Tech Week 2023: Marin Flat Pedals, SealSkinz Cold Weather Gloves, Kitsbow Merino Apparel, & More
Kitsbow Kincaid Merino Technical Sweater & Ziler Merino Long Sleeve
The Kitsbow Kincaid Merino Technical Sweater is nylon-faced merino knit
The Ziler Merino Long Sleeve is 55% Merino and 45% synthetic.
The Kitsbow Kincaid is a crew neck sweater made out of a nylon-faced merino knit that Kitsbow says is durable on the outside, but soft and odor-eating on the inside. It has shoulder and elbow patches for water and abrasion resistance and a contoured hem for additional coverage. It's sewn in Old Fort, North Carolina, and retails for $179 USD.
The Kitsbow Ziler is a lightweight longsleeve tee made with a Merino wool blend fabric of 55% Merino and 45% synthetic which Kitsbow says wicks moisture and dries quicker than pure merino. It can be used as a base layer or as a single layer and has a contoured rear drop hem. It's sewn in Old Fort, North Carolina and retails for $89 USD.
Find out more here.
Marin Oso Flat Pedals
The nylon-reinforced Marin Oso Flat Pedals come in blue or black and retail for $55 USD..
Marin's Oso pedals have a nylon-reinforced body and a longer 120mm L x 105mm W body for extra support. They have sealed bearings & DU bushing, nine replaceable metal pins per side, are rebuildable, and weigh 403g a pair. They come in blue or black and retail for $55 USD.
Find out more here.
Marin Grizzly Grips
The Marin Grizzly grips have a 32.25mm diameter and are 143mm in total length.
Marin says that the Grizzly Grips are built with a thin inner core and offset outer rubber profile to increase comfort and grip. There are micro ribs and a waffle construction, paired with two thumb location grooves that support your hands on the grip. The inner core extends past the grip on the ends to protect the soft spots when you lay the bike down, intentionally or not and the custom alloy super thin alloy clamp maximizes your hands gripping surface and a longer grip/hand interface. The grips have a 32.25mm diameter and are 143mm in total length. They come in three colours and retail for $25 USD.
Find out more here.
Tailwind Nutrition Active Hydration
Active Hydration is available in four flavours.
Tailwind Nutrition is launching Active Hydration, a drink mix containing electrolytes, collagen, and vitamin C. Active Hydration is lightly sweetened with cane sugar, mixes clear with water and, according to the brand, has a light, fruity taste.
Active Hydration is available in four flavours – Cherry Acai, Tangerine Grapefruit, Tropical Orange, and Strawberry Lemonade. It is packaged as individual serving packets in 12-pack boxes that retail for $21 USD. One 9-gram packet has 35 calories and is intended to be mixed with 12-ounces of water.
Find out more here.
SealSkinz Waterproof & Insulated Fusion Control Gloves
SealSkinz says that the new gloves are made of a four-layer construction for warmth, durability and waterproofing.
SealSkinz has a new line of waterproof gloves for cold weather. The gloves are made of a four-layer construction for warmth, durability and waterproofing. SealSkinz says that their Fusion Control technology bonds the liner and outer shell to a unique hydrophilic membrane, creating a 100% waterproof fabric that actually breathes. This also eliminates movement between layers and enables the glove to fit much closer to the skin for higher dexterity.
They will retail for $$99.99 - $149.99 USD and be available here.
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In stock, lots of sizes, grab a roast chicken and $1.50 hot dog and pop while you are there.
ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu/case-study/the-costco-model
I have some family members who work in sustainability, who think highly of Costco's efforts on both fronts. A big "for a faceless capitalist retail behemoth" caveat should be applied, but they are far from the worst.
Compared to Kitsbow and some others though they’re not even close.
That’s what my main point was getting at as a lot of times I see expensive products treated the same when there are in fact some companies putting in effort to deliver a better/more ethical products I.E, Kitsbow, We Are One, Wolftooth, etc.
Fake: www.costco.com/CatalogSearch?dept=All&keyword=merino+jersey
"Merino wool blend fabric of 55% Merino and 45% synthetic which Kitsbow says wicks moisture and dries quicker than pure merino."
But Merino. Anyone could harvest some wool and convince someone it's Merino and sell it as such. Also the grade of wool you're getting on a "merino" piece at that price is NOT the same as a basic one from Smartwool, Icebreakers, or any outdoor company that actually produces quality stuff. It just isn't.
Mine say made in Canada on them.
Why outdoor companies make anything with single serving packaging in this day and age is beyond me.
Time to be frugal.
- newer production equipment is more expensive than older stuff
- newer manufacturing center is more expensive
- relatively expensive manufacturing location (can't find any houses near Old Fort under 200k)
- Decent wages (sorta, their sewing positions list $20/hr as the top of the starting payrate)
A good point of comparison is Voler Apparel. Comparing MTB shorts, Voler is almost 40% cheaper. They are located in California as well, and claim MUSA but I'm not entirely sure if they make their stuff in house. You can probably find clothing manufacturers in the USA who will make you whatever you want in the finest fair-trade materials, but eventually you might run into a situation where that cheap manufacturer already has a contract with one of your potential competitors.
If I wanted to start an apparel brand, I'd probably utilize existing USA based clothing manufactures and have them make my product. So far I've found about 20 different USA based clothing brands (jeans, casual wear, dress shirts, sock producers), but I'm not entirely sure how many of them manufacture in-house.
....That's just adding to the fear and self fulfilling the idea of a recession. Spend your money people, prop up the economy....
I bought a couple of their Henley's and both had terrible quality control to the point the left and right sleeves were different by over an inch in diameter. Traded for new ones and the problem was still there but at least tolerable. Now though, the two shirts fit radically different but are nominally the same size. One can only be a base layer, while the other can fit low profile body armor underneath. Seems ridiculous for a $150 shirt.
www.facebook.com/ilovesask/videos/genuine-saskatchewan-seal-skin-bindings-by-super-dave/1276720722366869
This includes a new ebike every ride to ensure my battery capacity is 99.9% utilized for the adventure with no degradation due to charging.
I kid and screw these companies screwing those whos support them but do not know better.
Concave?
Rebuild details?
Basic stuff really.