Castelli CW 3.0 Gloves

Castelli CW 3.0 Gloves

Cyclocross is one of the most demanding disciplines of cycling that is held in some of the nastiest weather, so having equipment and clothing that works well can be the difference between winning and losing. Cold hands make it harder to brake, shift, and carry the bike, so why aren’t good gloves and warm fingers a priority?I had always thought that frozen solid hands were just apart of the sport, but after trying a bunch of different gloves I know that good gloves will keep your hands warm. Unfortunately Castelli’s CW 3.0 gloves were not the gloves that made me realize cold hands are a thing of the past. I used these gloves for the majority of the cyclocross season, and I was not impressed.

They are claimed to keep your hands comfortable from 32- 46, but I found this to be very far off what they can actually do. I could only stand to wear them in the low 40s before my hands started to get cold. They also feel very bulky and restricted the movement of my hands in any weather. But the worst part about these gloves was how much my hands fatigued. Using them for any longer than ten minutes would make my hands sting. I blame this on the lack of grip these gloves provide. But the lack of grip wasn’t from the palm, it was from the layer of insulation between the hand and the bar. This made it feel like I was holding on to a bar without any grip tape on it even though the palm of the glove never moved.  Not only are they painful, but they are not at all waterproof or windproof. Those two things alone are terrible attributes in cyclocross. Even with a waterproof liner my hands would freeze quickly. This was most likely because the gloves would absorb cold water then hold it against the liner, making it like putting your hand in ice water for nearly the whole ride.

I am very unimpressed with these gloves, and expected more from Castelli who have the capability to make great apparel. I would not recommend them for any training or racing purposes. The only reason why I still have them is to use them on chilly morning commutes. I would much rather go with a pair of glacier gloves for less money and much more warmth. Everything about these gloves makes me dislike them more, and it seems that Castelli has put very little into the development of these gloves.  

Castelli NanoFlex Arm and Leg Warmers

Castelli NanoFlex Arm and Leg Warmers

For almost every discipline of cycling arm and leg warmers are essential. They are the most versatile piece of cold weather gear, so why haven’t they evolved like the rest of our kits and gear? Most of the time they are just some sort of fabric lined with some fleece, but now someone finally updated them. Castelli finally took the initiative and took arm and leg warmers to a whole new level with their nanoflex fabric.
Nanoflex fabric is breathable and can stretch the same as regular warmers, but the difference is that they are water resistant. I had seen videos and heard what teammates had to say about them, so I had to try them myself. I postponed buying them for a while because of the price, 60 dollars for just arm warmers and another 60 for the leg warmers. No doubt very expensive for just some fabric that you slide over your arms and legs. But because of all the recommendations I had to see if they were worth the money.
The first thing I did when I got them was slip them on and pour some water over them. To my amazement the water beaded up and slid right off like it was plastic. When I took them off I felt the inside of them to see if how much water got through. I was dumbfounded find my arm and the warmers perfectly dry. That alone made them better than any other arm warmers I have ever used. Not only are they very water resistant, but they are also comfy and warm. Like claimed they breathe well, and stretch like regular warmers. A fleece lining makes them warm and soft, but because it is breathable there is a huge range of temperature that these can be used in. I have used them in everything from 20 to 65 degrees, and haven’t been uncomfortably hot or cold.
My first ride with these was in six inches of snow and 20 degree weather on christmas morning. I took my cyclocross bike out for some snow practice at seven a.m, and stayed out for about an hour. I didn’t have to wear much to stay warm with these on. Even with a few washouts into the snow, I stayed perfectly dry and warm. Another great thing I found with these was their ability to stay in place. I never have to keep pulling them up or pin them to my bibs. Part of this is because I made sure they fit tight, but mostly because the sticky rubber on both sides of the upper cuff. I have however seen weather that defeats these arm and leg warmers. At the 2013 cyclocross nationals in Wisconsin I saw their limits. In the 15-16 junior age group race the mud was like soup and left everyone covered head to toe in a uniform brown. After the race my teammates who did have these arm and leg warmers still got quite a bit of mud and water on their legs (unfortunately I was unable to put them to the test myself due to a stomach bug). But even though they were permeated by water and mud, they still kept the water out much longer than regular warmers.
Overall I believe that these are the best arm and leg warmers on the market. I can only find one fault, price. However their amazing functionality far outweighs the cost. I would highly recommend these and will be using them until someone makes fully waterproof pair, breathable, and comfortable pair of arm and leg warmers.

Xpedo M-Force 4 Ti First Impression

Xpedo M-Force 4 Ti First Impressions

Mountain bike  season is just around the corner, so I decided to experiment with my bike setup. I have always been a fan of Schwalbe and Crank Brothers. About half my team agrees with me, while the other half favors Maxxis, and Shimano’s spd’s. So this season I decided to try what I had never really given a chance. But I just couldn’t bring myself to buy the top of the line $250 xtr pedals that weigh a substantial amount more than mid level Eggbeaters that, and cost two times as much. I had read about people fitting spd’s with titanium spindles, but I didn’t want to spend another $100 to make them a few grams lighter. My solution to this was to buy a cheaper and lighter spd compatible pedal. There are a couple companies that have almost the same design, but weigh similar to egg beaters. I decided to give the Xpedo m-force 4 ti pedals a try.
On paper they had everything I wanted. They are lighter than eggbeater 3 pedals by 44 grams. They also have an adjustable spring, which means I can control the amount of force it takes to release. I was starting to get frustrated by eggbeaters because the release was too easy and I would unclip randomly. Another good attribute is the their ability to shed mud. One problem with spd’s is their mud shedding ability, the new m980 spd’s are notorious in cyclocross for getting caked with mud easily. The m-force 4 ti pedals have a more open design than spd’s, so they won’t get caked with mud as easily.
The first thing I noticed when I got the pedals on my bike was a very distinctive click when clipping in. It is a small but helpful feature when it gets muddy. Clipping in has a very different feel compared to eggbeaters, not bad but different. I also like how well these pedals transferred power. Less float, and more surface area made it feel as though no energy was being wasted while under power. The adjustable spring also allowed for no unexpected  clip outs, but did not make it too hard to get out of the pedals in a hurry. So far the only bad thing I have to say about these pedals is in the design. There is a lip that can catch the cleat, and make it hard to quickly get into the pedal. This got a little annoying because I would catch the lip making me look down to find where the pedal actually was. But this could just be something that needs a little getting used to.
So far these pedals have performed great, and are good middle ground to the vastly different eggbeaters and spd’s. Hopefully I will get some time riding in the mud with these to see if they clear mud as well as claimed. More on these pedals to come in a final review after a few hundred miles with them.