Caught on my saddle on descents. Grrrr...however, I know two other women who don't have the great variation between hip and waist, who LOVE theirs. And they look good on them, too!
I'm using them now for riding to and from the beach when I swim. They are great for that! Quick drying, soft, and work over bikini bottoms.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Loeka's Second chance
Sombrio LA NINA Freeride Knicker
An awesome pal, and superior endurance rider, is moving to Hawaii. Because of this, I was the lucky recipient of the Sombrio knickers, because she said they just would be too hot in Hawaii.
First Impression: Great color, nice stretch, and wow, a huge amount of spandex mixed with nylon. Cool styling, nice lines. I saw them on three friends before I tried them on. They hung well on everyone, but fit me the best! The swirly graphic on the lower leg and printed mesh on the zip vents were a nice aesthetic touch.
Overall Fit: the usual fit issue that I have with the waist, and I was concerned when I saw that Sombrio's solution was to wear a belt. Why, why why do they think we all want to wear belts? However, great fit over the rear, no diaper butt over my Swobo Womens Technical Liner: OS 11. I was super excited to try them out. Technical Performance: I rode them up to my favorite quick loop on a cool evening . Easy climb, little launches, high banked turns. I did a little photo session along the climb, placing my camera in the back pocket. This pocket protected the camera from my sweat, was easy to access, and never caused a thought. The fabric is giving, the pocket flexible, 
and I was able to keep the camera on my outer side, never having it interfere with my pack or getting close to the saddle. Before the ride, I was worried that they would catch on my saddle on the downhills like others have done in the past on this very trail, but no problem! The final refreshing surprise was the pull-cord on the legs. They are knee length on me, so I decided to try to secure them tightly over my leg armour. They crept up a little, but stayed over the armor the whole decent, giving me full coverage in case of a crash. They also seem to be water-resistant, as droplets beaded up on the outside of the short. I only was irritated once when I felt my belt buckle rub on my skin.
and I was able to keep the camera on my outer side, never having it interfere with my pack or getting close to the saddle. Before the ride, I was worried that they would catch on my saddle on the downhills like others have done in the past on this very trail, but no problem! The final refreshing surprise was the pull-cord on the legs. They are knee length on me, so I decided to try to secure them tightly over my leg armour. They crept up a little, but stayed over the armor the whole decent, giving me full coverage in case of a crash. They also seem to be water-resistant, as droplets beaded up on the outside of the short. I only was irritated once when I felt my belt buckle rub on my skin. The Nutshell Love, love love:
- overall stretch and resilience of the fabric
- full coverage and protection
- worked well over my chamois
- attractive color
- attractive lines
Things I'd like to see:
better fit for big bottomed girls, but, hey, that never happens in the mass market...maybe an integrated waist adjustment, because I HATE wearing belts when I ride, and so do a lot of my friends.
Overall score: 10 out of 10...because I haven't experienced anything like this fabric - awesome! I can't wait until winter!
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