Mountain Hardwear Torsion Gloves
September 30, 2008
Jeez, all these great products from Mountain Hardwear are really making my reviews predictable. The glove of choice for changing seasons, the Torsion promises “less glove, more results.” I think a snappier tag line would have been “less glove, more love,” but Mountain Hardwear doesn’t pay me for my opinions on their advertising. They don’t pay me for anything, actually, but as long as they keep making great gear, I’ll forgive them.
More love is what I’m feeling for the Torsion gloves, which are lightweight, thin, stretchy, and completely windproof. They are popular as well, from the number of times I’ve heard “hey, I have those gloves too.” The leather palm allows maximum grippage (another patented Geargals technical term) and is tough enough to take abuse from sharp rocks and rope friction. While the Torsions aren’t waterproof per se, they shed the weather and only really soak up liquid when you force them to by dunking them in puddles or handling soaking wet ropes. These gloves get worn so much they haven’t even made it to the laundry – the Geargals can’t bear to part with them long enough to wash them. And that, readers, is a ringing endorsement.
Mountain Hardwear Typhoon Jacket
September 30, 2008
As you all know, the Geargals are from Alaska. Therefore we’re used to our rain gear being made of rubber, shaped like it belongs on an episode of Deadliest Catch, and bright orange in color. Mountain Hardwear to the rescue! The Typhoon (which must have been named after the summer of 2008 in Alaska, boy did we have a lot of rain) is my new favorite piece for drizzly and just plain downpour days. Truly, honest-to-pete waterproof, the Typhoon seals out the rain without the dreaded “sack look” that our favorite fishing heroes sport.
The Typhoon does have pit zips, which, as you all know, aren’t my favorite feature, but as we all also know, I am an anomaly. So you all get your precious pit zips and I get to think grumpily “If only this jacket didn’t have pit zips.” Such is life. But speaking of favorite feature, the hood on this jacket has got to be some kind of gift from another dimension. I am not a big fan of hoods because they are usually too big and bulky, and don’t allow much peripheral visibility. I know they’re usually sized to fit over helmets, which is great, but when you’re not wearing a helmet it really sucks to turn your head to look at something and find yourself staring at the inside of your jacket hood. With those hoods, you have to ratchet down all the straps so that the hood fits your head, not a nonexistent helmet. The Typhoon’s hood solves that problem with its automatic shrink-wrap resizing microchip, which alters the shape of the hood to each user’s individual head, allowing the user full head mobility without the hood shifting, bunching, binding, or otherwise restricting motion. OK, OK, the jacket does not have that microchip thingy – but the hood fits so well it may as well have. This little wonder just snugs right around my face and moves with me so that I don’t have to push it out of the way if I want to look around. The hem is about hipbone-length so that the wearer can pull on rain pants without double-bagging her lower torso. That’s a really nice feature when it’s just rainy and not cold out – doubling up on waterproof layers can make things get too steamy under there. And now that we’ve entered the “innuendo section” of the review….
Moving on, the Typhoon is so lightweight that there’s no excuse to not bring it along, and it’s so effective that I see it making itself useful even as the mercury drops up here in the soon-to-be frozen north. I think I’ll be hard-pressed to find a rain jacket that performs and fits as well as this piece. It’s earned a permanent place in my gear stash, and it’s a rare spate of precipitation that doesn’t result in the Typhoon seeing some action.
Lorpen Women's Ski Socks
September 24, 2008
Socks. Bet you don’t think about them much. Well, I do, and believe me, I have some serious opinions about socks. They have to be just right, especially for leg-intensive activities like skiing. If they’re going under ski boots or climbing boots, they have to be tall enough to keep from creating pressure points, and can’t slip down or bunch up. Not too thick, not too thin, not too short, not too tight – getting the idea? Just call me Goldisocks.
My chief complaint about ski socks is that they are never quite the right length. If they’re too short, they cut into the calf, and if they’re long enough, they dig right into the knee joint by the end of the day. Lorpen to the rescue! These socks are long – long enough to pull right up over my knees a la Britney Spears in her “Baby One More Time” days (which gives me yet ANOTHER Halloween costume idea). While they don’t quite stay put long enough to finish my music video, they don’t dig into the backs of my knees and they don’t shift around or fall down. They give a little firm support without cutting off circulation, and basically I can forget they are even there. Lorpen: the socks you can forget about. Hm, maybe that’s not the image they want – but in my book, that’s exactly what I’m looking for. If you’re thinking about your socks all day, you’re probably wishing you wore different ones. If you’ve forgotten you’re wearing them, it’s a victory.
Mountain Hardwear Power Stretch Zip T
September 24, 2008
Yeesh. Looking at the product pic above, I realize that I have to begin this review by saying that this shirt is really much better looking than that. I know, I know, I sound like a desperate mother shopping around pics of her 45-year-old single son so that he might actually move out of her basement one day. But really, it’s true. This shirt does not have to fit like a second skin, and if it does, well, let me remind you that desperation is not attractive – neither on your date’s mother nor on you. So buy a size up. Now, I like my body-conscious clothing as well as the next person, but there is just no need to pack yourself into technical outerwear like you’re Lara Croft in that silver wet suit. Which gives me a great idea for a Halloween costume…
At first I was kind of lukewarm about this shirt. The cut seemed too long in the torso and the material is slightly rougher than I typically prefer against my flawless, alabaster skin (well, alabaster, anyway – not much sun up here this year). I wasn’t sure what I was going to say about this piece, so I procrastinated for a while – and after a few weeks, noticed that although I was having trouble articulating what I thought about the shirt, I sure was wearing it a lot. No sooner would it hit the hanger from the wash and it was back off the hanger and onto, well, me. I got used to the long-ish length, and it soon became my shirt of choice for trips and workouts of all stripes because of its warmth, top-notch breathability, and tendency to shed light rain. I also really appreciate the loooong 1/4 – almost 1/3 -length zipper. Too often 1/4-length zippers just aren’t long enough to be practical when it comes to helmet sports like biking and climbing, but the Power Stretch is easy-on/easy-off, even with a big ol’ bike helmet on. It doesn’t have to go on and off that much, though, because it seems to have an amazing temperature comfort range. When you’re working hard, it wicks sweat and the long zipper acts as a vent. When you’re resting, just zip up and you’ll stay warm and dry. It also seems to have some windstopping properties; always a plus when the wind is kicking up.
Additional genius points for the integrated nature of Mountain Hardwear’s clothing line this year. Most of the pieces really seem to work well together and seem cut to fit just right. With a t-shirt or tank base layer, the Power Stretch T, and the Stimulus jacket on top, you’ve got a lightweight, slim-fitting, waterproof ensemble fit to tackle just about any cool weather endeavor. The Power Stretch also has an upper-arm pocket for stuff like an mp3 player or keys or whatever, but I’ve never used it so I can’t say it’s something I find particularly useful. That’s one more reason to wear it a little looser than the pic , though – if it really were that tight, you’d never be able to get anything into the pocket anyway.
Mountain Hardwear Advance Brief
September 5, 2008
In the world of outdoor gear, underwear is known as “base layer”. Uh huh. Not here on Geargals – these are panties, everyone. Undies. Delicates. Unmentionables. Pants, if you’re British. But these are not just any undies – these are uber-undies. They are so great that ever since I got the sample pair waaaay back in oh, April or so, I have been waiting with bated breath for them to hit the market this fall so I could buy more. I wish Mountain Hardwear would make a bikini bottom just like these undies, they are so fab. Don’t tell my friends, but I am considering wearing these as a bikini bottom anyway, since they’re so cute and fit so perfectly.
They feature a wide, non-digging-into-flesh waistband that never leaves a mark and never rides up or down. The leg holes are cut so that panty lines (oh sorry, “base layer” lines) are minimal and there’s no creep factor or wedgie issue. They’re awesome, just awesome.
I do have to warn you about one thing, though – they aren’t as stretchy as some undies you might be used to, so they have to be cut a little bigger. When they come out of the package they look rather granny-ish. Give them a chance! Put them on! They are cute and comfortable, I promise!
The other thing to consider – and I hate even bringing this up for such a great product – but these are not cheap. I am a woman and therefore have gotten used to paying through the nose for underwear. Men can get 6 pairs of briefs for $8, but we have to pay $18 a pair, minimum. Explain that to me, someone. But even $18 won’t buy you a pair of Advance Briefs – these puppies go for a whopping $30 MSRP. $30! For underwear! I won’t say they aren’t worth it, but I will say that I guess one pair is enough for me after all. Well…maybe two pairs. But, a note to Mountain Hardwear – THIS is how bikini bottoms should fit. If you folks at MHW are ever bored with the whole “snow” and “climbing” and “backcountry” thing, and feel like whipping up some swimwear, I think you’ll already have a winner.
Ellsworth Epiphany Mountain Bike
September 3, 2008
Like, oh my GOD. It’s amazing! It’s gorgeous! It’s PINK! Ellsworth kindly lent us an Epiphany for the summer, and even made it pink to promote Project Pink, which donates to breast cancer research every time someone orders a pink bike. If you’re considering an Ellsworth purchase, I can assure you that the color pink they use is out-of-this-world beautiful. No sissy powder pink here!
The Epiphany, as far as I can tell, is a sort of crossover, something-for-everyone, divine creation. Even after talking to Tony Ellsworth himself in depth about bike design, I scoff at the idea that a mere mortal designed this otherworldly frame. It climbs well, it descends well, it soaks up the bumps…this is THE go-to bike for a one-bike quiver (one bike? What madness is this of which I speak?) and for those planning trips with a little bit of everything.
Speaking of Tony, he had a lot to say about frame design, materials, the development of his patented Instant Center Tracking system, and the quality of bike manufacturing, and I particularly enjoyed his “Conversation with Carbon Fiber” bit which I like to think he did just for me. The guy is clearly brilliant and a perfectionist, which he freely admitted (though he had no choice but to admit it, since I overheard him explaining to a contractor that he would only permit round holes for his HVAC systems – oval just would not do. Since I’ve spent the last year renovating my house, I can fully appreciate this level of attention to detail). And perfectionism is what you want when you’re dropping more money on your bike than you do on your car. Seriously – once I had two Ellsworth bikes on the bike rack on my old GMC Jimmy, and I realized that the combined net worth of the bikes could buy four Jimmys. Not worth the risk of having them on a rather aged hitch rack. I then took the bikes off the hitch rack and carefully stowed them in the Jimmy for safety. Good old Jimmy, plenty of room for two Ellsworths. What more could one want from an SUV? Anyway….
After a few local test-rides, I was presented with the opportunity to tag along on a 50-mile mountain race with one of the other Geargals. Get this – she was RUNNING fifty miles. Because of the isolation of the race and the potential for bear encounters, she asked me to tag along on a bike for safety. The route would involve steep and sustained ascents and descents, technical terrain, variable weather, and probably quite a bit of mud, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to see what the Epiphany could do. I also wanted to use a bike with a comfortable riding position and enough technical capabilities and substance to handle the terrain. Like any Geargal worth her salt, I wanted it ALL! With a 120-mm fork and five inches of rear travel, I figured the Epiphany was the right bike for this type of trip – and, for those of you who don’t like suspense – I was right!
I’m not a very finessed rider, and tend to just bully in hail-mary style through rocky sections. Therefore I was beyond thankful for the travel on this bike. Every time I smacked my pedals on a rock was a bad fall avoided – on a bike with less travel, I probably would have been crashing to the ground. The suspension ate up the terrain like it was made of gummy bears and other soft squishy things. Forgive the TMI, but I had been too lazy to swap the stock saddle out to my women-specific saddle, putting my faith in Ellsworth’s legendary cush-factor technology. The Epiphany’s suspension was so plush that it almost didn’t matter that I was riding on an inappropriate saddle. I say “almost” because I was suffering during the last 12 “junk miles” which were road miles and therefore required seat-firmly-in-saddle style riding – ouch. Even the Epiphany couldn’t do much about that.
The ICT suspension really does work. Very heavy riders might have trouble with full suspension bikes, but I noticed absolutely no difference in efficiency while climbing. As a matter of fact, for a biker at my level, this bike offers the same efficiency as a hardtail and perhaps even more, since the mere pain factor of climbing rough terrain on a hardtail tends to slow me down. I am much quicker at climbing with the Epiphany, because I don’t pre-wince when big obstacles arise. I know the ICT will just soak up the bumps while keeping the back wheel firmly in contact with the ground. I noticed that it was even a little more difficult to bunny hop the Epiphany, because it really does want to keep its rear wheel on the ground. This bike cares about you, you see, and it hates to see you turning the cranks for nothing. You pedal, you move forward; it’s a no-nonsense arrangement.
I did take a nasty tumble that I blame firmly on the Epiphany. After the steepest, most difficult climb of the ride, I was enjoying the more mellow incline of the trail and the scenery at the top of the pass, and the comfy Epiphany lulled me into not watching where I was going. Front wheel off the trail – Head Geargal goes boom. Ow. So, note to self: Epiphany is not equipped with autopilot.
That’s about the only complaint I can come up with, really – that the bike doesn’t steer itself. This bike is incredible and I am beyond impressed with Tony Ellsworth’s talent and dedication to creating unmatchable mountain bikes. Since I’ve progressed to riding high-end bikes, I’ve become more attuned to the nuances of frame design, personal preferences, and fit. Those who believe that riders can’t discern differences in frame design are just flat wrong. Positioning, balance, and technique are all affected by frame design, and each rider is going to have her own preferences. Thus, it’s very difficult to review bikes without resorting to comparing them to other bikes, and the Epiphany puts its rider in a slightly less aggressive stance than either my regular bike or the Ellsworth Truth (which I’ve also spent some pedal time on). I prefer a more stretched-out and aggro position, but to be fair I didn’t have a professional fitting done for me with this bike. Whatever issues I had (which were so minor I really can’t even justify mentioning them) could probably have been addressed with a proper fitting. Even so, most people prefer a less aggressive position than I do, so I think for the majority of riders, the Epiphany’s rider positioning is just about perfect.
Because of its “crossover” (XC + downhill) type of design, the one thing this bike doesn’t do as well as some others is tight cornering. It’s just more substantial than some XC race-style bikes, and isn’t as flickable as others I’ve ridden. This doesn’t mean it can’t do it, it just means that it requires a different style of riding than I’m used to. This won’t be an issue for good riders, and beginner riders will appreciate the stability and forgiveness of the Epiphany. Everyone will have a different opinion regarding the highlight of the Epiphany, but for me it’s the bike’s performance on sustained downhills. During the 20 miles of sustained descent on my 50 mile ride, I found the Epiphany so comfortable I hardly even had to think about it.
Now the bad news. If you want this bike, it’s not gonna come cheap. Even after a gracious discount offer from Ellsworth, I still couldn’t afford to keep the Epiphany this year (I probably couldn’t afford to maintain its lifestyle in a way to which it is accustomed, anyway) due to my compulsive bike-buying spree earlier in the spring. If you, like others who aren’t members of the Gates family, can only afford one high-end bike, you cannot possibly go wrong with the Epiphany. There is absolutely nothing that it can’t do to the very highest standard. Be warned, though – you’ll be so spoiled by all that rear travel that riding other bikes will become much more difficult. It will puzzle you why some obstacles that the Epiphany ate for breakfast aren’t quite as easy for other bikes. Poor other bikes – this is the Angelina Jolie, and they are the Jennifer Aniston. I think Jennifer Aniston is totally rad herself; I just think Angie is more likely to eat things that get in her way for breakfast.
Muchas gracias to Ellsworth for lending us the bike, and to Tony for taking the time to chat!
