Rachel Reviews: #PEARLiZUMi Base Layers

Meet Rachel.  She's romped Sedona singletrack, cruised county roads in Summit County Colorado, and hiked in B.C.  You might run into her in the pilates and yoga studio.  She's got a corral of bikes and a closet full of gear.  Of course, there's always room for more.  She's also my wife and this is Rachel Reviews: Pearl Izumi P.R.O. Baselayers. 


A windy cold day should not be a reason to skip a bike ride and camp out on the couch watching TV.  Having the right clothing for days when the mercury drops is important and can make a huge difference in how much you enjoy your ride.  With a chilly Saturday and a warmer Sunday, this past weekend in Cincinnati was perfect to test both my new Pearl Izumi base layers. 

P.R.O. Barrier LS

Pearl Izumi P.R.O. Barrier is a base layer with a built in wind barrier added to the front.  It's almost like having a light vest and a base layer all in one.  I wore this long sleeve base layer on the regular Saturday club ride out of Oakley.  With a 9am start, temps in the mid 40's and winds gusting up to 25mph, I knew I had the perfect garment for fall/winter riding.  The double layer front panel completely blocked the wind.  I was actually too hot!  The fit is very good (true to size) and the contoured cut of the wind barrier near the waist matched the cut of my bibs, no bulk.  I prefer Raglan angle cut sleeves, but I think I'll appreciate the wind-blocking material on my shoulders during the winter.

P.R.O. Transfer

Sunday afternoon was slightly warmer with temps in the mid-to-high 50's.  On the out and back along the Ohio River and around the local time trial route in Cleves, I wore the Pearl Izumi P.R.O. short sleeve Transfer base layer.  Pearl Izumi describes the material as Minerale.  I gotta say, I love it.  It's soft and wicks sweat very well.  The short sleeve base layer fits great and has the Raglan sleeves (thank you) and contrast stitching.  Both the long and short sleeve base layers have this awesome fabric, subtle branding and high quality construction. 


I highly recommend these base layers and suggest you add these to your xmas gift list.  Your mom, dad, or significant other will feel good about giving you something to keep you warm on those cold winter days.


Happy Riding!  

Fi'zi:k Cu'Kee:saver Women's Saddle from RealCyclist.com

I'm banging my fists against the computer keyboard.  adea;o refioan; fewiau.  Why do I even bother musing about cycling when I could just copy it from the funniest cycling websites where they pay people to write, like RealCyclist.com.  After reading the following ad from RealCyclist.com for the Fi'zi:k Vesta women's saddle I'm certain of a few things.  1) The website is clearly not for real cyclists.  2) This copy was not Fi'zi:k approved.  3) If the associate at your local bike shop tried to sell you a saddle this way, you would slap him in the face.  4) I'm clearly not qualified to write for cycling publications.  5) This ad was clearly not written by a real cyclist, a guy who really wants to sell a $130 saddle to a woman, an actual woman, someone disguised as a woman, Wendy Williams, or even guy with a doll that he calls his girlfriend for that matter.  It is very possible it was written by someone with callouses on his right hand.

Fi'zi:k Vesta K:IUM Saddle - Women's

Perch your booty on the Fi’zi:k Women’s Vesta Saddle, and pedal with comfort. The women’s-specific shape gives you support where you need it and, thanks to the pressure-relieving beaver-breather central channel, none where you don’t. Scuff guards keep the Microtex cover unmarked if you lay your bike down, while Fi’zi:k’s Integrated Clip System lets you seamlessly install an I.C.S.-compatible saddle bag or light. With the Fi’zi:k Vesta, you’ll be filling your lungs with fresh air instead of filling your shorts with saddle sores.

Now, let's dissect this beauty.  Do you know what pops up on Yahoo image search results when you type in the word booty?  DO YOU?  For shame.  And shame on me too, because I dared to check.  First of all, the moment you finish typing the "y" of the word booty, your computer goes into blue screen lockdown mode and sends emails and texts to the authorities, your wife and your mom to inform them that you may be looking at porn.  Seriously, it triggers your computers "safe search" filter advising you of the forthcoming watermelon sized naked cabooses that's about to be displayed on your 17 inch screen.  The next thing that pops up, after agreeing to turn "safe search" off is hundreds of pictures of the biggest asses you've ever seen in your life outside of the Biggest Loser Ranch.  Granted, some are in bicycle shorts...barely.  The next thing that happens is spyware, unless you turn the "safe search" back on.  Clearly BOOTY is not the correct term to describe a women's um, backside and clearly not how a woman who would spend $130 on a saddle would refer to her...um...cute little tushy. 

You had me at booty.  Really I would've bought the saddle right then and there.  But, this saddle has a Beaver Breather.  Thank goodness because mine almost suffocated.  Were there less offensive words that RealCyclist.com decided not to use, like uhm...maybe cookie saver?  I wouldn't even dare to type "beaver breather" into a search engine...at least not at work.  I'm guessing I wouldn't see comical fuzzy little creatures wearing SCUBA gear while building a dam on a picturesque creek.

The sad thing is, if you go to Fi'zi:k's website the copy for the Vesta saddle reads quite professionally and un-offensive like this:

Vesta. A pressure relief channel praised by pros and enthusiasts alike.

But I guess RealCyclist.com thought that trying to work the words "saddle sores" and "laying your bike down" into the copy was more effective in luring women to purchase this high-end, pretty, white, well designed, ultra light, matches any bike, relatively inexpensive, pro-level saddle.


note: no beavers were harmed in this story.