Originally Posted by
knucklehead
WOW! the tarptent and antigravity gear links are exceptional, nun, thank you so much.
i agree that the rapha clothing is exorbitantly, in fact, PROHIBITIVELY expensive. i found their site a year or so ago and thought, "beautiful. also, yeahright." but merino is the best, and something i "discovered" only recently, on the AIDS life/cycle. i got a portland cyclewear wool jersey on the suggestion of a friend and found it to be the most exceptional piece of bike clothing i'd ever purchased. it's cool in the warm, it's warm in the cool, and in some magical sheep trick -- it doesn't start to stink till 3 or 4 wears, with proper airing. i was completely floored.
by way of a thank-you for all of your links, i direct you to swiftwick socks -- available in merino or olefin, built with arch support and ankle compression, a padded footbed, and ... wait for it ... UNBRANDED AT THE ANKLE.
http://www.swiftwick.com/08/
again, thank you.
I have a Portland jersey and it's nice, but the Smartwool T-shirts are even nicer and wash better.
They come in 3 different weights so you can wear one year round. You can machine wash them on the warm cycle many times, although I always just hang them up to dry. Smartwool does some cycling shirts with rear pockets, but I just use the regular T-shirts as they look less weired off the bike.
I got a pair of the Rapha Fixed Shorts as a Christmas present last year, the 3/4 length knickers, and they are the best bit of cycling wear I have. I wear them in all but the hottest of temps. Great fabric, 4 good pockets and very well made