Here at The Spindle we've been working dilligently to give you reviews of the latest and greatest products coming out for the daily commuter. But so far we've only been able to give you opinions on the latest men's gear..well..because we're men, so we decided over a month ago we needed a woman's touch. So one of our dear friends and cyclists Caroline Templeman swooped in to save us from Captain Cavemandom, here is her review on Sombrio's Women’s Silhouette Riding Shirt:

I have to say that being a woman and looking for stylish but yet functional commuter bike clothes can be harder than one would think. After taking the boys at Spindle's recommendation, I checked out the Sombrio website, a company from Canada that has been making high quality mountain bike clothing for years, but recently they have been tapping into the daily commuter market designing fashionable, street-worthy clothes but with some function to it for an active lifestyle , and they even make women’s clothes too, JACKPOT!

So, I quickly jumped in and was immediately impressed with their wide range of offerings from gloves, tees, shorts and all kinds of jackets. One of the shirts that really caught my eye was the Silhouette Riding Shirt. A stylish plaid shirt with a nice feminine cut and snaps down the front. The website was very helpful in describing the cut, which is on the generous side, so ordering the right size is easy. The shirt is plenty long, even for me at 5’9”, and is great for layering a shirt or tank underneath it. I would definitely recommend going down a size if you are wanting a tighter fit and don’t want to layer.

The fabric has a nice stretch so leaning over and extending your arms fully is no problem at all and there is even a mesh underarm panel to keep you cool. The front pocket is made to the perfect size to fit my phone so I can listen to music as I enjoy my ride. The shirt definitely has some weight to it which is great for cooler weather and breezy days. My favorite part was that I can take it off, stuff it in my messenger bag and pull it out hours later and the shirt is barley wrinkled at all! The shirt has held up well after many washes, since it is a blend of cotton, polyester and spandex, it barely shrunk at all and the color hasn’t faded a bit. I am certainly eager to check out more of Sombrio’s clothes especially considering my plaid shirt hangs and waits patiently for me in my closet until the sweltering hot, southern summer days have passed.

http://sombriostoreus.myshopify.com/

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 corder 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.

As most of you who have followed The Spindleros know that we ride in whatever gut punches Mother Nature slings our way, but aside from that we are diligent in making sure that everything on the shelves of The Spindle shop are well made, high quality products. If something busts..you’ll hear about it, because we know commuters don’t want to show up at their destination with a busted pant or ripped shirt.  With that being said, we try to test gear that is ready for all types of weather but also has style.
Many All-Weather commuters know thatweather resistant/waterproof pants are generally highly insulated, which tends to leave cyclists hot and swampy upon arrival. Not to mention the 10 minutes after getting off your bike when your body temperature rises to molten lava status! This leaves us with an extra pair of pants in our bag to do the ol’ switchero so you don’t look like a sweaty mess heading into the office. Then good people of Mission Workshop sent us the new Signal 5-Pocket pants in Mid-January and we had a good feeling those days would be long forgotten.

Let’s get the construction out of the way here, The Signal is made from Swiss-made Schoeller Dryskin Fabric with Nanosphere water repellant treatment. A mouthful, we know, but this Schoeller fabric gives the stretch and durability of Coolmax synthetic fabric (used in the lightest running/active apparel)  as well as the abrasion resistance of Cordura nylon ( a ballistic nylon designed for military use).

They've also added a side zip 5th pocket to the fray and will fit a iPhone and a wallet with a bit of room to spare.  But it’s not only the material, it's the look we love. These are just sleek looking pants that can be dressed up or down. I’ve walked right into the office on a rainy day without looking like I just walked off an episode of ‘The Deadliest Catch’. Unlike most water-repellant pants, these pants don’t make an entrance, not that their not snazzy, they just don’t make that swish/swash noise like most technical pants do letting the world know ‘Hey, I’m coming around the corner in 5 minutes, oh and by the way, that swishy noise, that’ll be here all day!’

As we expressed in our past review of the Mission jackets, we love Schoeller fabric, its waterproof, and extremely breathable. These pants have been tested in anywhere from 30-55/60 degree weather both rainy and sunny. They did great in all weather, since their highly breathable they’ll build up heat while you ride, but once done, the pants let loose and breathe out the heat. They are also very comfortable. As said before we're denim guys, but these have become one of our favorite pants in the Spindle chest of goodies.
Now for the big one, rain. On light to moderately rainy days these pants do great, out of the box they immediately had a great weekend ahead of them for testing. The first just happened to be The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition’s Mobile Social ride which was hit with consistent rain with light winds throughout the trek, the Signal’s did great, I was warm and dry by the time we reached Argosy bar for a couple of pints and hot totties! The next morning, I groggily awoke to head to the shop and noticed sheets of rain outside, I looked at the Signals and I swear they winked at me and whispered “LESSGO!” It's 3.5 mile ride from the house to The Spindle, not until the last mile did I start to feel wetness hitting my leg, it wasn’t a lot but it was definitely noticeable. But again they are not waterproof so choose your gear wisely on longer rides. Also, it was a decent dry time both days. After The Mobile Social it took about 10 minutes to dry and 35 after the down pour and they weren't weighed down by the dampness and held their shape just fine.

The fit is a bit relaxed, but not baggy, they’re a good mix of relaxed and slim, the inseam is set at 34”, so if you’re shorter gent we recommend getting them hemmed, but be sure to let your tailor know to use thread that stretches, otherwise you’ll be popping seams frequently since the pants have a bit of give to them, you’ll want to use a thread that will be up to task.
We know that MW will always come at us with a quality products and The Signal doesn’t stray from the goal, it’s got a hefty $225 price on ‘em, but rest assured these baddies will be hanging in your closet for years to come anticipating each and every ride no matter the weather.

It’s getting to that time of year when men, look like men. I think all men should grow a beard, especially in the winter. There are so many benefits, just to name a few:

• You look more timeless.
• Mustaches help filter cool air.
• You are generally warmer.
• Chuck Norris has a beard.

Another thing that is important during the winter, riding your bike. Just because a little cold nips at your nose doesn’t mean you should conform to the car or society. Grow your beard long and ride your bike. Did Sherman burn Atlanta to prove a point? Yes because someone told him to shave. A substantial beard will allow you to ride longer with less discomfort, ask Cogzilla.

Standing with historical bearded figures is something that is uniquely masculine. But, make sure as your beard takes care of you fighting off hard city winds, you take care of it. At a certain point lotion won’t cut it. When your manliness can no longer be infiltrated by the viscosity, it’s time to look to oil. Not car oil but beard oil. Yeah it’s a thing and it makes you feel and smell good.

Beard oils are relatively inexpensive and can save your face from harsh itching. Typically a mix of carrier oils and essential oils, beard oils are fluid enough to penetrate the small carpet factory you have grown on your face. Coming in a host of scents from woodsy to floral to savory (if you can imagine a fine rack of cow sitting on a warm platter with potatoes), there is always something you can find to suite any occasion.

I use Beard Friendly’s First Aid in the winter. It uses some of the best of oils including: jojoba (yo ho ba), avocado, and almond. All have different properties but the almond really offers a nice rejuvenating property for the harsh winters we have had in Atlanta the last few years. It smells like Natures medicine with eucalyptus, lime, and tea tree essential oils

Some things to look for when buying an oil. Most oils have Vitamin E in them so make sure you are using something that mainly consists of that. You want a variety of oils because each oil has a different property and if the maker is smart they have taken that into consideration. Make sure there are no more than 3 or 4 essential oils. Some essential oils can be harsh and you won’t have a clear man-scent if there are too many.

When applying beard oil there are a few ways. The one that works for me and that Beard Friendly offers is a dropper style application. Some brands you have to pour the oil on your hands and then try to wrestle to skin. The dropper allows you to put the dropper on the skin and apply directly to problem areas. My mustache is too thick to use just my hands. I need tools to handle this successful lip decor. The dropper does it.

Whatever method works for you, just make sure you take care of the thing that takes care of you. Ride hard and Grow long.

Vulpine: 1. of or relating to a fox or foxes. 2. Crafty or cunning

Both are rad definitions and relative in the urban cycling world.  Daily riders need their mind clear when riding through the city, we weave and wind through cars and traffic, accelerate when needed, and have a constant desire to keep moving, in ALL weather..and every season.

In October, a good friend of The Spindleros John Woodruff (@twotoneams, follow him now!), modeled for Vulpine, a commuter brand out of London, and suggested we take a look at carrying their line.  We called them up for some testing materials and a few weeks later, our package arrived and the testing begun.  As we opened the box to reveal the contents, this jacket caught my eye.  It was purple and yellow..usually not my bag color-wise but I dug it.  What I didn't understand was why in the hell a company would make a cotton jacket for cycling, doesn't wick moisture and I'll get drenched on myrainy rides.

So, like any inquisitive person would do I hopped on Vulpine.cc search for the reasoning.  There it was, the answer that would blow my mind, Water-resistant Cotton!  The jackets are made with silicon treated Epic (TM) Cotton.  It is not completely waterproof, they couldn't use the samematerials and have the breathable jacket they desired to make.  But after riding in this jacket for the past 5 months I can say that they are being kind saying water-resistant.  The website claims to withstand 2+ hours of heavy rain and persistent torrential rain, and I have ridden from weather varying from a light sprinkle to an all out nasty flooded-streets monsoon, and have been COMPLETELY dry!  Once reaching the destination I have given the jacket a quick dry snap and it was fine.

The features here are very innovative, Vulpine has ditched the conventional approach and uses magnets for the front pockets, the neck snap, and the removable reflective splash guard.  With fully-taped zippers on the chest and side pockets, the flaps with magnetic snaps ensure extra protection against rain, and doesn't leave you with that annoying, dangling flap that you usually have to snap back in, nope, you just slap it forward and it stays put.

A brilliant feature is the removable reflective splash guard, also kept in place by, you guessed correct...magnets.  This can be used on those days when an unexpected shower comes through and you are without your trusty fender, when you don't need it, it will magnetize to the inside of the jacket, or simply unzip to remove it.  It is reflective, so if your back light goes out during a ride, you still have a safe way of making you visible to traffic on those evening trips around town.  Additionally, if you roll up the sleeve it reveals a reflective cuff, but your wrists are still protected against the cold with a fleece cover.  It's nice to see a company putting such though into their products, the little things is what regular riders love like a cool little sleeve pocket to store the necessities.

I have never been so amazed with a single piece of gear ad I have been with this jacket, it's breathable and beads rain like other, way more expensive jackets.  The Original Rain Jacket runs about $300 USD, a little steep, but for a water resistant cotton jacket that looks damn good anywhere and is durable as hell, don't hesitate to snag this piece.  If one is looking for less reflective components, go for the gorgeous Harrington for $290.  They sent us a small and I was surprised at how well it fit, I can still layer it with a merino hoodie and it won't constrict my form, so you can size down if you feel the need.  This is a solid Fall>Winter>Spring piece, if you have the proper layers it has a good wind resistance for cold climates and can be worn up to 75 degrees.  It would be nice if it was packable so I could just have it in there for those questionable days, but it is what it is, and what it is a damn fine jacket.

HAPPY RIDING!!