Archive for Apparel
July 15, 2010 at 12:48 pm · Filed under Apparel, Equipment
I have to buy my own t-shirts now that my race entries have slumped to next to zero per year.
I first became aware of the existence of bamboo clothing when The Royal Parks Half issued their first race t-shirt. What a fantastic fabric – it’s incredibly soft and has amazing anti-pong qualities.
I ordered this lovely green number – the bamboo Eko from Rapanui clothing after the marketing guy there alerted me to enviromental merits of the company. It is a beautifully soft t-shirt and embroidered with a leaf motif.
It has rapidly become my fave item of clothing and has been worn rather more than is decent.
After two 5k runs and four 18km cycle commutes, I decided it was time to send it to the wash basket - more out of a fear of my work colleagues thinking I had personal hygiene issues than any actual cleaning requirements. Bamboo really does seem to have impressive anti-smell properties.
The Bamboo Eko is quoted as being Rapanui’s most breathable t-shirt but I wouldn’t really recommend it as true performance wear. The weave is too tight and although it is a light t-shirt the sweat soaks in and lingers for just a little bit longer than I appreciate. Cycling seems to be ok as the breeze helps the drying process but I come back a bit damp after a run.
I hope they expand the range though and consider making performance sports gear for runners.
One of the eco features of Rapanui is the so called Traceability Tool, which enables users to trace the entire journey of any garment on our site from seed to shelf.
Seems like my t-shirt fabric was made in Turkey and assembled in their fair wear wind powered factory in the Isle of Wight.
Do they grow Bamboo in Turkey or am I missing a stage in the trace?
Popularity: 1% [?]
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Tags: bamboo, rapanui, review, t-shirt
June 28, 2010 at 9:03 pm · Filed under Apparel, Cycling, Equipment, Road
Everyone hates a cyclist, even it would seem, other cyclists.
I regularly pass between the various food levels in the transport chain but rarely get lower than when I drag out the push bike. Cycle commuting is a thankless task so its fortunate then that’s it such good fun.
I haven’t used my bike since I got the motorbike but my parking space at work is under threat so I thought it would be a good opportunity to try out the cycle commute.
My route hooks up with the new CS7 cycle-superhighway that when complete will link Merton to the City and enable me to cycle much of my way along an extremely blue strip of paint work. I follow the same strip on my way in with the motorbike and it is busy, you can’t afford to veer off course by even a millimetre or you will plough through a swarm of cyclists who creep into gaps like hoards of stinging ants.
I took the Brompton in today and I’m afraid I did veer a little bit off course in places. I was buffeted by a speeding ambulance who pushed me slightly off kilter and into the path of an undertaking cyclist who dinged his bell at me provocatively until I apologised. In an attempt to cross 5 lanes of traffic near the treacherous Elephant & Castle I managed to piss off a van driver who wanted to mow me down – I could see my blood and guts reflected in his glaring eyeballs. It’s amazing how mad people can get when driving the few yards to the next red light.
Anyway, I survived it and it was a gloriously sunny day, a perfect day in fact for trying out the Polaroid sunglasses that have been sitting in my drawer for about 6 months.
I’d held back from trying these specs out as I was convinced I’d look like a particularly uncool variety of alien but once I was togged up in my biking finery I think they added the right air of determination and confidence for the task ahead.
The sunglasses come in a very well padded case that holds 3 replaceable lenses, orange for low light conditions, clear for almost everyday in the UK and these shades for the unaccustomed sunny days. They clip on and off the frame very easily but they are held firmly and I have no doubt that you could bounce down a rocky mountainside without fear of dislodging a lens.
They’ve also got a pair of rubber thingammies that hook behind the ears to ensure a firm grip of your head. It’s not firm really but they do keep the glasses in place and they would be perfect for running.
I’ve never run in sunglasses before but I’m aging fast and can’t afford any extra wrinkles caused by screwing up my eyes to avoid the glare. I’ll take these out on my next run, although I’ll probably have to clip in the orange lenses as I have a tendency to run long after sundown nowadays.
The ride back home seemed considerably more relaxed but then I was in such pain from the symmetrical buttock blisters caused by the monstrous Brooks saddle that I could barely pedal for more than 15 seconds in every 60. If you’re content to stay behind the pack, the ride can be a little less stressful.
Popularity: 1% [?]
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Tags: Brompton, Brooks saddle, commuting, polaroid sunglasses, review
March 24, 2010 at 12:03 am · Filed under Apparel, Equipment, Gadgets, Running, Triathlon
I was sent a goody bag of sporting delights to try out a few weeks ago by a guy who is in the process of setting up a UK distribution for items with a valid sporting provenance. I have to say that I was impressed by quite a few of the items.
Hoo Haa Ride Glide”, a skin cream designed for lady’s delicate bits and pieces by those that know about such things.
Every time I step near the Brompton and its vicious but highly desirable Brooks saddle I stagger away longing for chaffing relief and even the Triumph Bonneville leaves it’s mark in the Hoo Haa region after a long ride. I’ve tested the product out on a few occasions now and each time it’s left an odd, relieved, then panicked expression on my face. Quite unusually they decided to pack a creme designed for the nether regions with something like menthol or peppermint. This cools at first but quickly tips over into a burning sensation as you begin to wonder if you accidentally applied deep heat to your gentle parts. It eases off again though, leaving you with a tingling sensation and an altogether more satisfied expression.
I think I like it but I’m not sure if it’s quite decent.
It stays put for your ride, it’s got a great name and I find myself looking forward to an excuse to use it – try it.
Reflect Sports was set up by a couple of women who were frustrated by the lack of women specific sports products and so decided to plug a gap in the market. They also have some great swim ranges – REFLECT H2OTM Swimming Conditioner, REFLECT H2OTM Sulfate Free Swim Shampoo and REFLECT H2OTM Pre-Swim and Sun Protecting Gel. I’ve been lucky enough to try out all these products and they do a good job of reviving your hair after a session in a chlorine pool.
Also in the goody bag were a pair of novelty pink feet, otherwise known as StuffIts.
They may look a little comical but they are stuffed with cedar and perform wonders with damp, ever so slightly pongy shoes.
There was a vast selection of Lip Balm flavours by Joshua Tree, and I made sure I nabbed the lavendar tube before the kids dived in.
I’ve also been asked to try out a fuel injection system from zerogoo. Having had bad experiences with nasty, sticky gel packs I’m quite taken with the notion of a self contained system that will release my energy source of choice into my hydration system. I haven’t got round to trying it out as I’m not quite up to gel standards yet. I’ll update you over the summer.
All the products were sourced from small businesses who have been founded by sportsmen and women who went on to develop a solution to the problems they encountered while doing what they loved.
Dave from
Joshua Tree is a climber, Mike from
StuffIts was sick of having damp, smelly cycling shoes and trainers, Laurie and Jena from
Reflect Sports are triathletes. Trent from
Zerogoo is an avid mountain biker.
Popularity: 1% [?]
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Tags: GNR, Hoo Haa, products, review, Swimming
May 25, 2008 at 12:33 am · Filed under 100 mile Challenge, Apparel, Equipment, Gadgets, Running, Salomon Challenge, Shoes
I was enjoying a nice leisurely Saturday evening when JogBlog reminded me that today was the start of our double challenge combo.
Some months ago, Salomon contacted me (and several others) with the offer of oodles of snazzy free stuff in return for the completion of some crazy running feat. I am quite prepared to commit to almost anything 2 months prior to any requirement to expend actual energy, so I said yes, thought up some crazy feat, then sat back and forgot about it while enjoying the snazzy free stuff.
Unfortunately decisions made in haste have a tendency to turn around and bite you and today is the start of that lesson.
My challenge is to recreate the central London tube line (zone 1 and most of zone 2), running between stations to create my own GPS version of the underground map. Over on the right sidebar you can see a my challenge widget kindly provided by Salomon. It suggests that I will be doing this in a mere 11 days. This is a LIE. The challenge was for a crazy running feat not a suicidal one. My aim is to complete the task within 31 days. I’m also not a “he” but I’m prepared to let that one pass.
I’m not entirely sure what I have committed to, beyond the obvious – hours spent wandering around in circles trying to find the shortest route to the next tube station on the brown line, heck, maybe I’ll even get to learn the names of all those tube lines. It’s very difficult to work out the distances between stations. The London tube map is not to scale so I’ve been printing off geographical versions, tracing pieces of string around the track and totting it all up on my abacus.
An incredibly inaccurate estimate of the track length is 100km, but when you factor in the above ground restrictions, I can imagine my total distance coming closer to the 100 mile mark. This then explains the second challenge. JogBlog is aiming to run 100m in a month as part of her Salomon challenge so we’ve decided to coincide start dates for a little bit of competitive rivalry. Can either of us actually hit the 100m target? Can I do it first?
If I win I may even be tempted to throw a game of scrabble for her.
Anyway, back to today. By 8pm the pressure has built up sufficiently for me to consider a run. I grabbed the Garmin, Nike+, N82 with Sportstracker and iPod. Tooled up with hundreds of pounds worth of gadgets I get on a bus and head towards one of the seediest areas of West London. I was not in slightest bit surprised that when I puffed past a group of lads on the North End Road one of them said “Shall we mug her for her….” I didn’t hear the what for part, I wasn’t really hanging around at the point. Maybe they took a shine to my incredibly red Salomon XT Wings?
I wanted to start off slowly today so aimed to tick off one of the smallest sections of tube line on my map. That’s the district line (green line), Kensington Olympia branch and Hammersmith branch. I made a bit of a bodge though and included West Brompton into the mix which, although part of the district line, is actually on the Putney branch. So I messed up on the easiest section of the whole month, I may have to write tube names up my arm for the trickier sections. As it is, I’m running with the Nokia N82 in my hand watching the little dot moving around the google maps image.
View Larger Map
So todays tally:
Salomon XT Wings Challenge
6 Tube Stations complete
5.26 km total
Sports Tracker map with photos.
Warriorwoman vs Jogblog 100m Challenge Combo
3.3 miles total
…and in case you are all feeling sorry to be missing out on all these challenges, there is a third one starting on the 1st of June. Tis the annual Juneathon where you commit to run every single flipping day for a month. Head over to Joggerblogger’s joint to sign up and if you have a Nike+ thingummy you can join the challenge here as well.
Popularity: 32% [?]
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Tags: District Line, Garmin, GPS, London Underground, n82, Nike, nokia, Salomon Challenge, tube
December 25, 2007 at 10:26 pm · Filed under Apparel, Equipment, Event, Gadgets, Software
Today was the annual showing of the Christmas Bushy Park Time Trial and I’ve been looking forward to this particular event for about 340 days, since my first introduction to the wonder of the time trial phenomonen back in February. It would have been easy to stay in bed this morning, it was dark and gloomy and of course presents awaited. Still, you can’t really resist that level of anticipation.
As I cycled through Richmond Park in the light drizzle, I puzzled a little over the knowing looks I received from the exhausted reindeer. They obviously knew what was in store for me – that’ll teach me not to leave any carrots out on Christmas Eve. When I mentioned yesterday that a downpour was required to wrap up a thorough test of the Salomon pack, it really wasn’t meant as a Dear Santa letter. I could have waited.
The rain held off for most of the run and I was able to “enjoy” the 5k amongst good company. I was adopted at the midway point by a first-timer and her motivational cousin and was able to experience a vicarious boost that carried me over the finish line relatively unscathed.
I even remembered the new phone this morning so I got to try out the Sports Tracker Beta application. It required a little bit of juggling to switch on both the garmin and the N82 without dropping the phone into the path of a couple of hundred runners but then it is a bit overkill to use two different devices. Sports Tracker has been around for a while and I remember Jogblog took it for a whirl a while ago, but the new version is quite impressive. The phone application links flawlessly to the website offering a live update of your progress, with your route appearing online as you run. Pretty nifty stuff.
The website is particularly attractive and displays some respectable charts. You can view the page for the BPTT workout to get an idea of the detail available.
I can imagine this service being quite addictive and the stats will only get better as you add more workouts. I’m going to be using this again and have already downloaded the application to my N95, I’ll be interested to try it out on my next commute where I tend to have more trouble picking up a GPS signal. I’ll have the two phones going head to head against the garmin to see how reliable the reception is.
So, back to this morning, did I mention that it was raining? I finished up at the time trial and set off on the bike for 7 mile ride home. I was dreaming of roast potatoes and yorkshire puds when the sky starting lobbing buckets of gritty, grimey rain water at me. When I finally got home I was just staggered by the amount of water I’d managed to absorb and peeled the Salomon Raid Revo off directly over the bath expecting at least half a bucket of gulley water to come rushing out of the mini plug holes. As it happens the inside of the pack was still dry which is quite impressive given that no other part of me remained “dry” even my goretex jacket had failed under the onslaught.
Popularity: 47% [?]
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Tags: BPTT, commute, Garmin, GPS, n82, n95, nokia, OGB, salomon_raid_revo, sports_tracker
December 24, 2007 at 5:40 pm · Filed under Apparel, Equipment
Just made it back from todays running commute, it felt like a tough one but it was improved by the queues of festive travellers, I get a buzz from overtaking cars.
We were released from work a couple of hours early so I got to run on the scenic side of the river and cross the bridge all before it got dark and spooky. Of course today I was due to take my trial package on a test run, the package is the Nokia N82 Limited Edition Adventure pack which contains the phone, bundled with the Nokia Sports Tracker beta and the Salomon Raid Revo 20. A great set for the runner but not the forgetful runner – I now have two phones on the go and managed to forget both of them! I did remember the Salomon pack though.
This is a super lightweight package but unfolds to handy size. I got my trousers, shirt, coat and assorted “stuff” inside the pack with quite a bit spare and no need to use the compression webbing for attaching my undies. Good job the extra space wasn’t required as I somehow managed to break the webbing attachment within minutes of removing it from the box, it sort of unwound into a bundle of fluff right before my eyes.
The pack is made of very thin material and I’m not sure how it would stand up to rain, the pack has a couple of plug holes at the bottom for water to drain away, which makes me think it isn’t going to make much of an effort to keep the rain out. The zips look pretty snazzy though, they appear to seal up as you close them so maybe it is more water resistant than I think. Will update next time I get caught in a downpour.
It’s a pretty snug fit on the back, it drapes over your shoulders like a soft cuddly bear (yuk) and the chest and waist strap holds it secure. The chest strap is a great design as it slips up and down the pack to ensure a damn near perfect fit. All in all though I think the fit is just a bit to snug, the pack sits flat against your spine. By the end of the run my back was feeling hot and sticky and this is on a bleak mid winter day, run with this in the middle of summer and I think you’ll pass out before 10 k is up. In contrast my Asics Barrios has a layer of bumps that hold the pack well off your back and is relatively cool to wear.
So the pack is a good size, has really neat waist band pockets big enough to hold phone, keys and iPod securely but its held too close to your back, meaning that the padding will absorb loads of sweat and is bound to stink within a few months. I hope the Inov 8 proves to be a better solution, when it finally turns up.
*UPDATE* I got my wish for a downpour, and I have to say that the backpack held up very well. Check out the details here.
**There is a link to my other product reviews on sidebar. Please contact me at angela@warriorwomen.co.uk if you have a product you would like me to review.
Popularity: 43% [?]
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Tags: asics, backpack, BPTT, commute, n82, review, salomon_raid_revo
December 23, 2007 at 7:36 pm · Filed under Apparel, Equipment, Gadgets, Technical stuff
You should see the floor of my flat – tis littered with no end of exciting possibilities. I could of course take a snap and show you but then you’d see the truth, which involves an awful lot of boxes, wrapping and all those other things that I haven’t quite got round to putting away yet.
There are about 5 more months to go before I get thrown back into exam anxiety so in the meantime I’m needing a new project, that’s in addition to the running project and the allotment project which have ceased to be a new and have now slipped into the realms of “norm”. In times like these my fall back project always seems to be “teach yourself programming”, so here I am with a floor full of teaching manuals. The trouble with programming is the plethora of different languages out there, and then there are different variations of the same language like C, C+, C++ and C#, what is the novice supposed to make of it? As I can’t be bothered to research this too much I’ve opted to dabble with two languages at the same time: Python and VB.Net.
I’ve got python cos its free and sits nicely with computer that I just broke and accidentally forced into being a linux machine and VB.Net because that goes with my windows laptop and because Sporttracks, the best program ever (that I should have written) was developed in dotnet.
I’m sure no one is interested in all that but the other thing fighting for space on my floor is a little package that I’ve been asked to trial. Inside is a running rucsac the Salomon Raid Revo 20 and the latest Nokia N-carnation, the N82. What joy eh? I can see that I’ll have to go out and do a bit of running over the hols to try both of these gadgets out. Is it possible that the N82 could beat the N95 as running gadget par excellence?
The Raid Revo 20 is particularly welcome, I ordered the Inov8 Race Pro 18 ages ago but it seems to have been lost by the Royal Mail. I’ll try the salomon substitute tomorrow on my running commute and report back.
Popularity: 33% [?]
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Tags: allotment, commute, n82, n95, Sporttracks
May 27, 2007 at 4:49 pm · Filed under Apparel, Equipment
Yesterdays ride was only supposed to be stage 1 of the workout, my intention was to get home, bundle the bike in the shed and get the running shoes on for a brick session. The idea is that if you regularly run directly after a long ride you get used to the peculiar feeling of running on rubber legs.
Unfortunately I couldn’t be bothered for anything that sounded as painful as a brick, I wanted a warm bath. Good news, is that despite a 24 hr transition my legs still feel like jelly and I reckon I could get exactly the same benefit by going out for a run now. It’ll also make me feel better about going to the pub this evening.
I haven’t mentioned running (in an active sense) for a while but I have still be getting out there. I’ve dropped the mileage a bit as I have patellar tendonitis and all advice points to rest and inactivity. It actually seems to hurt more at rest than it does when I’m running, (perhaps because I find it hard to dig my thumb under my knee cap and run at the same time) so I’m going to quit the rest. If I stick to flat runs and keep a steady stride, I don’t even notice a problem, admittedly I need a big stick to help me get up the steps to cross to the other side of the Thames but thats just working my upper body strength.
Today will be my first run, sporting the new Cho-Pat knee strap. What a lovely fashion accessory this is, should blend wonderfully with the tan tights I wear for every run.
Now I have it sitting in front of me it looks like a big old con and I can’t understand how I duped myself into it. Still, I suppose I should give it a go. I have to tighten it around my knee, and it will in return provide a bit of tension across my tendon, supposedly protecting it from further damage. Not sure how tight, I’m working backwards from blue toes till I find the optimum effect.
Popularity: 23% [?]
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Tags: knee, thames
January 7, 2007 at 9:42 am · Filed under Apparel, Equipment, Running
Asics Barrios Backpack
Originally uploaded by warriorwomen.
I was looking for a smallish pack that I could use for my running commute. I was initially looking at the hydration packs but the small ones seem to have very little room for clobber. I don’t need to hold that much – maybe a purse, diary and a waterproof.
In the end I plumped for this small running pack from asics. i’m impressed with everything else I use from asics and felt sure that they would have a better idea of my requirements as a runner than even I would myself. I think it has proven to be true, its an excellent pack and very comfortable.
The pack itself sits quite high on the back, which took a bit of getting used to as it means the waist strap is quite high too. When I started running though, i felt it to be very stable and it didn’t disturb me at all. There is some padding at the back which acts to hold the pack away from the body so I didn’t even notice my back getting hot – and I’m very sensitive to overheating.
It has stacks of features. There is a pouch at the top for your iPod or other mp3 player and the headphones feed through an orifice leaving them perfectly positioned for your ears. This is actually the first time I’ve managed to run without getting tangle or strangle with the headphone cable. There is a stowable net for cycle helmet or other gear and a seperate section for a hydration system. Theres also a peculiar attachment that zips away at the bottom and is apparently for holding a bottle but I can’t quite see how.
Very good purchase – £30 from wiggle.
**There is a link to my other product reviews on sidebar. Please contact me at angela@warriorwomen.co.uk if you have a product you would like me to review.
Popularity: 27% [?]
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Tags: asics, backpack, commute, review
January 7, 2007 at 9:28 am · Filed under Apparel, Equipment, Running
Gore Running Spy II Shirt
Originally uploaded by warriorwomen.
I’m afraid it looks a bit creased in this photo (basically because I just pulled it from a pile in the floor).
This is an ideal shirt for me as I overheat very easily. It’s incredibly lightweight and breathable, in fact the material is almost non-existant beneath the arm pits, so no chance of getting too clammy.
It both looks and feels to be quite a high quality garment but then it did cost about £30.
Popularity: 9% [?]
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Next entries »
I first became aware of the existence of bamboo clothing when The Royal Parks Half issued their first race t-shirt. What a fantastic fabric – it’s incredibly soft and has amazing anti-pong qualities.
