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velobici premgripp and merino socks

velobici premgripp socks

you know what they say about men with large feet? they need large shoes. it's an allegedly humorous aside that my father would repeat on the occasion of either my brother and i purchasing a new pair of footwear. it wasn't particularly funny (or comprehensible) then and it hasn't aged particularly well. but i was always under the impression that my size nine (european 44) feet landed under the category generally regarded as large. but it seems i was in error.

velobici are a british cycling apparel company deserving of our applause. for while all and sundry are outsourcing the bulk of their production to italy or the far east, founder/owner, chris puttnam has done his utmost to design and manufacture everything in england. with knitted goods emanating from nottinghamshire and others manufactured in leicestershire, his faith in british manufacture is not only well-founded, but pretty impressive to boot. velobici's range of jerseys, bibshorts, baselayers and knitwear is not only notably stylish but every bit the equal of their peers.

velobici merino socks

but they have slightly different ideas about socks.

throughout my cycling and reviewing career, i have cheerfully requested medium-sized jerseys, small-sized shorts and tights along with large sized socks. however, on reading the packaging in which velobici's premgripp and merino socks were contained, i noted to my disappointment that i should have paid more attention before committing text to e-mail. for large sized velobici socks are designed to cater to those wearing shoes in excess of size 46 (11 - 14). suddenly, in one fell swoop, my feet had been demoted to medium (7 - 11)

this in itself, though worthy of mention, is not by way of complaint or criticism; it remains the provence of the provider to size garments in any way they see fit. it is the duty of the consumer to pay closer attention to the sizing clearly stated on the website, an error i can only blame upon myself. however, cheerfully enough, there is a happy ending.

velobici premgripp socks

my sizing error was only noted at the point of putting on a pair of the gloopily dotted premgripp socks, at which point there was really no turning back. this particular variation on the humble sock, available in either black or white, features what velobici refer to as offset technology, a form of compression fit that aims to stimulate circulation in the face of adversity. and in order to enhance this particular feature, the sole is dotted with gloop to ensure the socks remain precisely where you placed them in each shoe. it's a technology that works to perfection, even if the incumbent was irrational enough to choose the wrong size in the first place.

i cannot deny a worrying predilection for curling the toes in my right foot, an idiosyncracy that rarely leads to perennial comfort on the bike. however, inexplicably, the fact that those dots of gloop could probably be successfully worn by spiderman when climbing up the side of tall buildings, satisfactorily curtailed this annoying toe-curling tendency. oddly enough, the red pair of velobici merino socks simply underlined the effectiveness of the premgripp version; though the latter are particularly impressive on their own, they are not equipped to maintain a straightness of foot.

velobici merino socks

if push came to shove, on the basis of this factor alone, i'd be inclined to opt for a pair of velobici premgripp over plain merino. but since my eyes are bigger than my feet, i'd probably take both. though not quite reaching the lengths espoused on occasion by lance armstrong, i can really only describe both variations as mid-length, neither long nor short. just ginger peachy, if classification were demanded. the merino socks are, if i'm honest, perhaps just a tad too cosy for the summer, even on the west coast of scotland. however, north of the border, summer is something of a moving target, so i'd prefer if you didn't quote me on that.

for gents such as myself, the competitive edge is conspicuous by its absence, but for those of an entirely differing disposition, there's little doubt that the premgripps could conceivably be worn as a legitimate aid to performance. the merino option is merely sheer, unadorned luxury. just ensure you check your size before ordering.

velobici premgripp socks are available in black or white in sizes small, medium or large at a cost of £25. velobici merino socks can be had in blue, red or tan, priced at £20 a pair.

velobici socks

sunday 7 may 2017

twmp ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................