9 FACTS about cycling kit you NEED to hear

[@H457ur]

I feel like the bass layer is by far the most important part of your kit. Before I got into high-end base layers, I had a lot of problems with comfort. I would work too much clothing on cold days and not enough on warm days. Once I looked into the science of it, it made a lot of sense. I always look like I’m wearing too much clothing in the summer (I wear arms and leg coolers as well), but I am always more comfortable than the people I’m riding with. It’s easy to tell, especially in the summer because people are sweating like crazy and I’m not visibly sweating at all - it’s all going through the base layer and evaporating so fast that I can be getting chills at 40°C. The key, of course, is to stay hydrated, else evaporative cooling won’t happen.

Very good point on the hydration. If you're drinking when you're thirsty on a ride, you are already falling into defecit.

[@aaronedgeart]

Good questions answered with-what seems like-transparent honesty.

[@JakeMay]

Thanks!

Thank you. Our general approach is one of having been a frustrated consumer, and so everything we do is motivated by giving people the clear and honest information that we found lacking.

[@santiagobenites]

It's a great business model, and it's some very nice looking quality bike kit, but there's no way that I could afford to be purchasing stuff like that

It's a totally fair comment, and something we are extremely conscious of. Right now, it's impossible to solve both problems simultaneously, and obviously the heavy discounting other brands do can be very helpful for people on a smaller budget to access 'better' kit. What we want to do is gradually educate people about the reasons for those low prices, and what the ultimate cost is, without making people feel bad about their choices. Longer term, our goal is to make responsible production and high product quality available to everyone.

[@albertdee1139]

Maybe because I'm a very heavy sweater when riding in the heat or indoors, I definitely need Chamois cream. I get pimply almost boil like bumps if I don't use which become very painful. I don't rub it into my chamois but do rub it over the peritoneum area ad bottom of glutes right onto my skin. Makes riding (especially long rides) much more comfortable for me.

Two things we would say. Firstly, every body is different. It's the first thing you learn when launching a technical sports apparel brand. There is no such thing as a one size fits all solution. The second point - we aren't saying you don't need chamois cream. We are saying that you shouldn't need it, if you are using a well designed chamois. We have people riding our bibs fixed-gear on events like PBP and LEL with no chamois cream, and those people would have bet large sums of money that was impossible beforehand!

[@brockjennings]

Nice to watch a cycling-related video that's informative and devoid of excessive marketing hype.

[@JakeMay]

Thanks!

[@AndrewBroadbent-dr8wb]

Well said on chamois cream, you don't need it.

[@cflow3914]

Just bought a second hand bib short. Thanks for the vid!!

[@festerofest4374]

I tried chamois cream a couple of years ago and learned it did help with these low-quality/cheap/entry-level shorts I bought. Once I got good quality shorts (Pearl Izumi Pro) all my discomfort was gone -- no more cream needed! I didn't like using the cream anyway.

[@PierreAlainMaire]

Nice views from Ed, but I don't agree on the chamois cream topic. My big undercarriage needs it, it's awful if I forget to put cream for rides over an hour. Maybe it's true for lean people, but as often, wide (ok, fat) people are not seen as standard customers for cycling kits brands. Friction is there and no bib can follow every bit of my skin. Finding a kit my size is very difficult - even a 3XL jersey doesn't pass my elbows, is too tight on my upper arms and often leaves my lower back uncovered. All the best für Kostüme 🙂

[@JakeMay]

Cheers for the support as always PAM!

[@PierreAlainMaire]

@@JakeMay *heavy support 😉

Hi Pierre, I left a similar comment on another post but it's for sure true that every body is different. It's the first thing you learn when launching a technical sports apparel brand. There is no such thing as a one size fits all solution. The second point - we aren't saying you don't need chamois cream. We are saying that you *shouldn't* need it, if you are using a well designed chamois. We have people riding our bibs fixed-gear on events like PBP and LEL with no chamois cream, and those people would have bet large sums of money that was impossible beforehand! Finally on the sizing, because we don't have to make ridiculous numbers in each size for some arbitrary industry reason, we can manage almost any size. Drop us a line next time you order!

[@jonathanwithecombe557]

This was interesting... same goes with bikes and componants. There's a handful of companies that actually make their own bikes, wheels, bars etc, Factor being one of them. I hardly ever pay full price for anything these days, because a lot of kit is massively over-priced for what it is

[@left0verture]

What? You mean $14K is overpriced for a bicycle?

[@JamesBrown-qt2yr]

Really good video, thanks. If Ed doesn't want people buying more stuff, he shouldn't be so informative and relatable! 😂. How do these truths relate to cycling helmets? Why are there only like 2 helmets for big headed roadies, zero if youre after something aero.

Ha, thanks! It's the same issue as with apparel in terms of large minimum order quantities. Essentially, with most brands, their model only works at huge scale. And therefore if you are unfortunate enough to not sit in their narrow field of view (the top-selling sizes/products) then you simply are not catered for. Our model is already fixing that, and we already have an eye on other categories including helmets.

[@TESTA-CC]

We are Working With a Factory To Produce Our Own Cycling Clothing, it's taken almost two years to find a factory that can produce our designs, we had to approach a well known brand for permission to approach this factory and sign an NDA. We are now at the stage we can manufacture our own products, under our own branding and produce kit for cycling teams,the general public with Custom Designs that are affordable for everyone.

[@SneakerKoenig]

Dont need cream? Hm. I spent so mutch money for fitting and measuaring my bike and body at GeBiomized to fit my bike and find the right saddle, still wasted a bazillion on bibs and saddles and yet I have to find a combination that wont make me sore and/ore gives me painful pimpels. Without cream (I use a medical one, Ilon Protect) I would not be able to ride more than 30 mins. I Think the main problemis that everything is designed for athletes with perfekt bodys

That is definitely one of the problems! Have a look at the chamois test we did on the Bib Short page on our website, working with bike fit experts. It turned out that the chamois in some cases can make as much of a difference to comfort and performance as the saddle. A lot of people will end up spending more money trying lots of different shorts and saddle combo's then if they had gone to a bikefit expert in the first place. However, most bike fitters will only have saddle options, not bib/chamois. That is something we are working on.

[@moobaz8675]

Excellent overview and food for thought. I’ll also have a look at Kostume.

[@JakeMay]

Cheers, appreciate it

[@emanueldesousa77]

Great video… also, I’ve never needed chamois cream…

[@daveanolik8837]

#9 is the True North message of this video. I’m, probably like everyone here, totally addicted to cycling. The waste drives me crazy: plastic bottles, trashed tires and tubes (and sealant), stretched chains, used bar tape, dead batts, broken alloy & cf components… bags of old kit made out of polypropylene & nylon… yes, way less than a car or airplane, but I do sometimes feel like an environmental catastrophe with this hobby. BTW, those bibs look nice. I’ll probably buy a pair, use them until I destroy them, then landfill them for eternity.

[@JakeMay]

We can only do our best!

[@daveanolik8837]

@@JakeMayI’m usually not a rant guy… I guess this topic really struck a nerve 😁.

By the time you get to the point of landfilling them we will have launched our end of life buy back scheme! In fact, you won't need to wait that long, it's coming in a matter of weeks.

[@daveanolik8837]

That’s outstanding.

[@heyitsdanyarly]

tre interesting Jakey

[@JakeMay]

Cheers Danny boy

[@Terrierized]

Awesome Spend wisely Look for cotton and merino products

Merino is not the panacea of all good when it comes to technical apparel. It has its place in the mix, but there are many areas where it simply cannot compete with synthetics. It is of course more sustainable than synthetic fabric right now, but depending on your views there are also some ethical questions about wool. As always, there is no one 'right' solution, just informed personal choice.

[@karlj711]

I 100% need chamois cream when riding indoors.

We have customers riding fixed gear over insane distances (multi-day, hilly 1,000's, PBP, LEL etc.) who would have bet me a lot of money that was also the case until they tried our shorts. Riding indoors presents similar challenges in terms of time in the saddle. I can tell you that one of our supported riders, Alan Colville, did an Everesting on Zwift using our shorts with no cream.

[@karlj711]

good for them. Doesn't work for me though.

@@karlj711 using our shorts?

[@joeblack7469]

It’s absolutely not true that excess product goes into landfill, brands/stores and sites etc will just hold stock and keep reducing prices until it’s sold we’ve all seen that three season old top on a XXL on sale for 10% rrp… that’s what they do not just landfill 😂😂😂

Eventually, ALL unsold products end in landfill, or incinerated. It doesn't matter if it's after one season, or three seasons. That is what happens. The rate we product new clothes and the cost of storing and merchandising it means that is what has to happen. There is a point whereby it is more expensive to stock and store an old product than it is to destroy it.

[@avocado.cyclist]

I know a few brands using the same factory 😂

[@JakeMay]

No doubt!

[@grahamelliott6041]

“It’s like a cross between a goat and a deer or something”, yes I’m going to listen to your advice 🙄

Ah yes, detailed knowledge of niche animals is an absolute prerequisite for designing award-winning cycling apparel...

[@grahamelliott6041]

It’s hardly detailed knowledge, basic research would have told you what a Chamois is

[@JakeMay]

Cheers Graham, your positivity and approach to life is inspiring! I hope you have a lovely day

[@grahamelliott6041]

@@JakeMay thank you

​@@grahamelliott6041 I can tell you one thing for absolute certain, almost nobody outside of the Alps will be able to tell you what a Chamois is. So, either you live in the Alps, or a Chamois hurt your feelings, or maybe both. None of this is of our concern, but thanks for engaging anyway.

[@IsmailK.S-x6h]

👍👍🇮🇳🇮🇳❤❤IND

[@Alex-bh4um]

Get a mic

[@JakeMay]

If you're that concerned, feel free to buy me one. Otherwise, please enjoy this completely free content 🥰

@@JakeMay we just bought a Rode wireless ME for silly cheap. Uses free software too. The audio on the CAN:DO video was recorded outdoors and needed zero cleaning up. #notpaidcontent