extra benefit.

Rear view. The leather strap in the back is positioned perfectly for mounting a light, providing a great solution for rear lighting (if you recall, this was my only criticism of the Carradice Barley).

Close-up of the light attachment. Very secure; no wobbling or slanting even during very bumpy rides.

The complete lack of wobble is one of the biggest benefits of the Sackville Trunksack. This is achieved by the tight and precise attachment system: leather straps with snap closure.

The brass hardware is rather attractive.

Inside, the Trunksack is like a large box or chest: There are no compartments. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing. It is good in the sense that you need only to open it once, and all of your stuff is immediately accessible. And it is bad in the sense that, especially if you are messy, your things will soon become jumbled due to the lack of compartments. For me, the benefits of the ease of access outweigh the drawbacks of the lack of compartments - but this is a personal preference.

My one complaint about the Sackville Trunksack, is that it has no structural support and therefore does not retain its form unless it is full. You can see that almost all the photos show various degrees of sagging. We are trying to make a support for it either out of wire or plexiglass, but it is not yet complete. In the meantime, I try to keep it maximally filled.

To sum up what I love about the Sackville Trunksack:
. It fits my rear rack perfectly, securely and free of wobble
. The box shape and the colour scheme are aesthetically appealing
. It is very roomy
. The single zip closure provides easy access
. It is waterproof
. The rear light attachment is excellently designed

And what could use improvement, is the sagging issue.

Edited to add: As of April 2010, I no longer own this bag - having traded it to a fellow collector for another bicycle-related item. I liked the bag, but ultimately prefer Carradice-style saddlebags.

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An Ode to My Gloves

It is true that sometimes we do not realise how much we need something until we lose it. I bought these "AIRius" bicycle gloves at Open a month ago, because the attractive crochet promised a more breathable alternative to the synthetic ones I owned. I did not know then just how much I would love them.

The top is crocheted cotton and the underside is a padded gray suede-like material. The gloves are inexpensive and generic, and I worried that they might be a novelty that would fall apart after a ride or two. Well, nothing of the sort happened. In addition to being more attractive, the AIRius gloves are more durable, more breathable, and more comfortable than the Pearl Izumi ones I wore previously. I especially love it that the padding on the underside does not bunch up after long rides, but remains evenly distributed. My hands remain dry even in the hottest weather. And the delicate-looking crochet was completely intact after a month of near-daily use.

As you can see in the photos, our happiness together knew no bounds... until I lost them on a long ride over Laborday weekend. I realised what had happened only after we were almost home and 12 miles from the area where I might have left them. We did not have the energy to return and search for them, and it would have gotten dark by the time we got there anyway. So I let the gloves go - but I knew no peace until I finally bought a replacement pair. Now order is restored in the universe and my hands are happy again. And if you happen to have found a pair of crochet bicycle gloves somewhere in West Newton or Waltham, please enjoy them in good health.

A double-ode: The old dropbars on Marianne and the lost chrochet gloves. Good-bye to them both.

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Milan Bars (Alcohol-Free)

When most people think of Milan bars, they probably picture something like this:

[image: venere.com]

But these are the ones I had in mind:

The Velo Orange Milan Handlebars have now replaced the drop bars on my mixte. I picked her up from Open Bicycle today after the surgery. The bars are missing grips, but already looking beautiful. They are not nearly as wide as the distorted perspective of the shots makes them seem, but I can't get a better photo right now.

I replaced the drop bars and brake levers on Marianne after injuring my hands using the original set-up. Let's just say I am talented when it comes to injury. With the new set-up, the braking power is superb and the hand position is sporty (similar to holding the top of the drop bars) yet comfortable. The stem has been replaced with a taller and longer Nitto Technomic. The brake levers are Shimano mountain bike levers. I have some nice dark green cork tape for the wraps, which will be shellacked and twined. Will post updates once the makeover is complete.

Oh and they also removed the "pie plate" from the back wheel. It couldn't be snapped or cut off, because there was a stiff metal ring holding it together that needed to be removed as well. Marianne was very happy to get this procedure done, because all the hipster bikes in Boston were making fun of her. Now she is looking nicer than ever!

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Cream Delta-Cruisin'

Last night, our 3-speeds Lucy and Rodney came home after a bit of sprucing up. When replacing the original tires, we decided to go with the cream Schwalbe Delta Cruisers. These are light touring tires with a "racy" quality. They have Kevlar puncture protection and are inexpensive.

Here they are in motion. It was getting dark by the time we got the bicycles home, so pardon the blurry shots. I think the cream looks so elegant with the green frame! As an aside -- Yes, I've been wearing the same shorts in recent photos (well, alternating between 2 pairs of the same shorts)! It's been over 90° F here with 100% humidity for the past week, and the thin terrycloth material of these is about the only thing I can endure wearing when not submerged in the ocean. Summer dresses get soaked instantaneously and stick to the saddle, but these shorts have an intriguing moisture wicking and non-slip quality to them. They are by Champion; highly recommended.

Back to the Delta Cruisers: The tires on the Roadster are 28", and the ones on the Lady's Sports are 26" . Note that the 26" tires have reflective sidewall strips, but the 28" do not; no idea why that is.

We've tested the tires on a ride around the neighborhood. They feel very similar to the Schwalbe Marathon Plus that came with our Pashleys, but the Delta Cruisers are a bit lighter and faster. This makes them well-suited for the vintage English 3-speeds, which are somewhat more sporty than the Pashleys. I also love how the cream tires give the bicycles a personal touch. There are so many 3-speeds in Boston, but Lucy and Rodney are our 3-speeds.

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DZnuts for the Ladies?

One discovery I have made in my attempts to battle roadbike discomforts is a product called DZnuts. This is a chamois cream that promises to "protect your junk" from chafing, irritation and infections that can occur during long distance cycling on a roadbike. This stuff is sold in most bike shops, branded as a men's product. So I present it here surrounded by lavender and a cup of herbal tea to indicate that it also works for ladies.

If you are wondering for what purpose you would possibly need something like this, then you probably do not need it. But if leaning forward on your saddle for hours rubs you the wrong way, then you know what I speak of. Oh I know it is a delicate topic, and I assure you that I blush and swoon at my own impropriety even as I write this, but somebody had to address it. So yes: DZnuts helps against that. The cream both alleviates the pain if you've already hurt yourself, and will prevent it from happening in the first place if applied before the ride. If they come up with a better product that is women-specific, that would be wonderful. Until then, DZnuts it is.

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Carradice Barley: a Lovely Saddlebag

Carradice bags have been made in England since the 1930s using traditional designs and methods. The bags in the traditional series are hand-sewn, with the name of the person who made each bag written on an inside label. Ours were made by Christine. I find the Carradice Barley ideal for daily use, because it is classic, attractive, durable, compact, and versatile.

Classic and Attractive
When buying a classic bicycle or restoring a vintage one, it is difficult to find a suitable saddlebag. The timeless elegance of the Carradice Barley makes it perfect for this purpose. With its traditional construction and subdued colour schemes (available in black or olive-green), it is beautifully understated. The Barley looks as great on a sleek and minimalist diamond-frame roadbike, as it does on an exuberant loop-frame lady's bike, as it does on a mixte. It will match any frame colour and will complement any set-up without overwhelming it. It does not sag when empty, and does not bulge when overstuffed.

Durable
The bag is made of strong, waterproof cotton duck with leather straps and reinforcements, a light wooden attachment plank under the lid, and a protective double layer of cotton duck on the bottom. The materials and craftsmanship are of high quality.

Compact
One thing I love about the Barley, is that it is small enough to use as a daily saddlebag without feeling bulky or looking like you are touring, and at the same time it is extremely roomy. The smallest saddlebag from Carradice's traditional "Originals" line, it measures 8" vertically, 8" horizontally, and 16" across including pockets -- and has a 7 liter capacity. (If you are looking for a larger bag, the next steps up are the Nelson and the Nelson Longflap; those are for proper touring.)

Inside the bag as pictured on this photo, I have: a rolled-up cable lock, a rain poncho, a saddle-cover, a hat, a cardigan, a pair of flip-flops, sunscreen, baby powder, bandaging tape, a paperback book, an apple, a small bottle of mineral water, 2 small packets of peanut butter, a digital camera, a set of keys, and a mobile phone. The side pockets are especially convenient for storing the mobile phone and camera when I am on my roadbike (which has no front basket) for easy access without getting off the bike. A small waterbottle and candybar will fit in the pockets as well.

Versatile
The Barley allows two different attachment methods (the photo above shows them both). If your saddle is adjusted fairly low and you have a rear rack, you can install the bag so that it sits horizontally on your rack. To do this, the leather straps at the top are connected to the bag loops at the back of the saddle, and the strap on the bottom is connected to the rack.

Here is the attachment to the bag-loops at the back of the saddle.

And here is the attachment to the rack.

If your saddle is raised fairly high and/or if you do not have a rear rack, the bag can also be installed at an angle, where the top straps connect to the bag-loops at the back of the saddle, and the bottom strap wraps around the seating post, as shown on the photo above. The bag is designed to accommodate either method and looks great either way.

Drawbacks?
My only cautionary note, is that the light attachment loop (the black strip of material under the Carradice logo) is awkwardly placed: When the bag is installed in the horizontal position, it points too far up, while in the angled position, it points too far down. So instead, we attach our tail light to the leather placket above the black loop. That serves as the perfect attachment point; the angle is just right.

Where to Buy
You can also buy online from  a variety of shops or from Carradice directly. Stock can be limited at times, but hunting these bags down is worth the effort.

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En-Lightened Cycling

We enjoy cycling at night, and we want to be safe and confident doing it. The Pashley Sovereigns come with an excellent lighting system: a hub driven dynamo headlight and an LED rear light. This is sufficient for some night-time riding, but not optimal for the kind of riding we were doing. So we have made some enhancements to suit our needs.

HEADLIGHTS

Headlights serve two main purposes:
1. They make your bicycle visible to others
2. They enable you to see where you are going

What we immediately noticed, is that one headlight cannot do a good job at serving both of these purposes simultaneously. If the light is angled for optimal visibility (straight ahead), it does not provide optimal road illumination. If the light in angled for optimal road illumination (downward), it does not make you maximally visible to others.

If you live in an area that is reasonably illuminated at night, you do not really have a need for #2 and one headlight is perfectly sufficient. However, if you live in the country, in the suburbs, or in any other area with stretches of unlit road, you will need to see where you are going. This is especially important for avoiding pot-holes, objects on the road, patches of black ice in the winter, pedestrians dressed in dark clothing, and those cyclists who travel with no lights on (in the Boston area this is alarmingly common!).

Pictured here is a set of Cateye Opticube LED bike lights, attached to the brackets on the front tire of my Pashley Princess, pointed downward. In the first photo on this post you can see how far the beams illuminate the road in the dark.

REAR LIGHTS

With rear lights things are simpler, because visibility to others is the only requirement. Still, because we like to travel through poorly lit areas, we added something extra to what Pashley already provided.

We attached these Cateye Bike LD610 tail lights to the stays of our rear racks. These can be set to be solidly lit, or blinking, or lighting up top to bottom and back, like Christmas tree lights. The effects can be quite fun.

And here the same Cateye tail light (just one) is used as a rear light on Marianne (photo on the right). It attaches to the rear rack with a special mounting bracket. In a pinch, you can also use electrical tape. The photo on the left shows the enormous SunLite Low Rider Bullet headlight that I've permanently mounted on Marianne. Since we use the Motobecanes for recreation rather than transportation, the lighting set-up is not as extensive as on the Pashleys.

Having a good lighting system on your bicycles makes cycling in the dark considerably safer and more enjoyable. Rather than rush to get home as fast as we can once it gets dark, we can take nocturnal joy rides on bike trails and country roads. Let there be light!

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