Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - As I know we're all stylish folks here..

..everyone should be overjoyed by the return of Swobo (http://www.swobo.com)

Mmmmm.. wooly goodness just in time for winter. I did notice some non-wool offerings as well.

not too overjoyed. they're back with higher prices, more hype. i'll be damned if it's the same good stuff it used to be. most of us are very skeptical.

I dug their stuff and still have a slew if their old socks, arm warmers and leg warmers.
about friggin time

I highly doubt that Parr-n-crew is coming back to make millions off of shoddy gear. I would be more skeptical of $80 stickers for a bike.

wow, I bought swobo socks years ago at ttown with ohmyspokes!
still have them! ran in them yesterday.

About da$n time.

i'm not saying they're out there taking us all for a ride. what i am saying is i need to see it to believe it.

and note to bikey clothing people: the pink women's jersey thing is so freaking tired. please stop.

Just went through the site. Not too impressed really. Aside from one wool jersey that comes in short sleeve, the rest of the stuff is so so. The wool hat isn't too bad. But that regular jersey is sort of ugly.

It doesn't beat Rapha (http://www.rapha.cc) stuff in terms of style.

Rapha also offers their caps in XL for us bigheads.

It doesn't beat Rapha (http://www.rapha.cc) stuff in terms of style.
it sure as hell does in terms of price. Sorry - $146 for a Fixed Jersey? Please...

Style is not always worth the money in my book...but then again, I only have chairs that cost $9 at Target. What do I know?

']it sure as hell does in terms of price. Sorry - $146 for a Fixed Jersey? Please...

Style is not always worth the money in my book...but then again, I only have chairs that cost $9 at Target. What do I know?

Note I didn't say price. ;)

I was hoping that the new Swobo stuff would provide some new innovation - their stuff looks like a mix of standard wool stuff (like the Surly jersey, or Kutcharik (sp?), etc) with regular t-shirts, etc.

If we're talking about style, then there's a big difference between the two to me. However, value is a whole other thing. Not to mention function! Which is of course the biggest factor here.

I think I'll still be looking for wool at the army surplus or on the discount rack. For now at least.

I'm hoping that now they're back, Swobo will start small like now, but grow and provide more tasty items down the line.

..everyone should be overjoyed by the return of Swobo (http://www.swobo.com)

Mmmmm.. wooly goodness just in time for winter. I did notice some non-wool offerings as well.

Before all you hip young folks start getting all excited about wool bike clothes, ask your elders why we rejoiced when we no longer were limited to wool.

Why, olebiker? I'm genuinely curious.

Why, olebiker? I'm genuinely curious.
because he moved to florida?

When you pop up a website that has jerseys that are way overpriced and so niche that the only thing they can be is fashion, what else is there to think?

Since "riding a bike" is what these clothes were desgined for (referring to the Rapha crap) and they sure as hell won't make anyone faster, I will wear a $9 'fleece' hoodie from Marshalls proudly. I know I am not the fastest, and that dropping cash on something "expensive' is not going to make me faster or give me excuses. To each (checkbook and credit rating) their own.

Accessorizing for speed,
[165]

haha Olebiker - are you talking about the old "sag effect" of wool shorts of old? When it would rain, wool shorts became really really loose-fitting and very uncomfortable. I heard one guy refer to it back in the 80s as "sag effect." One old rider I knew called in the itchy diaper too...funny stuff.

One thing I do not remember for earlier cycling: the softer Merino wool. Most of the jerseys were pretty coarse wool.

I actually am a recent convert to wool. Somehow I outgrew my sensivitity to it. Yay. I've got the paycheck to shop clearence merino, like Ibex.

']haha Olebiker - are you talking about the old "sag effect" of wool shorts of old? When it would rain, wool shorts became really really loose-fitting and very uncomfortable. I heard one guy refer to it back in the 80s as "sag effect." One old rider I knew called in the itchy diaper too...funny stuff.

One thing I do not remember for earlier cycling: the softer Merino wool. Most of the jerseys were pretty coarse wool.

Interesting.

So, the new stuff, the Merino stuff, which makes sense of course, would be better yes? "Technological" advancements and all that jazzzzzzz....

Why, olebiker? I'm genuinely curious.
+1

wool use to really bother me, but now that it's softer, it's great. I have 2 smartwool tshirts and I love them

kinda of sick of the graph logo crap on everything just to push "look I'm so edgy" appeal. ... I do like the cap though ..minus the branding. , oh well

"Before all you hip young folks start getting all excited about wool bike clothes, ask your elders why we rejoiced when we no longer were limited to wool."

rejoicing over plastic clothing. woohoo.

i wear a cotton t-shirt from fruit under some weird black synthetic thing from eddie bauer that my parents gave me. i really couldn't possibly care less about what i look like on a bike.

all you guys will be seeing is the back of my messenger bag, anyway. wick away!

kinda of sick of the graph logo crap on everything just to push "look I'm so edgy" appeal. ... I do like the cap though ..minus the branding. , oh well
check out Kucharik for the same/similar cap sans logo:
http://www.kucharik.com/images/Winter/2000Wool%20Caps.jpg

i love wool. smartwool especially. i think these are nice. anyone have one?

http://www.pcyclewear.citymax.com/home.html

Heheeh.. The "stylish folks" bit was supposed to be tongue-in-cheek. sheesh. Anyway, I suspect they're starting small. I do wish wool pricing would come down, however...

wool == good

I'm pretty unexcited by their current offering though. I was hoping for more, but hopefully they'll do well this time around and grow their catalog.

It's funny though because I actually checked their website last week and was disappointed that it STILL said 'coming soon'. I filled in my email address as like 'itsalmost2006@whereareyou.com' or something for their newsletter.

Now here they are!

i love wool. smartwool especially. i think these are nice. anyone have one?

http://www.pcyclewear.citymax.com/home.html

those are beautiful.
I would totally wear one.

+1

/7

(Really, people. If you don't care enough to actually say something, what's the point of posting?)

i wear a cotton t-shirt from fruit under some weird black synthetic thing from eddie bauer that my parents gave me. i really couldn't possibly care less about what i look like on a bike.

all you guys will be seeing is the back of my messenger bag, anyway. wick away!

unfortunately, cotton is the bandit! it steals both warmth and wicking ability; although okay DRY, once it is wet (not even talking about soaking!), it is an ineffective insulator and wick. even with a synthetic top layer, you are losing significant energy/heat.

wool or synthetics are generally the best options.

those are beautiful.
I would totally wear one.


ESPECIALLY THIS ONE >>>btw/ anyone interested pm me. my LBS.

http://www.pcyclewear.citymax.com/i/chad/CustomFontStyleTheHub_w.jpg

unfortunately, cotton is the bandit! it steals both warmth and wicking ability; although okay DRY, once it is wet (not even talking about soaking!), it is an ineffective insulator and wick. even with a synthetic top layer, you are losing significant energy/heat.

wool or synthetics are generally the best options.


but the thing is, i don't give a crap. i'm too cheap. it's how i've ridden my whole life and i've never had a problem.

oh, and i know the synthetic top isn't doing anything. i just like it 'cause its black, warm, and long sleeved. also, it doesn't smell like **** when i don't wash it for 2 weeks.

EDIT: i understand the merits of "performance" stuff. i'll get some eventually. i just think it's funny how many people spend gobs of time and money just to look good on their bike. $150 for a jersey? no thanks, there are much cheaper options out there that look good and offer the same performance.

boutique **** is for suckers with fat wallets. or people who like to pretend they have fat wallets.

wow, I bought swobo socks years ago at ttown with ohmyspokes!
still have them! ran in them yesterday.

Mine gave out long ago. So sad.

I had no idea there were going out of biz. I would have bought all the big feet sizes!

When was that? y2K?

Those new ones are kinda high. Thank goodness for smarties.

those are beautiful.
I would totally wear one.

Oh! See the Lehigh Wheelmen one toward the bottom of that page? That's my club, I have one just like that. It's comfy, but when you sweat it smells....kind of like hot sheep.

Mine gave out long ago. So sad.

I had no idea there were going out of biz. I would have bought all the big feet sizes!

When was that? y2K?

Those new ones are kinda high. Thank goodness for smarties.


yea, I think it was.
my toes are starting to poke through.

Wool is great, but I don't believe in posting up big bills for some hi-fashion throwback woolie. I like wool because it actually works and I'll buy it if it's affordable.

The thing that sells me on wool over synthetics though is the fact that synthetics STINK. You can ride them maybe once or twice before they start smelling rancid.

Wool is anti-bacterial (really more abacterial) and can go months without washing. It sounds gross, but when I'm only wearing it on the bike to and from work, what's the pont? I wash my woolies because they start to get serious salt accumulation.

The only thing I don't like about it is the sagging (I wolud never wear wool shorts) and the fact that I can't seem to find anything that's really thin enough for hot summer days. For that it's the lightest synthetic I can lay my hands on.

i really couldn't possibly care less about what i look like on a bike.

did about 50 miles on my fix yesterday
cruising through greater downtown dc and the neighboring virginia suburbs
i saw the people
they saw me

so pulling up to my GF's work, i passed her and her coworkers looking at me through the window. the same look of confusion on all of their faces.

first thing out of her mouth...
"what are you wearing???"

apparently they can't feel my hobo-style

you see.. much like t-bagg, I can't afford all this over-priced wool crap.
when i go for a ride and it's cold outside, my options are like this.
a) put on more clothes
b) put on more clothes.

bike shorts and sweatpants under the cargo shorts
big ol fleece socks
bfmng cotton tshirt, long sleeve cotton shirt, ****ty $10 hoodie
none of it matches
keeping it awesome

but i don't give a damn.
pass me some wild irish rose motherf*cker
you got nothin on my hobo-steez

Why, olebiker? I'm genuinely curious.

Putting on my old fart voice: Back in my day....

I started riding back in the mid 70s and bought wool shorts and jerseys because that was all that was available. These were quality garments, too, not cheap stuff. I felt like someone had wrapped me in fiberglass insulation. I never got comfortable in wool.

Someone mentioned the sag effect. If those shorts got wet they would sag down to your knees.

Everything had to be washed by hand and blocked in a vain attempt to keep it from shrinking. I still have an old Brooklyn wool jersey that shrank about 20% the first time I washed it...by hand, in cold water. We still have an old guy who shows up about once a year in an old Molteni jersey that has shrunk so much it doesn't even come down to his navel. Really disgusting.

Unless I was trying to be retro or hipper-than-thou there is no way I would go back to wearing wool; even the modern wool clothes that aren't as persnickety about how you take care of them.

I've heard the arguments about you can get wet in wool and still stay warm. If I am out in cold weather and get wet, I call my wife on the cell phone and have her come get me.

I have heard the argument about how wool doesn't hold body odor like man-made fabrics. I have heard it from our local retro guy sitting next me at a rest stop as I tried to escape the stink from the wool jersey he had worn for the last two days without washing it.

Wear wool if you like. We old guys will be snickering to ourselves and thinking "been there, done that, got the T-shirt, shrank it and gave it to my little brother."

I have an old Swobo long sleeve jersey that I wear as a middle layer in colder weather. It has lasted more than 5 years of heavy wear and repeated washings with only some minor holes. I would definitely recommend the Swobo products of old to a point (they tended to be flimsy), yet I am a little skeptical about this new Swobo.

Btw, I was reading the history and noticed the name Rob Roskopp as a co-owner of this new Swobo. Any oldie skateboarders recognize that name or most especially his board graphics at the time which have been re-issued? Pretty interesting stuff.

I haven't thought or heard either of these in a long time, but that Rob Roskopp mention brought them back:

Powell Perelta and Santa Monica

Did Roskopp have a deal with either? My flashbacks are hazy.

Rob Roskopp, is of course, the owner or co-owner of Santa Cruz. I remember riding a few Santa Cruz decks back in the day. None were Roskopp's though - he always had those weird graphics I didn't like.

Powell Peralta is pretty much just Powell these days since Stacy Peralta left. I rode a lot of Powell stuff for a while between them and H-Street. H-Street had more interesting boards to me, but they didn't hold up well in tropical climes (as Kuala Lumpur has). The ply would start to de-laminate, which sucked. The boards would warp even further if they got wet as well. The wood they used I guess.

If I am out in cold weather and get wet, I call my wife on the cell phone and have her come get me.




there's a nice option to have!

why buy a $90 dollar merino wool jersey, when you can go to salvation army and buy real merino wool sweaters for $3?

i'm wearing leather, canvas, cotten, wool, and silk right now, and nothing i own costs as much as these jerseys.

The thing that sells me on wool over synthetics though is the fact that synthetics STINK. You can ride them maybe once or twice before they start smelling rancid.

I don't think that's a problem for most folks. I believe that most folks wash their clothes after they get sweaty in them. The idea of wearing something I got all sweaty in yesterday is not very appealing.

I don't have a car, neither does my wife. Sometimes it's raining before I even leave the house. My wife will tell you that my woolies never smell which she finds amazing, but that I should wash them more often than I do because she thinks the salt is disgusting. I wash my wools in warm water without a problem and some is a little itchy, but I got used to it without too much hassle. Really fine merino isn't itchy at all.

But different strokes for different folks. As they say, "past performance is no guarantee of future results."

I don't think that's a problem for most folks. I believe that most folks wash their clothes after they get sweaty in them. The idea of wearing something I got all sweaty in yesterday is not very appealing.

I'm not doing daily laundry for clothes that I wore for 45 minutes. There's nothing wrong with a little sweat as long as it dries out and doesn't smell. Ever sweat in a jacket and wear it again? Shoes? Ever spilled some water on a sweater and wore it again without washing? How's this different?

(Admittedly my tolerance for saltiness is a little high, but that could be alleviated by washing them maybe once a week and really has nothing to do with wool vs. synthetic since either will accumulate salt without washing...the wool just won't smell rancid the way most synthetics do.)

you see.. much like t-bagg, I can't afford all this over-priced wool crap.


Make use of e-bay and buy that over-priced wool crap or hi-end synthetics for a fraction of retail. Hobo-style is just another "fixie" affectation.



Everything had to be washed by hand and blocked in a vain attempt to keep it from shrinking. I still have an old Brooklyn wool jersey that shrank about 20% the first time I washed it...by hand, in cold water.

I recently bought a woolistic long sleeve base layer from www.vintagevelos.com (http://www.vintagevelos.com/baseLS-extreme.html) and it came with two pages of care instructions.

When I buy my synthetic cycling clothing, it comes with a two word instruction: machine wash.

Ever sweat in a jacket and wear it again?

No. If I get warm enough to sweat, I take the jacket off.


Shoes?

I wear socks that absorb the perspiration from my feet. I wear them once then wash them.


Ever spilled some water on a sweater and wore it again without washing? How's this different?

There's a big difference between water and perspiration. I use water to wash out the perspiration.

Did I miss something? No long sleeve offerings from Swobo? Lame
I think it's curious that some would dis wool in favor of "hobo style"......which basically means that you end up wearing $50 ( and 50 lbs.) worth of crap instead of simply investing in some modestly priced, machine washable wool.
And since we mentioned style.Sweatpants are for INDOOR use only. I don't wanna see your glans when you come ask me for some change, tink :)

knitter must jump in:
merino doesn't mean much, y'all.

there are two kinds of "merino" wool. there's the useful definition, i.e. lambswool is the first shearing, when wool is the finest and most expensive, and the second and third shearings are merino. after that it gets coarser every time you sheer, so the yarn gets itchy.

the second kind of merino wool comes of a Merino breed of sheep. Getting merino wool of this sort really means nothing.

For this reason, wool quality can't be discerned meerly from 'merino.' You've gotta touch it to know it. I trust certain brands more than others.

If it's soft and non-itchy I'm all for it. Thanks for the heads up, Chimbly.