Gear Review: Swobo Merino Beanie

We don't tend to do many gear reviews here at INDYCOG, and what reviews we have done tend to be winter gear, for one primary reason:

Most seasonal commuters are seasonal only because they don't realize riding in the cold doesn't have to be miserable. All you need is the right gear.

So, keeping with tradition, I will start this winter's reviewing by presenting the Swobo Merino 6 Panel Beanie.



It's a rather dapper hood ornament that doubles as being functional. Merino wool is renown for its wicking and warming capabilities, and also for its natural "can absorb a lot of sweat and not smell like feet" capabilities, particularly handy when you sweat like I do, which is a lot.

Note also: I am sweating, a lot, from my head, in the winter, on a bike. This hat does it right and real.

My only qualm with this beanie isn't actually with the beanie at all, but with my big dome of a skull-noggin. For any normal-headed human being, the ear flaps probably extend low enough to fully cover the ears, but for me, they don't quite do the job, resulting in stinging lower ears for the first few miles before I get warmed up.

I imagine though, once it gets cold enough to couple this beanie with a balaclava, this won't even be a problem anymore. So, tit for tat, this beanie is INDYCOG approved.

Oh. Hello, Autumn.

Brisk ride to work this morning! I actually had to break out the wool jersey, and found myself thinking about a pair of leg warmers.

I have a pair of thermal bibs , but it wasn't quite cold enough for those. My friend Debra has always said that if you start a ride warm, you're wearing too much, but when I got to work and and still wasn't completely warmed through, I was forced to realize that my khaki knickers weren't quite enough. Evidently, autumn is almost here, and I need something for the spring/fall months when it's not quite cold enough for my thick-of-winter gear.

So, I snagged a pair of Nashbar leg warmers on sale for $15 this morning. I'll let you all know how these work out. But, I thought I'd at least let you know about the sale, in case you were thinking the same thing when you got to work this morning.

Gear Review: Louis Garneau Thermal Bibs

Some of us like to don these proudly, suiting up in them and a nice bright thermal jersey with arm warmers and gloves--a skintight blanket of warm riding in the thick of the Indy winters. Others of us feel like chumps, covering them with jeans and hoodies and jackets.

I believe it was Tool actually, featured in this week's Why We Ride profile and long-time supporter of the necessity of bike apparel, who gave a good laugh when he saw all of the downtown urban cyclists starting to shield themselves against the cold with tights. "You guys are becoming cyclists more and more each day," he chuckled through a validated smile.

My personal conversion to actual cold-weather riding gear came around December, when winter finally hit Indy with a vengeance. Until then, a pair of long underwear were doing the trick well enough. But, when that shock of artic wind came barreling down from Michigan, I might as well have been riding my bike naked. Long underwear does not cut wind, the primary enemy of a cyclist in the winter.

I picked up a pair of these Louis Garneau bibs, and have been warm ever since. Sure, there was the initial embarrassment when my fiancee' made me do a pirouette in the middle of the living room before I promptly covered my legs with jeans, but the point is that thermal tights work, and they work well, and that put me back in my saddle, despite the 10s and 20s of January and February.

And, you may be asking, "Why are you writing this review now, when temps are climbing back into the solid 50s and 60s?"

Because, dummy, everyone is trying to move their thermies to clear room for spring stock. You can snag a pair of these Louis Garneaus at Nashbar right now for 75% off. There are deals everywhere for thermal gear right now, and unless some horrible accident happens and my legs are severed from my body, I'm going to be riding next winter. Might as well snatch them now while they're cheap. In this economy, a deal is a deal.

Review: Walz Cycling Caps

This winter I've been donning two caps for my commute to work. A cycling cap, with the sun blocking bill, and a runner's cap to keep my head/ears warm.

I had been eying this cap for a minute and had hesitated purchasing several times due to the price tag. ($29.99) However, in a moment of weakness I gave in and decided to take the plunge in to singular hat territory.

So far I'm very pleased. My head and ears kept quite warm and the bill, while a bit flimsy, is doing the job of blocking the sun on my early morning commute. It seems to be somewhat fashionable as well, I think my girlfriend used the word cute or something of that nature.

So if you're feeling fancy I suggest picking one up, they will even personalize the cap for you at an extra charge.

http://www.walzcaps.com/