long finger mountain bike glove.

How the Pittards Glove Feel

Pun intended, they fit like a glove.  This guys pull on very tightly using elastic on either side of the glove, but a note there is no adjustable velcro strap for tightly pulling your gloves together.  The Pittards material is very soft and, yet, durable. Adding a good amount of grip or traction to your hand and bar.

Pros and Cons

The glove is very comfortable and wraps around you hand wonderfully.  I really enjoy the fit of the glove, often forgetting they are on.  Colors are great, not too girly but have a great flare to them.

Some of my con’s are covered within the P.R.O. Pittards Gel Glove, to add a great amount of padding.  The glove doesn’t have a ton of that terry cloth “sweat wipe” on the glove, although it does have some.  The very last issue with these gloves are taking them off.  Even with their fancy finger pulls, when your hands are sweaty, these gloves do not want to be pulled off.

Final Thoughts

Would I buy these gloves?  Yes, I plan on purchasing the long finger pair, Veer,
for more use.

P.R.O Pittards WS Glove Online

This product was given to me at no charge for reviewing.  I was not paid or bribed to give this review and it will have my honest opinion or thoughts through out.

From the Company

This waterproof and breathable road cycling jacket offers great protection in bad weather conditions. Plus it will fit in any backpack folded up.

Initial Thoughts

A compact, completely waterproof jacket even down to the taped seams.  It is able to zip up in to its own rear pocket, making this a very small and easy to carry jacket.   Because all of the rain that the Southeast had been having this spring I’ve kept this jacket in my messenger bag at all times.

Once I see how this jacket does with wear and tear I’ll upload a video for you all to see the highlights and key features, or negatives concerns of course.

Visit Gore Bike Wear to see more

This product was given to me at no charge for reviewing.  I was not paid or bribed to give this review and it will have my honest opinion or thoughts through out.

The end of October I was approached by Lab-Gear to review a few of their new woman’s line, 99.  Today we are going to go over the pro’s and con’s, as well as share some photos of the different shirts we reviewed.  First, make sure to read our preview from December.

The Process

One thing very unique about Lab-Gear was the process of ordering these garments.  You go through a whole build out picking sizing, color weighs, and options.  The options include a GT Stripe (racing stripe,) thumb holes, and various stitching for the cuff and collars.

After submitting your order the customer service is top notch.  At anytime it is telling you where your order is along in their system.  Finally, you take delivery.  They are wrapped up nicely like a brilliant gift for you.  Made exclusively for you!  It happened also, to be delivered on my birthday.

99 T

This is a lighter weight long sleeve top.  Easily worn with jeans or on your favorite long ride.    We chose to build out our 99 tops to match well together as you can see in the photos.  Due to this being very close to your skin, if you are sensitive to wool, you may get itchy while wearing this top.

Merino wool does its job, even though a very thin (tshirt like) top.  This guy will keep you warm by itself on slightly chilly days, or team it up with the 99 Mid to have a very warm outfit.

With the fitting we decided to order the top to be a fashion fit.  Not too tight, but a normal size you would by from a clothing store.  The shirt fits well, but is on the shorter side for the size it is fitting.

99 Mid

As an outerwear top it is not quite a jersey, not quite a full on jacket.  It reminded me a lot of a track style jacket.  The Mid has a higher collar, thicker weave of merino and a zipper collar.

We ordered this top a size bigger than the T as it was going to be worn over other tops.  Teaming the Mid and T up together is going to be the perfect spring morning ride apparel.   The colors we decided on go well together for the pieces separate or together.

Final Thoughts

The cost are high for these tops, but merino wool comes at a price, as does customizing to your own liking.  At the time of typing this the convert of currency from AUS to USD is:

$130 for the Mid
$78.35 for the T

After a couple months of weekly use, washing, wearing and riding in - these tops look brand new.  This isn’t normally the case with wool, you often get pulling or threads snagged.

The Mid will be a great purchase for multi use, and the T is a dream if you are a fan of wool.

This product was given to me at no charge for reviewing.  I was not paid or bribed to give this review and it will have my honest opinion or thoughts through out.

A very brief video of benefits and initial thoughts of the Keen Coronado Cruiser on review.  A full overview will be in the next week for both Bike Shop Girl and Commute By Bike.

This product was given to me at no charge for reviewing.  I was not paid or bribed to give this review and it will have my honest opinion or thoughts through out.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter @BikeShopGirlcom

The end of October I was approached by Lab-Gear to review a few of their new woman’s line, 99.

To say I was excited was an understatement.  I’ve been drooling over their merino wool line for months, especially as the guys love to rub their products in my Twitter face.   Going through the design process was very rewarding and very unique, so unique that the design process will have its own article.

I look forward to showing you the couple tops I was provided and also hope that Lab-Gear read my review to take the feedback and input.

This product was given to me at no charge for reviewing.  I was not paid or bribed to give this review and it will have my honest opinion or thoughts through out.

When it comes to wool socks I’ll wear many different varieties but if I’m going on a long ride, hike or really cold weather I’m picking one company – Smart Wool. Depending on the activity or weather there are different models of Smart Wool socks I would chose but for the majority of cycling I’ll pick a pair of my PhD socks.

What makes these so different?

• WoW (wool on wool) is an extra layer of wool where you need it, so heel, ball of foot and toes.
• 4 degree fit makes the socks wrap around your feet, giving you support on your arch and won’t slip off or stretch with wear like some other wool socks.
• Wool cools you when it is hot out and warms you when its cold
• Moisture control allows Smartwool to wick in a vapor/mist form instead of waiting for the sweat or wetness to pull up into a liquid.  Less sweat means better feeling skin and body temperature
• No more stinky feet – Wool lets out the odors instead of trapping them close to your feet.

You’ll be hearing stories this winter of my newest pair of PhD sock and how they are keeping me warm.

I’m different and it seems like, in the few emails I received, you are to!  I’ve scored many places trying to find a suitable rain gear outfit for women and I still haven’t nailed down the colors but sizing seems to be getting better.

Suggestions for rain gear :

Showers Pass Elite 2.0 Jacket

$230.00

Not very cheap, but good waterproof and breathable rain gear isn’t.  This jacket has tons of ventilation through out, including zippers under your arms and a vent on your back side. With a catching blue color this may change your idea of how a rain jacket should look.

Gore Power Lady Jacket

$199.99

A jacket made by the company that brought us Gore-Tex.  Could you not ask for more?  This jacket is in the Paclite family so it can be packed in a jersey pocket.  A flip down tail will also add extra protection from road or dirt spray on your behind.  With the slim fit, it is true, you need to be pretty slim to wear this jacket.

Gore Solid Lady Pants

$189.99

I still have not been able to find a women’s cut, non-black, pair of decent rain pants. The closest I have found are these from Gore. Unfortunately no other colors but I guess that’s how it is for now.

I was fortunate enough to receive a box of goodies from Keen that will be under review in the coming weeks.  The first that I was most excited about was their Commuter Sandal.  This shoe is based on their very popular sandals that have been around for a years.

What Keen Says :

Show the world how you like to move in the KEEN Commuter. This hard-working bicycle shoe delivers dual functionality by doubling as a trail sandal. The non-marking rubber outsole provides the right grip for all your active endeavors. Hop on and off the bike with confidence and make the commute to work or the trail your own.

Features :
- Full length SPD-compatible plate
- Non-marking rubber outsole
- Polyester webbed upper with KEEN toe protection
- Removable metatomical footbed
- TPU cleat cap plate

Initial Thoughts and Preview :

Slipping these guys on I was excited about the freedom my toes and feet felt.  During the summer heat my feet were able to keep air flowing. Be warned as the open slots on the sides and tops of the shoes give you very crazy tan lines.

Walkability : The shoe is designed to be able to walk comfortably in it.  They are able to do this in two steps : The first is the mountain style cleat you would use is recessed into the shoe.  The second there is a slight flex in the sole as the sole isn’t as stiff as you would find on a mountain or road performance shoe.   Daily I have ridden my bike the 5-17 miles to the bike shop, worked all day long and then hopped back on the bike without changing shoes at all. I still had all the benefits of being clipped in from the Keen Commuter Sandal when on the bike!

Comfort and Fit :  These shoes are comfortable.   They have all the fine points that Keen is known for in their shoes from the well thought out straps to the “Aegis Microbe Shield” in the bed of the shoe.  The shoe does fit smaller than a standard Keen and I had to size up a whole size to find a perfect fit. I believe due to the fact it is a sandal the support isn’t able to be as high as I would like.  Compared to many of my other shoes there isn’t as much arch support built in, the big down fall is the fact you can’t put a new instep or insole in the shoe because it is a sandal.

Initial Preview :

I’m enjoying these shoes and they will be my go-to when doing errands or commuting back and forth.

My unanswered questions so far in the review :

• How will the hold up under constant abuse?
• Will my wool socks be enough in these to keep my toes warm this fall?
• How easy will walking be once the sole wears down?

For 2010 they are going even deeper with the line and adding more color.  The women are staying pretty subtle but the mens line have a lot of orange through out.

RXL Road

MSRP $229.99

Weight : 560G

This model is new for 2010, originally they womans line went only to RL, this year you will see lighter, stiffer shoes available for women.  Only available in one color, the silver with blue highlights.

RXL MTB

MSRP $229.99

Weight : 670g

Black and gold shoes, with the color option they are going to either hit the market hard and every fast girl will want them.  Or the shoe will sit on my shop floor until we can discount them.  The shoe has a shiny finish, which I think will be easier to clean as a dirty mountain bike shoe gets.   I want to trade in my black and blue pair from 2009 and go to the carbon fiber, light weight “bling” shoe!

RXL Hilo

MSRP $169.99

Weight : 500G

Finally a price effective triathlon shoe for women that is going to fit like a glove!  Our most popular tri shoe is the Sidi T2 which retails for $279.99.  White has been proven to be the fastest color on a bike so this shoe is really going to do well in the womans tri market.

Street WSD

MSRP $99.99

Weight : 680g

Shoes you can ride to work in, work all day and then hop on the bike to go home.  Run your errands at the grocery store with out clicking around, slipping or getting nasty looks.  For your charity road rides, where the rest stops are social gatherings and walking is crucial.  Riding with your family, and so much more.  I love when folks come out with shoes that have style, function and won’t break the bank.

The shorts have an amazing material, stretchy but feel very durable. Sizing they seem to be pretty true & the length is perfect. I am very excited about the fact they didn’t mess with the padded liner that many shorts do. Normally you aren’t happy with the liner and tear it out, or if its built in you are stuck with it.

Back of shorts. Seamless crotch in center.

Shorts have two closures. Velcro and snaps. Easy to take off in a pinch but very secure while in use. The shorts also have belt loops if you want even more backup.

Tidbits from the company :

• Seamless and unlined crotch.
• Shell fabric is a stretch nylon/poly with Dryon finish. The Dryon is water and strain resistant.
• 4 way stretch inseam
• Available in multiple colors and sizes

The shorts are subtle enough to wear out after riding or I plan to wear them in the shop. The black color is perfect to hide grease and I can commute in to work with them on! Give me a week or so for a good ride report.