Most commuters are pretty well versed in what to expect when buying a cotton pants, buy 'em cheap, and burn 'em fast.  It's unfortunate evil that many of us USED to deal with, we're now shelling out extra money on pants that last for years while still maintaining the good looks we bought them for in the 1st place!  With that, and the ever-growing cycling culture in the US, brands are more quality-driven then ever before.

Within in this group is a company out of Colorado called 'Upright Cyclists', barely a year old, they've come out of the gates swinging with their line of urban cycling gear.  The design is sleek. simple, and made to ride everyday.  These folks were kind enough to send over a pair of Division Pants over to The Spindle Slaughterhouse to be tested.

Generally some companies will rely on a cotton/spandex blend to get them through the stretching and pulling that go with a daily commute, Upright went a step further with triple stitching and extra fabric on the gusseted crotch, the two points that tend to wear first, and they do stretch nicely, although it really doesn't feel like they would when you slide them on.  The divisions skew from the norm of being 'low rise', they are designed with a higher back and lower front to coincide with your positioning while riding, and does not effect your comfort once you get off the bike, although I will admit it did take a little time to get used to having my pants up right below my belly-button.

Other features includes darted knees for extra bend and comfort while riding, and for safety, the division pant steers away from the normal reflective fabric along the seam of the cuff, they've actually added a reflective piping along the cuff of the pants, which surprising gives more visibility on night rides.  Also, there is an added DWR (durable water repellant) finish that did very well when I got caught in a light rain, and once I reached the house the pants only took around 15 mins to dry, but in the case of a downpour, they got pretty soaked and took over an hour to start feeling a little better, but they're not advertised as being waterproof but you know we got to do it anyway!!

An interesting feature are the buttons, they are on every pocket front-to-back, which I'm a big fan of on the back since it prevents your valuables from falling out, the front was the part I was a little confused about, although they do save your pocketed items, it's another feature that I wasn't used to so it took a few runs to remember they existed when I tried to pull my phone out!

All-in-all the Division's are a solid purchase, they are a nice, comfortable relaxed fit, but not baggy so fabric isn't everywhere while hustlin' through the streets!  So they would work well with those of you with thicker riding thighs, that way you don't have to go up a size waist-wise, saving your belt holes from being in spots they have no business being in!

Kickin around in the newest line of commuter shoes to grace the Spindle shelves are the Quoc Pham hardcourts. These are the latest sod compatible shoes with the Mission Workshop seal of approval.

At first glance the subtle styling is quite understated, yet I still get great compliments on these guys. its black on black on black look also goes with pretty much everything I wear on a regular basis. These shoes have been through a lot and they show very little wear. Lets get this review started, bit by bit!

Lets start with the Cordura-like, woven nylon upper. This ballistic, abrasion resistant nylon holds strong against furious concrete scrapings. A few gravel slide outs and over the bar ventures have ensured valid testing of these shoes….. and my face…. and my body. But as Led Zepplin says, " the shoe remains the same…" …. thats right…. right?!? The weave, though extremely sturdy, breaks in like an old tennis shoe while maintaining its steel cage like protection. The first thing to break structure is the leather tab, gracing the company's logo. This has zero effect on the shoes function but adds little ear-like flaps to the outside of the shoe.

Heel cups are usually the first thing to go out on shoes, tearing and breaking little pieces of plastic in to the shoe on a regular basis. Not the Hardcourts. These maintain structure without being too rigid. Also on the rear of each shoe, is a reflective strip for safety purposes. Here in Atlanta, law says you must have a front light and a rear reflector, these will do as your rear reflector if yours gets broken or stolen.  Personally, we see no substitute for a obnoxiously bright rear light, but these may get you home and away from the strong arm of the Law.

Now for the sole, and man do these baddies have sole! the balance of stiffness and comfort are incredible! Thick soles so your cleats don't tap, great flex in the midsole but stiff enough to mash it in the fastest traffic. Working in these sukkas for over 13 hrs a day is testament to their comfort and to still be able to stand at the bar of our local watering hole after those 13+ hrs is pretty damn amazing. The rubber sole itself is thick and grippy, good enough for those emergency BMX brakes when your chain pops or you brakes are in need of dialing in. With all the trekking that has been done in these badboys its amazing that all the adhesive binding the upper to the sole has no sign of ever coming detached.

Said to be water resistant, we didn't really see too much water shedding on our rainy day rides. Water will sneak its way through the tight weaves and soak right into your socks and feet, so wear merino woolies on those cold rainy days. That said, after arriving home, slipping a rag in to each shoes will ensure they will be dry and ready the next day of street bashing.

Photography above provided By Jarrell Williams

They're also great for crushing cans!

When we first brought Giro into the shop, this simply designed shirt caught my eye.  This is a straight-forward, understated garment, but what exactly makes it conducive for cycling? "This shirt could possibly make me look good" is what went through my head...

The tight lines and fit of this shirt are truly amazing. The 3% of Lycra really allows the shirt to move with you while the "ride position stretch pleats" are helpful when reaching for the bars. This shirt lives in fall and early winter. Paired with a thin base or mid layer and a shell, you're solid gold on those colder days/nights.

This is a smooooth lookin' shirt and fits in flawlessly in any situation. The addition of the the placket hiding the buttons and hidden snap front pocket, give this shirt a sleek, modern look.  The site describes the shirt as chambray-like, I disagree. The fabric is much more rigid almost like a tight denim. This is advantageous on those windier days, the tight knit keep the wind minimal while still allowing it to cool you off or keeping that body heat in. The fabric itself is durable, allowing reckless folks like ourselves to eat shit (i.e. ass over bars, face bounces, slide outs and the so ons and so forths) and walk away with very minimal damage to the shirt. The Mobility shirt is pretty easy to maintain as well. Simple messes are just a swipe with a wet cloth away from being clean again. Luckily, it dries on the quickness.

Although this shirt is stylish and perfect for the metropolitan commute, we do wish it had a few more features. The chest pocket is the only available storage and will not snap shut with an iPhone sized mobile phone. No other pockets. The buttons are unfortunately not as tough as the fabric, wishing now that there were a couple of backups sewn into the shirts. A simple zipper pocket in the back or side would be great, but no cycling specific cues come out of this shirt. For the price tag, a little storage would go a long way.

photos by Jarrel Williams

@nothingbutfixed

There are days set aside for mashing through the city streets, blazing along side traffic with no destination in mind. There are other days, where there is a destination in mind. Not just any destination, but a fancy one with people that also dress fancy. But its nice outside, perfect weather for a ride and thats what’s calling. The solution: Parker Dusseau’s Classic Work Shirt. This modern cut shirt always gets the compliments. Working behind bars of great restaurants, attending art shows and busniess dinners require a an understated but classic look. When going through the details of this shirt with customers and friends, it is always astonishing to folks to see how far commuter specific clothing has gone. The sleeves are now longer and accommodate our long ape-like arms. Complimented by the Power mesh behind each shoulder blade for more stretch, movement and ventilation.

The Schoeller Nanosphere coated Japanese cotton allows added breathability and helps the fabric dry much faster.This helps tremendously when arriving after a hot ride. Riding through an 8+ mile commute to work, I can be confident even in Atlanta’s ridiculously hot and humid summers, my shirt will be dry within the the first 15-20 mins of my arrival.  Flip the cuffs and collar and reflective stripes alongside a begonia trim add a smooth touch of safety, very very sneaky! I’m not one to flip my collar but its nice to have that extra safety feature when riding late on a weekend evening ride and all the drunkees are out behind the wheel calling their bestie for the next round location.

But just in case we want to call for our next destination, we can really appreciate the 2 convenient, double-chest pockets. Thats 4 pockets total!! The smaller, bottom pocket is great for cash and cards while the larger one fits an iPhone 5 just right. This shirt, paired with their commuter chinos or Outliers slim Dungarees and DZR’s or Quoc Pham Clipless commuter shoesand you’re dressed for any and all occasions. If you’re looking to exude confidence on your ride, professional and social life this shirt will definitely put you in the right direction.

We’ve been chompin at the bit ever since Vaughn Brown, of Parker Dusseau, let us in on a collaboration with The Radavist on a limited edition button up urban cycling shirt. Needless to say, we put an order in right away.  We received our shirts a few days before official release and were able to give it some tests in the early Georgia spring.

The shirt is made with the lightest Schoeller material we’ve ever had run through the shop.  For those unfamiliar with Schoeller, it’s a Swiss textiles company specializing in weather resistant, breathable materials that are great for outdoor and travel apparel.  Schoeller’s Coldblack Technology provides 30 SPF protection and reduces heat build up in darker fabrics. When grabbing this button up off the hanger, the shirt is cool to the touch! Pretty mind blowing!

The 1st three days after getting the shirts were going to be between 75-80 degrees and sunny, so it was worn three days in a row. For being such a dark black shirt I was surprised at how cool I was and how the air circulated throughout the shirt, cooling me with the sun beating down. The fabric even maintains temperature even as the the temperature slowly drops as the sunsets. 

This colab still delivers the standard, yet way above average,  nuances that Parker Dusseau button ups feature and moves incredibly well with no restrictions. The hidden mesh vents set behind the shoulder blades allows for very little resistance when stretching into the drops and help with cooling you down while ramping up your cadence.  We even found that the shirt did very well once the weather peaked at 82 during the week.

In addition, a light sprinkle while riding is fine and the shirt was dry in less than five minutes, but will be waiting for a downpour to see how this lighter Schoeller performs. We're curious to see how this shirt holds up once we hit the truly humid Georgia months, but we will update you on that too.