Sombrio Nimble knee warmersSombrio is well known for their lineup of jerseys, shorts, jackets, and gloves, but if you scroll to the very bottom of the product page on their website you'll find an often overlooked article of clothing: the Nimble knee warmers. The Nimble knee warmers are manufactured from a combination of 4-way stretch polyester and spandex, and feature a form fitting cut that is right and left leg specific. While knee warmers are certainly not the most exciting piece of kit to have in your closet, there are still a few details that can make all the difference in the world. One of those details is the Nimble's flatlock seams, a type of stitching that creates a flat seam that is much less obtrusive than a standard joint. Sombrio has also employed an elastic gripper strip on the thigh to keep them from migrating down the leg during pedalling, a key ingredient if you've ever had to constantly pull up a pair of knee warmers during a long ride. The Nimble knee warmers come in small, medium, and large sizes, and only the black color shown below. They retail for $35.00 USD.
www.sombriocartel.com |
| Cold out? Sombrio's Nimble knee warmers are a great way to keep the heat in on those cold days. |
 | Think knee warmers are just for roadies and die hard XC riders? Think again. One key to staying warm and feeling comfortable during a ride in cold conditions is keeping your knees warm, a fact that is especially true for any riders who have knee issues and tend to stiffen up when the thermometer reading drops. Knee warmers, even thin versions like the Sombrio's tested here, add that extra bit of insulation that can make the difference between feeling chilly and feeling just right. The other benefit is added protection that, while not approaching what a proper pad set can offer, still provides defense against light abrasions. Are they going to save your knee cap in a worst case scenario? Not a chance in hell, but they might keep you from having to pick gravel out of it. My obvious love of knee warmers aside, the Nimble's are among the most comfortable that I've ever warn. The inside surface has a next-to-skin softness that even the most sensitive of riders won't be able to complain about, and the cut feels to be spot on for my legs - no extra material behind the knee, and a length that allows you to wear them high or low depending on the conditions. More importantly, the upper and lower openings seemed to be sized just right for the average leg, a major detail that many other offerings get oh so wrong. I also can't remember having to pull them up once, even on the longest of rides, a sign of a great fitting cut, but also that the elastic thigh gripper is working as advertised. There are many riders who pooh-pooh knee warmers and their roadie-esque appearance, but the added warmth and light duty protection make them ideal for many conditions. If I've managed to convince you of the benefits of wearing knee warmers, I would also wholeheartedly recommend giving the Sombrio Nimbles a try. - Mike Levy |
Funkier Hawk shortIsraeli apparel company Funkier may not yet be that well known in North America, but they offer a massive range that includes nearly anything and everything related to cycling clothing. New to that lineup is their Hawk short, a long option that will likely appeal to those riders who prefer more coverage than what an XC oriented short offers. The common drawback to such a long cut, though, is the extra heat retained that often make 3/4 shorts too hot for warm days. To remedy this, Funkier has constructed these shorts out of very thin and light 100% Nylon material, as well as designing in zippered vents on the front and large mesh panels behind the knees. The elastic waist features a drawstring if you need to snug them up (
as well as belt loops, although we can't see many riders using these), and a zipper and button enclosure. While the Hawk short is quite baggy, they also employ Velcro straps at the bottom of each leg that allow you to reign them in a bit. There are pockets galore as well, including two in the back, two on the side, and two cargo pockets, all of them being zippered. The Hawk short can be had in both the grey color shown here or a black version, and they retail for $95 USD.
www.funkierbikeusa.com |
| Funkier's Hawk short features a long cut, but are light and airy enough to be comfortable during a long day in the saddle. |
| Right off the bat we were surprised at just how light the Hawk short actually is, feeling relatively invisible when compared to most shorts of the same length. Much of this is down to the very pliable nature of the Nylon fabric, nothing like the thicker (and also more protective) material that is used by most of the competition. The over-the-knee length, while certainly noticeable when compared to a more XC friendly option, wasn't bothersome. Again, much of this is down to the light Nylon fabric, but the cut is also done in a way that keeps the material from feeling tight over the knee when the pedal is at the 12 o'clock position. They also play nice with slim knee pads, being baggy enough to fit over them nicely without catching on the top of the pad, or even allowing you to tighten the Velcro down slightly to keep them from riding up. We came away impressed with how well they dealt with warm temps, feeling more like a slim XC short than a long, 3/4 length alternative. The behind the knee vents, something that we admittedly first took as a gimmick, actually seem to make quite a difference in keep the temps down, especially during slow climbs. The light fabric is also holding up quite well, with very little wear showing and all of the stitching still holding strong. What's not to like? There is just a bit too much material at the bum for our liking, and while we'll admit that it never once snagged on the seat, it still concerned us. The only other gripe comes down to the cargo pockets that, while nice when you are off the bike, are completely useless when in action. Even putting a single energy gel in one of them quickly makes for the annoying sensation of it flapping about wildly as you pedal. We'd recommend leaving them empty while in the saddle. There are less expensive shorts out there, but the Funkier Hawk short incorporates a light fabric and clever vents that make them a great choice for Summer shredding, no matter how long the ride. - Mike Levy |
Park Tool threadless saw guidePark Tool's threadless saw guide is designed to ensure that you always make a straight cut by sandwiching the blade between two steel plates encircling the steerer tube. Those plates are bolted into a composite body and clamp that holds the guide in place as you make the cut, with the inner plate extending down below the guide to allow you to clamp it into a vice (
instead of having to clamp the steerer - not a good idea). It can be used on 1", 1-1/8", and 1-1/4" threadless forks, but you'll have to use the larger oversized saw guide if you are looking to shorten 1.5" steerer tubes. Different plates are available that allow you to precisely cut threaded steerers, or forks with carbon steerer tubes that should be trimmed with a carbon specific blade, if required. The Park Tool Threadless Saw Guide retails for $40 USD.
www.parktool.com |
| Park Tool's threadless saw guide won't see as much use as many other tools, but it could prove to be invaluable when the time comes to trim a steerer. |
| We go through a lot of different forks here at Pinkbike, which means that Park Tool's saw guide sees quite a bit of action. Through all that use the guide has proven to be a very valuable item in our workshop, consistently allowing us to make perfectly straight cuts, even when rushing and giving the job less attention than it deserves. The two steel plates that guide the saw blade ensure that the job is nearly fool proof, as long as you've measured correctly (measure twice, cut once!), and the Nylon steerer tube clamp holds the fork's steerer tight enough that we have never had one shift during sawing. The guides vice clamping extension means that you don't have to clamp the fork's steerer in the vice, a move that is never recommended. As great as Park's saw guide is, it isn't perfect. While the Nylon steerer tube clamp is sturdy enough to keep the steerer from shifting as you cut, it needs to be tightened down extremely tight to provide enough support to properly hold a long dual crown fork without having a friend hold the opposite end. This probably won't be an issue for the average home mechanic that isn't cutting steerers that often, but bike shops might want to opt for the larger oversized saw guide from Park tool if it will be seeing that kind of action. A clever home mechanic could easily rig up a homemade saw guide of some sorts, but the threadless saw guide's $40 USD asking price is quite reasonable when you consider the job at hand. - Mike Levy |
and i dont think knee warmers are going to help much there..
