Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Appropriate Shirt is Appropriate

I found the best shirt today.  It's one of those hi-tech, synthetic, "supposed to keep you cool" moisture-wicking fabrics from Under Armour's HeatGear line.  And it's one that isn't cut to fit skin-tight.  I like to be comfortable when I ride, thank you.  Having grown up in the desert, I'm a firm believer in the cooling power of cotton...but I'll give this one a try.

The writing on the back was what sold me.


(By the way, do you know how hard it is to take a picture of yourself in a mirror and have the writing not be backwards?  This is the first mirror reflecting onto a side mirror.)

Most sports gear with any kind of slogan on it is usually geared towards a specific sport...none of which are endurance-applicable.  I finally found one that is.

And if the miracle fabric really does do what it's supposed to do and keep my cooler, this might just be a good ride shirt, since my belief in the power of cotton does not extend to what happens when you get caught in a rainstorm.  (Which has happened to me at rides far more frequently than I'd prefer.)

Synthetic = Much better idea than cotton for getting soaked when it's cold.  When it's hot is another story.  You're talking about the girl that deliberately dunks her head in her pony's water bucket (that long, thick hair holds a lot of water) and has been known to dump a bucket on herself before hitting the trail in an effort to stay cool in the summer.

Yes, I've heard about cooling vests.  I own one.  It doesn't work anymore, dries out in about 20 minutes, then becomes another heat-trapping layer.  Very disappointed.

2 comments:

  1. I sponged myself at the last ride. I got asked why I wasn't disgusted to be covered in the muddy water and I just kinda stared at the other rider, covered in sweat, sand, and pollen and said "nope!"

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    Replies
    1. Add in a little horse snot and hair, and probably part of their VC munchies to that mix, and muddy water sounds practically sanitary.

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