A Friday Review: Endura Humvees, Pearl Izumi All Road Shoes, and Wiggle Online Cycle Shop

Hey, who doesn't like to do some cycling shopping on the weekend, right?  Well, just in time for this weekend, here is a review of some bikey things and services.  Whether you're going to the shop or prefer online shopping, here are some things to keep in mind.

First off, some things to wear.

While I was in Akron in June, if you recall, I picked up a pair of Endura Humvees.

http://www.endura.co.uk

After about two months of wearing them almost exclusively on commutes and leisure rides (yes, I do a lot of laundry), it's time to relay my thoughts.  Basically, these 3/4 pants are lovely.  They are the perfect length (even for the vertically challenged like myself), light, breathable, wet weather friendly, and comfortable.  They're also quite nice for touring or commuting since they don't look that ridiculous off the bike.  Well, to be fair they don't look ridiculous in Europe, the home of ridiculous pants.  The pockets are handy, since we don't always want to carry a bag or wear a jersey for short rides to the store or down to the cafe.  Since they're cycling pants, the reinforced seat is in the right place and there aren't any seams in the wrong places.  While not completely water resistant, they do dry very quickly.  I wouldn't wear them in cold wet weather, but for spring/summer/early fall days with a chance of a shower they are a great choice.  Since it rains on almost every ride here, these pants are perfect.

Now, the only negative aspect to them for me is the liner.  They come with a ClickFast chamois liner.  I found the chamois to be super stiff.  This, of course, is the plague of chamois, but most soften up pretty quickly after some use and washes.  This one, however, is still quite...er...crispy.  When it comes to "articulated" (I don't know if that is the right term, but I'm too lazy to look it up) chamois, they are either really comfortable or they do more damage.  Sometimes, at least for me, the "articulation" folds up in all the wrong places and causes pressure and rubbing in the tender regions.  Unfortunately, that is the case with the Humvees.  Thankfully (and miraculously), another brand's liner fits so I was able to switch them out.  Of course, you don't need to use the liner at all, especially for short rides.  Just be mindful of the breathable mesh in the sides when choosing your undergarments.

Bottom line, I recommend getting a pair if you want something loose, comfortable, and versatile.  The chamois thing may not be a problem for you.  I think they're like shoes; it depends on the person.  Despite that issue, I like the Endura Humvees so much I'm going to see about getting another pair.  Some how.

Ok, now to shoes.

http://shop.pearlizumi.com

I also picked up a pair of Pearl Izumi Women's All Roads.  FYI, I also own a pair of X-Alp Seek IV's that I'm incredible happy with as they're perfect for people who ride somewhere and then want to be able to walk around like a normal person when they get there.  However, I also wanted a pair of more traditional road shoes that work better with overshoes for those long rides on the Revenio.  These shoes are a nice marriage between a road shoe and a mountain-bike shoe; they have the profile of the road shoe, but the durability of the MTB shoe.  After a wearing them on my longer road rides and also on the trainer, I've come to the conclusion that I made a good choice.  They are light, and have just enough flex in the material to give a little and allow for swelling.  The Velcro is strong and easy to adjust on the bike.  The soles, however, are the best part.  They have some "beef" to them.  So, when I need some traction off the bike, I have it.  With slippery cobblestones being the pavement of choice in towns around here, having a little extra grip on steps always helps.  Plus, the cleat is recessed somewhat, so it isn't creating a traction problem either.  They're also comfortable enough to walk around in too.

The downside I found in these shoes were the insoles (I know, I clearly have a liner problem).  They seemed a little too thick around the ball of my foot and restricted my ability to move around a bit.  But, like the Humvees, this problem was easily fixed with switching them out for some thinner "sport" insoles I picked up at the cobbler's shop.  Yes, they have cobblers here.  Isn't this place cute?  Another area of discomfort has been the tongue.  The material is rather stiff and the edge really dug into the top of my ankle during the first month of use.

Bottom line, I definitely recommend these shoes.  Keep in mind the long breaking-in period on the tongue and if the insoles aren't your style, replace them with ones you prefer.  Like the rear, it's important to keep the feet happy on a bike ride.

Ok, now to online cycling shopping.

On occasion we are in the market for items we can't get easily here.  In particular, sport supplies.  So, we've been turning to online shopping to fill those needs the local bike shops or fitness store can't fulfill.  Online shopping, however, isn't as easy in Luxembourg as it is in the States.  The mother of all stores, Amazon, may or may not ship depending on the third party seller.  Remember the hassle we went through to get those storage racks?  Yeah.  Sports equipment is basically not easy to get.

So, as I was watching the Tour de France this commercial kept playing and it got me interested.




So, I went to their site to see if Wiggle by chance ships to the Grand Duchy.  Lo and behold!  They do!  So, with that free shipping offer during the Tour de France, I placed an order with this well respected online UK company.  I was really impressed with their selection, especially in women's supplies.  They also have a ton of recovery, sports nutrition, and first aid items.  With the pharmacy situation here, its not that easy to just grab items we were used to buying off the shelf in the States (especially on Sundays or anytime after 5pm).

Both of us have joint issues.  My husband has lower back troubles and I have an unhappy shoulder and knee.  With cycling or hiking everyday, these problems flare up on occasion.  I've personally found kinesiology tape to help, especially with my knee.  I haven't had any luck spotting some for sale around here.  Oddly, the last time there was an open air market in town someone was selling "Plasto Tape," I didn't get any as I wasn't sure if it was the right stuff. The literature was in Japanese of all things.  Weird.

Anyway, Wiggle sells a couple different brands of tape so I ordered a roll of RockTape.  It's nice having that on hand again instead of using the big, hot, clunky and ill-fitting brace from the pharmacy.  I also ordered some CompressSport thigh and calf guards, since they only sell large socks in stores here.  I've been wanting to try compression for a while.  With a couple long rides and hikes every week and much longer ones on the weekends, my legs were getting pretty fatigued come Monday.  After hearing so much about compression, the sale on Wiggle seemed like the opportunity to get something that would fit for a decent price.  FYI, I'll do a review of both the RockTape and CompressSport guards after I've used them a bit longer.

For now, I'd like to focus on Wiggle itself.  I couldn't be happier with their selection or their service.  Of course, they won me over immediately by shipping to Luxembourg directly.  Additionally, you can set your preferences for language, currency, and country when you visit their site.  So, for once, I could read about their products in English but have everything converted for shipping to Lux.  With many companies, setting your country also means you are stuck with the national language.  When it comes to sizing, most products have detailed measurements you can work off of, instead of just using the vague Small/Medium/Large scale.  The selection overall is very impressive.  They don't just stick with cycling either.  Runners, Cyclists, and Swimmers have plenty of items to choose from and you're not pigeon-holed into a couple of products if you're a women.

Shipping was super quick, faster than anything we've ordered on Amazon.  Of course, since this is Luxembourg, the courier they had to use didn't provide tracking information.  However, they did send me their estimate of delivery dates so I had a basic idea of when the stuff would show up.  They also notified me regularly about the progress on Wiggle's end of processing.  Also, much to my joy, the courier wasn't UPS!  So, I didn't have to chase that moron all over town again.  This guy came right to my door with a smile.  What a novelty!

So, I'm very pleased to finally have an online source for fitness gear that we can't find in Luxembourg.  If you, like me, live somewhere where certain products aren't easy to find or your shop can't order them in, I highly recommend checking out Wiggle.  While you probably shouldn't buy a bicycle online, for things like clothing and other supplies this is good option.  I'll be using them from now on while we live here.

Ok, hope these few reviews help next time you're in the market for pants or shoes or you want to know where to buy online.

Have a great weekend and pedal safe!