That said- the following review is about pants.  Swrve WWR trousers to be specific.  Pants that I walked into the store and paid full retail price for at Hub & Bespoke in Fremont (who has quite the Swrve collection in stock.)

I purchased these trousers (in black) while preparing for a short road trip, traveling as support for a bike tour.  It was 3 days on the road- driving in the day, making camp for the riders and trying to look halfway civilized as we went out for dinner in the evening (it was a pretty plush trip for the riders.)  I did no riding, but in this “off the bike test” I could already tell that I found something good.  The trousers felt great- soft on the skin, with a nice fit on the legs- slim, but not tight.  That was eight months ago- and I’m still stoked.

On the bike, the Swrve WWR trousers have been equally impressive.  It wasn’t long ago that Dickies or Levi’s 501 jeans were the only pants I wore- but wearing thin in the seat with a few months of use, they often became shorts in the summertime, which meant it was time for a new pair of pants.  Both brands had (and still have) some advantages- price being the most noteworthy.  The downsides are that they don’t stretch; they are uncomfortable when wet (as well as being heavy) and they take a long time to dry.  Because they don’t stretch- I often had to buy a size larger in order to feel comfortable while riding.  This made for a bunched up waist, which I’m not a fan of.

There are a growing number of companies doing great things in urban riding apparel.  Most- like the Swrve WWR, contain lycra (or spandex,) which is crucial in giving the stretch that cycling trousers needs. A gusseted crotch also makes for a more comfortable fit while riding, mainly in removing seems from more tender regions.

Most companies making a “cyclist cut” are addressing fit issues of cyclists, but my body is apparently not what they are being fitted to.  ”The others” seem to gear their products to the tall slender road cyclist.  My legs are large, as is my derriere (that’s ass for those that don’t know.)  The Swrve line has been appropriate in fit and I’ve since acquired the Cordura jeans (as a gift) which have been excellent as well.  That said, I’ve seen the same Swrve trousers on a more slender figure and though they didn’t fit as tight as skinny jeans- they still had a slim fit which was complimenting to their wearer.

The highs:

I like the little details like the darted knees and reflective belt loops.  The gusseted crotch, zippered rear pockets and the handy little pocket up front that is perfect for my pocket knife.  The stretch is comfortable and the fit is great.  They’re also made in the USA.

The lows: 

In a rush, I dried them on low- once, and the fabric, uh…. changed a little bit.  By no means are they ruined, but that one little interaction with a tumble dry did alter the fabric. (I presume this would happen with any fabric with lycra.)  So don’t dry them.  They dry fairly quickly on their own and it will ensure that they stay looking new longer. I also find the rear pockets a little too deep especially since there are zippers (making it hard for my fat hands to reach all the way to the bottom.)

In a nutshell:

I really like these pants and talk them up to folks that have trouble fitting into “cycling trousers.” $120 may seem like a lot for a pair of pants but I feel it was money well spent.  I can say with confidence that I’ll be acquiring more- hopefully by using those “bike blogger perks.”

My Swrve wishlist now includes:

• Lightweight WWR shorts
• Merino wool full zip sweater
• Wax riding jacket
• Merino wool s/s jersey
• Regular trim fit jeans

See more on Swrve HERE

Maybe it’s waking up to public television for years in my childhood, but something feels right about watching this first thing in the morning, with its enthusiastic and a bit unpolished dialog that can only mean you’re learning something.

Not only does Seattle bike polo make a cameo:

But it also reminds us of how bicycle advocacy has lost touch with what’s really important to cyclists over the years. Namely lunch stations.

Anyway, check out the video and get your learning over with! Then your brain can take a break for the rest of the day.

This past Saturday, the Marymoor Velodrome Association invited Emerald Sprints to run a roller racing event for the 2012 season kick-off party and fundraiser. It has been over a year since Seattle’s last roller racing event, and it was great to bring it to a new and competitive crowd.

For those unfamiliar with our kit, we pit two racers head to head on fork mounted stationary bikes for an indoors race to the finish. We set the track to 500m, and the audience can cheer as they watch the racers progress on the screen directly behind them at speeds closing in on 60mph.

By the end of the night, we had plenty of tired legs and great times (full breakdown after the cut). The best of the night went to Tony Cordova, who took the Men’s Open championship belt with a time of only 18.997 seconds. The MVA also provided belts for the top Women’s Open (Amara Edwards), Men’s Masters (Adam Cerullo), and Women’s Masters (Alexie Montaland).

There were some fantastic times out there but don’t go resting on your laurels just yet! Looking back into the results from our last major series (the 2010 Championship Series that led to a final in Vegas), a few of our top locals were getting times down in the 17-point-somethings on the exact same setup, including Saturday’s Men’s Open finalist Patrick Monteith. Will you be the one to break the 18 second barrier next time?

Results – Women

Results – Men

UPDATE: There’s already some videos up on the ‘net, both here and here so be sure to take a look. If you have any more photos or videos up online, please post on the comments – we’d love to see ‘em!

Killing it as always.

Check them out on the web HERE

The Ride of Silence is just that- it’s not Critical Mass or a chatty group ride.  Please be respectful of the organizers, the rules of the road and your fellow riders on the ride.

For more information go HERE

There are even CHAMPION belts for 4 winners.  Awesome.

Earlier in the day, you can enjoy Beer Week with the Tour de Pints.

The weather is going to be amazing- so whatever you do- HAVE FUN!

I’m not really sure how it works, but the fare fluctuates.  You can travel between the two cities for $1-15 each way though and that’s pretty sweet.  You can even bring a bike as baggage (if room allows and you can carry the rest of your gear in a carry on.)

From the sounds of it they have a fair amount of legroom, free WiFi and electric outlets.

Hot damn.

Just keep in your idea box for ways to get from SEA to PDX.

Kursk Natural and Kursk Pro Natural (the pro is SPD compatible)

Lower Southside

And the addition of Chrome’s first-ever women’s model, the Dolores.

Pick some up at your LBS or online HERE

This is coming out Fall 2012 from Xtracycle and I gotta say it looks intriguing.  With a capacity of 200lbs- it also folds up and out of the way (to get into doorways and the like.) It will retail for $149- though if you want a platform for it- that’ll cost you extra.

If you are carrying something like a keg or boxes or something like that- keeping the load lower on this platform seems like a good idea.  I can’t speak to stability while turning, but they’ve hopefully figured all that out.

If you already have an Xtracycle- this looks like it could be a worthy investment.  Any Xtracyclers out there have thoughts on it?

Pre-order yours HERE

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