WTB Devo Bike Saddle
February 21, 2010
“What is the deal with all these ‘women’s specific’ bike saddles?? I mean, mean and women can’t be THAT different down there, can they?”
Yes, that is a direct quote from one of the Geargals. In her defense, beer was heavily involved in this particular testing session. Her point, if I may translate from drunkenese, is that none of us has had particular luck with women’s specific saddles. Personally I have only been able to put in 10-12 miles on my regular women’s saddle before having to take frequent stand-up breaks to ease the pain. So, in desperation, I went to the Vancouver locals, who spend all their time on the North Shore and ride bikes so big my trusty XC rig looks like a toy. I figured if these girls could spend that much time grinding up logging roads for the 30-second trip back down the storied North Shore trails, they would know a thing or two about saddles. They lent me a Devo and I’ve never looked back.
[Speaking of looking back, there may be some TMI coming up. Do not proceed if such things offend you.]
It was love at first pedal as my collective down-there girl parts, still a bit chafed from their extended struggle with my old “women’s” saddle, breathed a sigh of relief and stopped complaining. Even with recent hurts still fresh, I was able to ride all day without constantly thinking “I can’t wait to get off this saddle.” I’ve ridden the Devo ever since, and never had a complaint. No banging, no chafing, no tenderness, no “I need a day off because I’m, er, sore,” no problems. Truly a brilliant piece of engineering. WTB actually makes a women’s version called the Deva (argh! that stupid name rises again. Stop already. Please. Stop. The word “diva” is dead. No one likes it, it’s dumb, there are other great names for women’s gear. Let it go) but as good as the Devo feels, I’ve not yet bothered to try the Deva.
So yeah. My fellow Geargal has a point. If the Devo – a men’s saddle – works so well for so many women, how different can we be? Try pondering THAT during your next beer-induced philosophy session. Believe me, though, it’s not all men’s saddles that have this kind of crossover appeal. My Gearguy lent me his race saddle and we didn’t make it down the trail more than 100 yards before I was yipping in pain and turning around to get a different saddle. So to sum up: some men’s saddles = OUCH. Some women’s saddles = YEOW. The Devo = ahhhhhh. So give it a shot.
I’m interested to see how it all plays out. So if you’re a chick, and you try the Devo and like it or don’t like it, let me know. Seriously – I’m interested. Is this really the one-size-fits-all saddle of the century?
Get it by clicking here.
Olympic Mittens
February 16, 2010
Boy, am I glad I wasn’t running this site during the Salt Lake City Olympics, or I’d be stuck featuring one of those goofy berets that was all the rage back then. They were the must-have Olympics-wear, seen on all the US athletes and a good portion of the spectators. Not like I didn’t try to get one, don’t get me wrong – but the line for berets was so long that I had to bail to catch my flight. Little did I know that I would have a second chance at that beret eight years later at the Vancouver 2010 Games. Yep, they still sell those berets! Something about how easy it was to buy them made me pass it up this time, though. Maybe it was the thrill of the hunt that made them so desirable. Likewise with this year’s hot item, the red Olympics mittens. There was a rumor going around for a while that the mittens were sold out, but nothing could be further from the truth. Believe me when I say that they are everywhere. Every Canadian in the world has at least one pair, and of all the Olympics garb at the store, the mittens were by far the easiest to obtain (probably because all Canadians already have their own). So don’t despair, you too can have the Olympics souvenir of the year. They’re even affordable, at about $10 a pair!
The best thing about them, aside from being immediately able to fit into any crowd here in Vancouver, is that they are actually really nice mittens. Fleece lined and cozy, they will honestly keep your hands warm while you bundle up in the bleachers to watch the events. You might even find them a little too toasty at the alpine events’ barely-almost-not-quite-freezing temperatures. Best of all, though, you’ll fit in, and when you are surrounded by a bunch of lovely, polite, nice, charming Canadians, what better feeling could there be?
Pick yours up at the Hudson’s Bay Co.
Columbia Jammin’ Journey Fleece
February 6, 2010
Could the name for this fleece be any dorkier? Here we go on a jammin’ journey! Good thing I love this top so much or I might not be able to get past the name. Ironically I wore this fleece every day on my own jammin’ journey to Canada – it was my trip staple because of its comfort, warmth, and, yes, cute looks. Wrinkle free and comfy, it didn’t even get too stinky on the five day trip, which I’m so sure is more due to the miracle nonstink fabric than the fact that I was basically just sitting still in a car for hours upon end. Plus, I don’t stink. Right?
Every few years I come across a half-zip fleece that sparks a sort of obsession. When I find a fleece that I like, I have been known to buy several of varying colors just to make sure that I’m never without. I still have a stockpile of past favorites in the closet that I just can’t let go of. What’s more versatile than a good fleece? The “Jammin’ Journey” (yeesh, do I have to keep typing that over and over?) is more versatile than most, with a superlong zipper that fits over a helmet or opens to allow airflow in those in-between temperatures. Best of all, this fleece has a really great cut. It’s longish but not ridiculously so and trim without being supertight. To my endless delight, it also has perfectly cut sleeves that accommodate actual muscles, and are long enough to actually cover my wrists and stay put when my arms are bent. Best of all, NO THUMBHOLES. I used to love thumbholes, but recently it seems that every single top out there has thumbholes and the accompanying superlong sleeves. Agh! Enough! I feel an editorial coming on.
So, no thumbholes on the JJ. Excellent! How many colors does it come in?
Buy ‘em all up before I clean them out.
