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.

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!

Loeka Tech Shell Short - Digger

While cruising the Sea Otter Classic booths this past spring, my eye was caught by Loeka. The fabrics and design were unique and attractive. I stopped to have a chat with Rory, the owner, about how to find Loeka products, based in Canada, near me. Alas, there are no brick and mortar retailers in Nor Cal, but there are some U.S. online retailers. I eventually chose to risk not being able to try them on, and order from Freeride Foundation because not only are these women retailers, they are active in racing and promoting women's cycling.

First Impression: beautiful chocolate color with nice pink, but not too pink, contrast stitching. The polyester woven fabric is really soft, and feels good on the skin. Cute rear pockets with flap closures and a subtle logo on the left.

Overall Fit: According to their size chart, I'd wear a small. I can't help but wonder in what other universe I'd wear a small. It seems that many of the women's baggies producers have taken the movement toward vanity sizing to an extreme. I could not trust that I was a small, so I ordered a medium and a small. The small fit my waist, but was tight on the upper thighs and lower butt. I'd say the size chart is accurate if you do not have a large ass, like mine. The medium was big all over, but especially in the front waist. The waist size adjustment system is two pieces of black webbing that secure with a buckle in the front, and are about half the width of the waist band. Although this "belt" passes through two belt loops, it rides up above the waist band and cuts into the belly, leaving the waist gaping below. This will not happen if the waist fits exactly, or close to it, but that never happens to me in any garment because my hips and rear far exceed my waist.

Technical Performance: I took the medium out on a cross country ride on a warm evening, putting them over my favorite chamois, as recommended.Very comfortable and very wicking. Alas, they were a bit big, and friction did occur between the shell and my liner. The inner thighs rode up as I pedaled on climbs. I had a hard time sliding freely on my saddle. At the end of the ride, my girlfriend declared, "Those are too big for you. Give them to me!" which I think speaks to both the crazy sizing and the attractiveness of the design.

The Nutshell
Love, love, love

• wicking
• great feeling fabric
• attractive color
  

Things I'd like to see:

• side waist adjustment system, or an integrated belt that matches the width of the waist band
• a size small-and-a-half OR the big booty version

Overall score: 8 out of 10... because the bizarre sizing and lack of a comfortable waist adjustment system.