New indoor cycling 'essentials'

Almost posted this in ‘cycling memes and jokes’ :zipper_mouth_face:

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I’ve got the shorts and towel on order. I think it’s a great idea, since I don’t want to always wear my good stuff on the trainer.
At the moment I use my regular road bibs, and an old t-shirt to dry off sweat. I thinks it’s nice to have something designed for specific use cases.

I find an old Ikea bathroom towel quite useful for this purpose. There’s nothing quite like a towel to help dry yourself.

Maybe a Rapha towel will help me train better…when they bring out the pink climber’s towel, I’ll be all over that :smirk:

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$130 for a pair of shorts doesn’t constitute “good stuff”?

TIL that I need a specific towel to ride my bike inside.

#FirstWorldProblems

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Ohhh… need that in my life :crazy_face:

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Shorts rather than bib shorts? I have a proper fit higher on my list inside than out to be honest!

The money for all these “essentials” would be pay for 2 cleva vacmaster fans…

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Hahaha yeah $130 is good stuff, but my bib shorts were $270 - I’d like them to last for a looonggg time!

“Does it come with an indoor helmet?” I always appreciate some sharp wit in the morning

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gotta stay safe.

Metal straws get a big nope from me.

I’m such a slave to this type of thing. I’m probably gonna be ‘that guy’ !

I don’t really see the value in this, but its hard to even put Rapha and value in the same sentence

I used to use cheaper shorts on the trainer, but after some persistent saddle sore problems I’m full in the ‘wear the good stuff’ on the trainer, especially for the longer rides. I have managed to get some bibs I like on sale in less attractive styles that I reserve for trainer use, but I’m no longer willing to compromise on chamois.
I just use normal towels on the bike - this is where old hand towels go to die.

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It’s nothing new, UK firm Madison launched their indoor gear ages ago.

https://www.madison.cc/mens/turbo

I’d feel bad blowing a bunch of snot in my fancy indoor training towel.

Depends on your definition of value. Their quality and fit is exceptional, the stuff lasts forever, and customer service is awesome if there’s an issue. I’ve always worn team kit, mostly Castelli, and I think the price vs quality equation for Rapha is in line with any of the better brands. You get what you pay for.

I typically ride my old Castelli bibs on the trainer, but agree with others a good chamois is even more important indoors if you’re putting in a lot of hours.

Disclaimer: I’ve never bought Rapha but have a pair of thermal bibs and a wool cap my wife bought me years ago, and acquired a set of their Pro Team Aero Jersey and bibs from the NYC shop as partial payment for an overnight RCC cycling trip they organized to our farm. I needed some non team race kit anyway… The jersey is my favorite top ever but the newer chamois is a bit bulky for my tastes and the bib fit a bit larger than I prefer.

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I’ll admit, the towel with the loops for the hoods, good idea. I know it’s easy to scoff at some of the ideas they come up with, but I’m not averse to specialized products (like the generic version of the wahoo desk, great value for a cycling specific purpose). As someone who rides inside 10hrs a week, I’m willing to have an open mind about stuff that makes indoor riding more comfortable (and not just charging a premium just because a product is meant to be “indoors”)

I got my Pearl Izumi bibs like 3 years ago for $70 and they have been great, still going strong. The chamois started to separate from the shorts at the seam a few weeks ago and I just sewed it back together. I also have a pair of Bontrager Velocis bibs but the chamois is a bit wider which can get a little annoying, but the material is definitely nicer and lighter.

For me, I don’t see the value in paying 2x more for something when what I have has been proven to work great, same reason I buy Ultegra and not DA.

FYI…Pearl has a lifetime warranty on their kit. If you start to have a problem like that, send it back to them (via their warranty process, super easy) and they will repair / replace.

I had a 5 YO pair of bibs that the silicone grippers dried out on. Were dry, hard and very scratchy…couldn’t even ride in them for 10 min…contacted them, sent them back and they sent me a brand new pair of bibs. Top notch customer service.

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Great. I still ride all my old team bibs from the mid 2000s on my second hand bike with Ultegra :wink:

Point being, they’re not cheap, but not necessarily a bad value if you’re in the market for high end bibs. I find it funny that Rapha gets so much flack from this crowd when threads about fancy bikes, wheels and tech for folks who are nowhere near the edge of their physical performance are consumerist love-fests :man_shrugging: