New Goodies

With a recession, what better thing to do than to travel around looking for some much needed cycling gear. Most of stores are struggling for business so there are plenty of great deals to be had. There were two main things I needed: helmet and shoes.

First, I had to get some funds. I had placed an ad on craigslist for my old Kurt Kinetic trainer. I ended up selling it to a fellow beginner triathlete in the area. So on I went to the stores with $$$ burning a hole in my wallet.

The first stop was a bike store where I purchased my first bike which I said I'd never go to again. When I got there, there wasn't any parking available as they had put up a tent for there annual season opening sale (more like a we need business badly sale). I was happy to oblige. They didn't have the shoes I wanted in my size nor a helmet either... however the wife did what any good wife would do and asked me if I needed clothes. I was fairly stocked on jerseys and such but was in dire need of some shorts. Off she went... She came back with a stack of several sale and clearance merchandise. After struggling in their meager fitting room, I ended up with these:


They are Specialized RBX Pro Bib shorts. And they definitely pass the initial "look" test. The material isn't the standard cycling short material. I don't know what it is, but it just feels good. And then there is the "pad". I believe that my body is going to thank me for these in more ways then one. There is only one problem with them, they are pricey! I've only bought standard shorts from Pearl Izumi (PI) and while some of theirs are good, these just blow them away.

So, we continued our tour of Rhode Island and hit REI. I wasn't expecting anything here, except they had a large clearance rack. After digging through that, I found a PI Slice Kodiak Light jersey that is perfect for New England spring/late fall conditions. Regular price was stickered at $95. It was on clearance for $34.93 plus an additional 30% off. Getting any kind of jersey for $25 is just a deal too good to pass up. Plus, its a great color scheme!! Can not go wrong with Scarlet & Gray.



The jersey has a nice full length zipper, three rear pockets, as well as one zipper pocket for keys/cell phone. The fabric material is PIs thermafleece material which is great at providing some wind stopping and keeping some of the warmth in.

Unfortunately, the last shop I wanted to go to closed before we could get there so I still don't have what I set out for. Perhaps tomorrow :)