Knickers

I've never really been that big a fan of the Knicker, although for regular Road riding it makes some sense, it keeps your Knees warm and covered and the roubaix material allows the muscles to be kept warmer. Although I have a couple of pairs in my wardrobe they rarely see the light of day, musing I wondered why.

I thnk in part I have odd shaped legs, big thighs, big calfs and slightly longer in the thigh. So the lower cuff never seems to fit that well. Ironically the best fitting one I have is from Sugoi, not a big road brand but with more heritage in Tri (although I'm sure that will change with the sponsorship of Liquigas). I have used them for commuting journeys, but often when going for a ride I would prefer to use a pair of knee warmers with some bib shorts. In recent years with brushed or roubaix bib shorts becoming easier to find it allows people like myself to gain all the benefits of the Knicker (or the 3/4) without the fit issues that surround it (well at least for me).

The Pro peloton has had some brief periods of use. In 1994 Johan Museeuw used them in that years edition of the Tour of Flanders, the result was:

1994 G. Bugno (Ita) J. Museeuw A. Tsjmil (Mol)   The following year Museeuw was back, sans Knickers, and sporting a fine pair of Belgium Knee Warmers, the result would be turned and a new page would be written in his career. Some would say that it was a coincidence, some would say that it showed mentally he wasn't there. He didn't watch that finish of the 1994 ride until the night before the '95 edition of the Ronde, I wonder if he saw them and made sure that he wasn't wearing them (ok I know the two days where different, '94 colder, '95 warmer, clear and sunny) but I can't remember Museeuw ever wearing a pair competively again (although if you find a photo, I won't be shocked)   1995 J. Museeuw F. Baldato (Ita) A. Tsjmil (Oek) The only other races where I can think that you see a fair amount of the Knicker is in the bookends of the season. Paris Nice, the race to the sun, which normally starts off bloody cold, can see snow deserves a little more protection for the body that early on in the year. The other race that springs to mind is the Giro di Lombardi as the weather can mirror those faced by the peloton in March. Although I can see all of the benefits of the Knicker, it just won't be a piece of kit I'll be adding to the wardrobe as I prefer the option of brused shorts and knee warmers, or if I am feeling very Flandrien a good dose of embrocation, as Belgium Knee Warmers match any kit and never go out of style. See and download the full gallery on posterous some good examples of Belgian Knee Warmers in use at this years Paris Roubaix, photos by http://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinmorton1/ Belgian

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Specialized BG Toupe Saddle ~ Review

Body Geometry (BG) saddles come in various guises both on a price and intended use level. Unlike many other saddle manufacturers they also can have up to three widths to choose from. The first thing you need to ascertain is the correct width for your sit bones. This in itself is a simple process that requires you to sit on a Gel pad to gain the information (it has makers on one side and a conversion table on the other side). Once performed it was calculated that I would need a 143 size, but depending on which bike or your given riding style you may need to reduce this, I am particularly thinking about time trailing or track riding when your position may be slightly more extreme than your regular road one.

When you are setting up the saddle you will need to take in to account the plastic nose and tail sections as these end up making the seating area smaller than their other saddles like the Alias. Compared to the original Toupe the Gel version has received a stiffer shell due to the increased amount of carbon now used. As indicated this version now has Gel on the sit bone area to increase comfort with a small increase in the weight of the saddle. With two colour options (black or white) it should suit most bicycles. The same hollow Ti rails remain from the original model, as there is no need to chuck the baby out with the bath water.

The pressure relief area works very well, and the best thing I can say in using it is that it goes un-noticed when in use. I have used a few other cut out saddles and this has definitely not been the case, with more pain being evident than the saddle reducing it. The real proof in the pudding is when you do jump onto a regular non-pressure relief saddle as you can immediately feel this area under the perineum. So in my books there are no negatives except one on the cut out, on wet rides the spray of the saddle can go up through the whole leaving you with a wet central section. Even if you don’t buy into the BG philosophy, you still end up with a great looking saddle.

The sides of the saddle are nicely sculpted away to leave less interruption from pedal strokes than some other deep-sided saddles. As I mentioned before, the plastic sections can affect set up, you loose 15mm on the front and another 15mm again on the back. This ends up reducing the useable overall length from a possible (measured at the longest point) 275mm to 245mm, making the contact area relatively small. If you have used an Arione before, which has a 300mm length, this will probably feel very strange indeed, but if you have used a Concor it should feel familiar. I would prefer if Specialized went back to a full 275mm length as this offers a wider spectrum of position options. Weight of the saddle is 206g and the useable rail length is 78mm, which is quite long.

For shorter rides, say up to the 80km mark, I found the saddle to be very comfortable with nothing to report back. Using it for longer rides (over 80km) the personality changed greatly. Over the longer distances the sit bones would become sore, to the point that once off the bike and sitting on a normal chair it would offer a mild discomfort. I put this down to two things, 1. The lack of padding available on the saddle, even though the Gel pads were there they did not provide the desired comfort level 2. The small reduction in length which never quite allowed me to achieve my ideal position, and at times forced me to ride on the plastic tail piece. I also threw into the equation that I am a heavier rider, but having talked to some other riders (70kg guys roughly) they also experienced the same issue over longer distances.

Final Words

I can’t fault the saddle on the build quality and I liked the sleekness and general appearance. Saddles are a very personal affair, and while it did not work for me over a long distance I was more than happy on shorter rides. My experience is probably in the minority as this has been one of the top selling saddles over the last 12 months. I would happily fit the Toupe to a track or TT bike where saddle time is less but comfort and weight are still important factors. If you are a mega mile muncher this may not be the saddle for you and you may be better served by looking at the Alias model in their range. Although it is a little heavier it does offer more padding and has a full length to play with, and over long distances presented me with no problems. If you are interested in this saddle (or any other Specialized model) see if you can persuade your local IBD to loan you one, it might just turn out to be your cup of tea.

This article was originally posted on 26th May 2008 on http://sprintingforsigns.com/content/specialized-bg-toupe-gel-saddle

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Team members

Unlike many blogs I decided not to name it after myself. The name Sprinting for Signs came from an activity that exists in any group or club ride no matter what level you ride at. The thrill of beating your peers to a marker off in the distance is for many the start of the racing bug, or just an added way to keep fit. Often I have been pipped at the post, but occasionally I have managed to get a first (but not very often).

Another reason I never wanted my site to bear my name was that someday I'd hoped to gather a few more like minded bike people who'd like to pen a few words and muse over the Cycle World at large. I always enjoy sites where there is more than one voice, but with a shared passion. So with this in mind I present a new writer on SfS, Paulo Fonzaso. I hope you enjoy his words, thoughts and passion for the world of bikes.

Cycling is very much a Team Sport and not just the riders, but all the background staff, mechanics and DS's. I'm hoping that as the Sprinting for Signs Team grows it will continue to be a source of joy and escape. Thanks for reading and get out and have a great ride.

Sprinting for signs, even the PRO's do it.

A friend of mine told me that the Spanish PRO's use sprinting for signs in almost every training ride that they do. It is probably a great way to simulate the racing feel when out training. Think about it, you're busting a gut, it's four hours into your ride and then whoosh suddenly one of the riders in your small peloton flashes past in an attempt to be first to the sign.

I was reading Michael Barry (Jnr) post on Velonews today and to quote him "As we neared Girona we upped the speed, riding in a smooth paceline, with a sprint for a town sign that is as nearly hotly contested as a true finish line." If you have never read Michael's posts, well shame on you. As a true thinking mans rider (and a real tough guy on the bike) his posts always open a window into the professional side of the sport.

To read it in full go to: http://www.velonews.com/article/77005/michael-barry-s-diary---the-passing-kilometers