NoWhammies

I needed a new winter activity. So this happened.

puma1552

Ordered one medium, one large to see how they fit:



Why Voler doesn't make a plain black long sleeve, I don't understand. You can get a white lightweight long sleeve (what I ordered), or a white long sleeve thermal, but you can't get plain black?

Voler has a lot of designs that are "produced on demand" which I'm not sure if you can return like a normal in stock jersey, so I figured I'd order two of these to try on and then order something I like once I know the right size. Sort of a hassle, but oh well. I've been trying to get my hands on a particular jersey at my LBS to rep the shop all summer, but they are perpetually out of what seems to be the right size for me, so I'm left going online and trying various ones and sending back, I guess. Been cycling for three years now and my transition to full cyclist is nearly complete - sadly I'm still wearing plain black t-shirts with bibs, while having all the other gear/kit - really need a couple jerseys, one long, one short. Wouldn't mind a pair of 3/4 bibs either.

noodle soup

Nice ride. which model Intense is that?

NoWhammies

Thanks @noodle soup. That's the Intense Primer Pro model.

Looking forward to taking up mountain biking during the winter months here and getting in a bit of cross training.

Paul Ko

I bought a Gopro Hero7 for capturing cycling activity. It's really great quality than expected!

medic75

This is my most recent cycling related purchase. I haven't been on a road bike in 29 years. I typically ride a gravel bike and decided I wanted to give a road bike a try. My last road bike was a late 70s Peugeot that my dad purchased in Germany, so this will likely be completely different than anything I remember.

crazyravr

From ChainReaction just now.

RidingMatthew

@crazyravr let us know how you like the shoes and the tires. I am looking for some casual riding shoes for when touring and riding around with my 9yo son.

crazyravr

I tried the shoes on in my local bike shop but price and availability made me go with online. They will be used for commuting.
Tires I have read so much good about, and I want to switch out from 28mm Marathons, also for my commuter.

CarloM

Also interested in your review of the Panaracers. I'm thinking of putting gravel tires on my Trek FX S6 (replacing Conti 5Ks, for more gravel/trail traction) and also have read good things about the Panaracers. The only problem is they have so many variants. Did you get the standard Gravel Kings SK or SK+ (which now have more puncture resistance)? The picture seems to indicate the SKs, but the website may not have updated with the + photos.

Thanks!

eduskator

A TACX Vortex smart trainer + a TACX blue trainer tire. Should receive it by Friday.

CRC had a crazy deal on them (60% off). What a steal!

WhyFi

Just received a Rapha Core Winter jacket (in eye-searing pink). On sale, it was $70, which was a great deal, now that I have it in hand. They still have them available - Red: XS - XL and Pink: S - L.

crazyravr

I got SK version. If they carry me puncture less throughout the whole year, like the marathons did, I will be a happy camper. Riding mixed of pavement and gravel on my commutes which sometimes go for 50km each way time and weather depending and "feel like it" depending.

jadocs

How do you like it? I was looking at them myself. What temp do you think it will be good for?

WhyFi

Fit, finish and materials all seem really good, 'specially for 70 bucks. I won't have a chance to ride with in for a while... I hope.

Rapha says 0° - 10°C. There's not much by way of insulation, but it seems like the forward-facing panels will block wind nicely. Given that assumption, I can see it going to at least the freezing point with a SS base under it, possibly down to 20°F or so with two layers under (caveat - I'm a Minnesotan, YMMV).

medic75

I went with the Panaracer Gravel King slicks in 38mm. I have them set up tubeless and love them. I regularly go off-road, sometimes even riding some singletrack. I condsider them every bit as capable as any small knob tires in 99% of conditions. The only place they fail is in sloppy mud, and the SK tires also equally fail in sloppy mud. Any gravel bike rider who has tried them will tell you the same thing I just did. The only people who will tell you that you need the knobbies are people who haven't tried the slicks.

*disclaimer - my above comments are limited to 38mm & wider tires as I believe the capability of the tire is directly related to the wider tire. I have never tried anything less than 38mm, so I cannot comment on those sizes.

surak

I bought a Rapha Classic II jersey that was on sale for $75. Chest and waist are OK, less snug than I'd hoped, but it's waayyy too short -- the length fits my wife, who is more than half a foot shorter than me. At least it got me to free shipping for the large rainproof essentials case, which is a pricey but nice upgrade to a freezer bag for my giant phone, even if my usual wallet is slightly too fat to also fit.

melikebikey35

I have a couple of them and absoultey love them...more so than the Pro Team version, in fact. Fit is excellent, very well made, and does a great job of blocking the wind/water while still being breathable

I've worn it in temps down to the low 30's F. That was with nothing but a long sleeve base layer under it, and I was more than warm enough.
So, I'm guessing you could go lower than that.

SylvainG

This pannier that I added to my old 1991 MTB bike that I use when leisurely riding with my wife on weekends (and now the dog too!)

WhyFi

Classic, Core and Brevet are all more along the lines of a club fit; you'd probably want something from their Pro Team, Shadow or Souplesse lines.

I kinda want one of those cases, too, but I've already spent enough (have another jacket arriving tomorrow) - I'll have to stick with the freezer bag for now.

surak

The same sized Classic bibs fit me perfectly, so I was hoping the jersey would work too, esp with the Classic II supposedly being a slimmer fit than the first gen. Plus the listing had pictures of a much taller model wearing a single size up. He must not have been able to reach into those pockets either.

WhyFi

Yeah, their model pics aren't always helpful when it comes to size. They've got a guy that's not exactly cyclist wiry and they say that he's wearing a Small and he's 6' tall (based on his proportions, I would have guessed 5'7"). I wish that more of their customer reviews were specific with their garment size, their dimensions and fit, too.

Voodoo76

I recently bought a pair of Empire ACC's (a lot of clearance deals out there) to replace an aging fleet of Shimano 320's. Always wanted to try them out but shoe changes are usually a traumatic experience for me. Not this time, I was good from day 1! A few rides in picked up a second color option

I did go a half size up from 44.0 to 44.5

jadocs

@WhyFi @melikebikey35 thanks a bunch!

revivalist

Trying to overhaul my Sirrus so I started with an Ultegra crankset. Next purchase is the hollowtech bottom bracket to replace the square taper so I can install the cranks.

On the lookout for wheels and those will determine the groupset.