Iva Jean Reveal Skirt

When we first spotted this skirt we were intrigued by its form and curious about its functionality. Lucky for us we've acquired a great group of ladies to help us in testing female specific commuter apparel. You've met Caroline in our Sombrio's Vagabond review and we are excited to introduce our second women's specific review. Rebecca Serna Woiderski, Executive Director at the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, has been an amazing resource for Atlanta Cyclists and is the newest Spindle contributor. Enjoy her poignant review of the Iva Jean Reveal skirt..

Whenever I show up somewhere in the Iva Jean Reveal skirt, I find myself demonstrating how the skirt converts from pencil for looks, to pleated for riding. I've never talked so much about an article of clothing before. This is a brilliant idea, and it's well-executed.

Constructed of stretchy black material that is very sturdy and not too technical, doesn't scream cycling falls just below my knees. Most importantly, there's a zipper on the back that allows the skirt to convert from office jockey to riding a bike in seconds flat.

 

The zipper is definitely the standout feature, but it's also the most comfortable pencil skirt I've owned due to the stretch fabric. Just this morning I discovered a very useful hidden interior pocket in the waistband. The skirt stays put even when it's windy, and the seams appear much stronger than I'm used to (I'm always resewing seams on other skirts I ride in).

What would I change? Not much! Consider adding side pockets (this skirt is crying out for pockets), maybe offer a shorter option. And I always love a reflective element in clothing I wear on my bike - ideally something unobtrusive that doesn't appear to be reflective except in dark conditions. Maybe a reflective feature that only shows when unzipped?

Overall: 4.5/5

Thanks Rebecca! Keep up with Rebecca and The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition to stay up-to-date on all bike related news in Atlanta.

http://www.atlantabike.org/

Ezz-Eldin Hassan
Club Ride Rale Pant

A point we try instill in our readers on a regular basis is cutting wind ;) When you're out riding in Atlanta's fluctuating weather conditions, you understand the dangers of that rogue gust that almost throws you sideways on your foul weather rides. We can't stop those gusts but we can help stop it from making you cold.

For the past 3 seasons, I've been cruising with Club Rides Rale Pant for almost a year now and they have solidified their place in my wardrobe rotation. These casual looking performance pant are ideal for weather like today, windy with a touch of chill. The Rale Pants cut through the wind so the wind doesn't cut through your bones. Its been great having these pants throughout Georgia's erratic weather . From heavy winds, temperature drops and sporadic rains. Club Ride's proprietary StretchRide9 synthetic fabric has great wicking properties for the hot days while the brushed polyester lining will also insulate on colder days. Perfect for when the days are in the 60's and the nights are in the 20's (Yea, that shit happens in Atlanta). Although these are not waterproof pants, the DWR allows light rain to roll off like water on a duck. Extended time in heavier rain will soak through within a few miles but the brushed poly liner keeps it from chaffing on long wet rides ;)

 

Initially when ordering these pants, I selected by waist size. I'm a small guy so size 31s are usually perfect for me. Not in Club Rides, I could barely pull the x-smalls above my quads. After returning for the meds then again for the smalls I finally got a pair that fit. There is an interior waist adjustment feature that will customize the fitting of the waist f you're in the same boat. The ideal trouble with ordering online. Because its a size up scenario, the fit is more regular than "athletic" unless you're actually a 32, then the athletic fit is in the quads. I do like how a majority of these companies are embracing the longer legs with 34 inseams. Its easier to hem pants then shorten legs.

A few of our favorite features of these pants are really cool additions. Club Ride's NoCrackBack keeps you classy when leading rides (no pen holders back here). Reflective seams on the drive side and articulated knees are always favorite features. The additional side storage pocket was perfect for my iPhone4 but a touch snug for the iPhone5 ( don't even think of fitting the entire Galaxy in there, android users). Now, I put the phone in first then hook up the headphone jack, so it is still functional. If you do rock a big phone, the side pocket is great for clif bars. The back pockets are super deep to accommodate your Galaxies.

Overall these pants are great to have around for unpredictable weather or for those cool, breezy commutes. Slight chance of rain? No worries, that's why these pants were made.

 

 

Guest User
SWRVE Cordura Cigarette Shorts

It's summer time sukkas, a great time for you to show off them legs! Mine are of a certain delicious bird variety, but still really strong mothercluckers. Enter Swrve's Cordura Denim Cigarette (Skinny Fit) Shorts. Unfortunately, this cut is not available any more with the Cordura denim but they are both offered separately.

With the redesign of the Cigarette shorts, subtle changes have been made. The left rear pocket now has a zipper to secure a wallet or phone. The phone pocket has been moved to the rear upper thigh as opposed to the previous slanted pocket within the right back pocket. If you don't think your Galaxy 500 phone won't fit in there, you're right. It barely fits an iPhone with a case. Though it is super useful for keeping the simple stuff organized (i.e.ID, CC's, cash, etc.). With the pen pockets on each side, the shorts are great at keeping me organized. The major change is in the fabric. They have now been cut with their Durable Cotton/nylon blend keeping them tough as nails. If you need the extra durability, the cordura denim is still available in regular fit shorts and in several of their jeans.

These shorts are skinny fit to the T. The longer there ride the tighter they begin to fit, much like spandex. For those of you with regular to large quads, these would be sausage casings. Burstin'!

In addition to the front pen pockets, the shorts still keep true to several of the finer details. Reflective fabric on two of the rear reinforced belt loops, the gusseted crotch and high rear waist to hide your crack. The front is also slightly lower for your Texas-style buckles. Though skinny fit, they've broken in really well. Stretching the the Durable Cotton without busting the triple reinforced stitching, guarantees we'll be thrashing around in these puppies for at least another year and a half. Only now are we starting to see wear in the seat of the pants. With the additional nylon, wear shows as the cotton piling and is slightly lighter but not too noticeable.

Thanks to our model, Jeffery Bruckwicki (@jeffreyseamster) of Nock Co (nockco.com) and HLHuman. He's also rocking his Pelican Clip key loop w/ reflector available currently and exclusively at The Spindle. Thanks for wearing my shorts buddy.

Ezz-Eldin Hassan
CA Ride Crew W/Pockets

This "basic" crew is one of my favorite Items on the Giro New Road line. The CA Ride crew has the most function out of the rest of the line. Giro's Nycore fabric is a merino wool fabric with a nylon core to help the shirt maintain its shape, stay lite and wick away moisture. The design of the shirt is quite understated and casual. the light colored blue and grey stripe is a great fashionable touch,Giro CA Crew Review though the placement of the stitching is right below and just above the chest, making the seam placement pretty strange. after a while it becomes an after-thought but still there brushing agaist your underboob, wierd.

My favorite features are the rear jersey pockets, which Giro sophisticates with the title of Skeletal Pocket Construction, solid. Man these things come in handy!! For some reason we always end up hitting the grocery store with this thing on and stuff it to the brim. It works as a great casual jersey, nothing to fancy but has all the functionality of a jersey sans the zippers and vacuum sealed fit. I wish I could say the same for the front pocket ( maybe they should put that Skeletal Pocket Construction on it as well ;). After using the rear pockets several times they still keep their shape and structure. Contrarily, after placing my iPhone in the front pocket for a ride, the little guy stays stretched out, acting as a mini wind sock. after washes it tightens up a bit but the pocket is small and not really big enough for the phone so its not really worth the risk of having my phone fall out.

The wicking properties of merino wool allows this piece to be worn over and over again without constant washing. I've gone weeks without washing as long as it wasn't A great t-shirt for the spring and fall seasons, keeping the body insulated while regulating body temps. The greatest thing about the giro line is that each piece can be worn interchangeably with any piece on the line. I usually rock this tee with Giro's Lead/Gum Republic shoe to create a flawless fashionable fit. A great way to add a touch of color to your life.

Thanks to Jarell Williams @nothingbutfixed for the photos!

Guest User
Ladies Dish Performance Jeans

Years ago skate brands, such as DC, came out with several models of jeans and cuts using Coolmax denim. The stretch and feel were incredible. The fabric moved with the body while staying breathable and durable. Its amazing designers haven't used the fabric for bicycle specific apparel until today. Today, our Spindlera, Jenni Bedel, dawns a pair of Dish Jeans made with the Coolmax denim and put them through the daily grindringer. in true Spindle fashion.

I was super stoked when The Spindle asked me to test out some new performance denim for women. Over the past 3 years I have been extensively searching and researching for the perfect pair of jeans. I bet if you polled a bunch of women, most would agree: the denim struggle is real. I have shimmied, jumped, shaken, squeezed, squatted into many pairs with mostly disappointing results. My ideal jeans are stylish, fit well, and easy to move in for cycling too. From designer denim to raw denim, to various styles and brands of cycling specific womens pants – nada. Are my standards unrealistic? Of course they are, but that’s how I roll.

All that being said: Dish has made the closest to perfect pair of denim – honest. These jeans are a perfectly solid dark denim with no funny stitching or whiskering and with just the right amount of stretch. They’re comfortable. The rise isn’t too low and the inseam isn’t too short. One really cool feature of the Dish jeans: the fabric is made with Coolmax performance fibers to keep you cool while you’re out being awesome.

After wearing these jeans (obsessively) for months I can’t recall ever feeling super sweaty or super cold. I noticed that I wasn’t spending half of my bike rides thinking about how I couldn’t wait to put on more comfortable pants. It was almost like wearing my favorite pair of yoga pants. My Dish jeans were getting so much ride wear that the outside leg seams did start to show some give. They seem to be holding up just fine, but I assume that will be the first thing to go when hit their denim breaking point. My conclusion? Coolmax fabric actually lives up to its performance promises, and it might be obvious by now – but I’ve found a champion in my denim quest. Will the search continue you ask? Of course it will (like I said – that’s how I roll) but for now I will be wearing and tearing my Dish jeans indefinitely.

Ezz-Eldin Hassan