My mileage is creeping back to normal levels despite continuous rain this summer. I avoid riding on wet roads (especially after last year's crash put me in the hospital), so I work around the weather and ride early in the morning or at lunchtime, if workload permits.
I committed to riding 1500 miles between August 15th and December 25th this year for a worthy charity we support (www.givefreshwater.org). So when I get to ride, I try to log a few more miles to add to the total.
Some of my old tried and true bibs just weren't providing the protection I needed in the saddle. Either the chamois has worn or I have. Either way, it was causing problems (as anyone who's ever had saddle sores can attest).
I have one excellent set of Course ("Race") bib shorts from Louis Garneau, purchased during an end of year sale a couple of years ago that provide the needed protection. I decided to add another to the drawer but was having a hard time finding equivalents.
Then I remembered Pactimo, and did a bit of online research. The price is a bit higher than my normal PI/LG fare, so it took a few days before I hit "Submit Order." When I did, I chose the Summit Raptor RT 2.0 bibs in XL, since the other Pactimo products I have run small.
A few days later the bibs arrived and they fit like an XL on a L body. So a quick return call and a few days after that the L arrived. I tried them on and was very pleased.
The material is soft, and in no way constricting (the trend lately is compression fabrics, which provides dubious benefits for performance). The straps were right-sized and unnoticeable. And the chamois seemed well-placed and soft without being squishy or overly thick -- like a diaper (as so many "long haul" chamois seem to be).
I committed to riding 1500 miles between August 15th and December 25th this year for a worthy charity we support (www.givefreshwater.org). So when I get to ride, I try to log a few more miles to add to the total.
Some of my old tried and true bibs just weren't providing the protection I needed in the saddle. Either the chamois has worn or I have. Either way, it was causing problems (as anyone who's ever had saddle sores can attest).
I have one excellent set of Course ("Race") bib shorts from Louis Garneau, purchased during an end of year sale a couple of years ago that provide the needed protection. I decided to add another to the drawer but was having a hard time finding equivalents.
Then I remembered Pactimo, and did a bit of online research. The price is a bit higher than my normal PI/LG fare, so it took a few days before I hit "Submit Order." When I did, I chose the Summit Raptor RT 2.0 bibs in XL, since the other Pactimo products I have run small.
A few days later the bibs arrived and they fit like an XL on a L body. So a quick return call and a few days after that the L arrived. I tried them on and was very pleased.
The material is soft, and in no way constricting (the trend lately is compression fabrics, which provides dubious benefits for performance). The straps were right-sized and unnoticeable. And the chamois seemed well-placed and soft without being squishy or overly thick -- like a diaper (as so many "long haul" chamois seem to be).
I put them on and went for a ride and was very pleasantly surprised in that very soon, I forgot about the new bib shorts. Which is probably the highest praise I can give to a riding garment.
I've used these shorts several times since then on rides up to 50 miles and I have no saddle sores, no discomfort, and no complaints. In fact, I am so impressed by these sorts I just ordered another pair.
If you're looking for a pair of well-made, well-designed, and effective bib shorts for rides over 25 miles, you can end your search and head over to www.pactimo.com
You'll be glad you did.
--------------------------- Century Ride Addendum ----------------------
In early October I rode the Seagull Century in Southern Maryland. The Seagull attracts thousands of riders for the metric and real century rides. The roads are lightly trafficked and flat. Really flat (1,000' elevation gain over 102 miles is flat).
So I rode a 5 hour century in spritzing rain and never really thought about the bibs until 10 miles to go when everything's annoying. Then I rolled past mile 100, 101 (wondering what type century I actually signed up for) when the finish came in view.
I felt as good as expected after a century averaging just under 20 mph (riding solo, with no team and only occasional pack rides as they either blasted past or they joined me until dropping off). I didn't have the normal miles in I would have by October so I felt pretty good about this one.
I was also very pleased with the Pactimo bibs and jersey (yes, I wore a matching set because road rules don't go away just because you let your USA Cycling license lapse...)
--------------------------- Century Ride Addendum ----------------------
In early October I rode the Seagull Century in Southern Maryland. The Seagull attracts thousands of riders for the metric and real century rides. The roads are lightly trafficked and flat. Really flat (1,000' elevation gain over 102 miles is flat).
So I rode a 5 hour century in spritzing rain and never really thought about the bibs until 10 miles to go when everything's annoying. Then I rolled past mile 100, 101 (wondering what type century I actually signed up for) when the finish came in view.
I felt as good as expected after a century averaging just under 20 mph (riding solo, with no team and only occasional pack rides as they either blasted past or they joined me until dropping off). I didn't have the normal miles in I would have by October so I felt pretty good about this one.
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