As part of my partnership with Samammish Valley Cycles I've signed up to do some gear reviews. This is my first 'official' gear review and I am looking forward to the next one. I like testing new gear!
First up on the list is bike shorts - Ibex Marino Wool. I've always been curious about wool for bikeing shorts so when I saw a pair of Ibex knickers at Sammamish Valley Cycles, I just had purchase a pair so I could try them out.
I wasn't disappointed.... I tested these shorts in three conditions: Wet and windy, dry and warm (not hot, warm), and indoor riding. I figure this gives me good insight into what these shorts are and are not capable of. Here is the deal (I've rated it out of 10)
Wicking: 8.5
These shorts wick sweat and keep you dry. They do a great job - even better than the spandex-based material that most of my other shorts are made of. They aren't quite as good as the Segoi RS shorts made of the thin mesh-like material - but better than I expected for a thicker material.
Temperature regulation: 9.5
This was the most outstanding feature by far. I never got hot or cold in these shorts. The temperature I wore them in varried by almost 20 degrees celcious but I did not get cold or overheat. Bottom line: wear these shorts for any ride where you may have variable weather (think: TransRockies, LaRuta, TransAlps, etc).
Bum comfort: 8.25
There is only one pair of shorts that gets above an 8 for bum comfort in my books - the Segoi RS. That said, this pair came in pretty high. The shammi is very comfortable, does not rub in the wrong places, does not have too much padding - but has enough.
Other features: 10
I loved the fact that the knees had a wind breaker patch to protect the joints from getting too cold. This feature alone gets a 10 in my book. I also liked the fit of the shorts and the overall comfort deserved close to a 10.
Summary: If you are looking for a new pair of shorts to transition from winter into spring, look no further! Wool gets 2 thumbs up in my book - not only is it supurb for performance, it is environmentally friendly too!
