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showers pass basecamp merino hoodie
you can tell when someone has experienced pangs of velocipedinal guilt, when they feel compelled to mention that, as youngsters, they were never off the bike. it's a plaintiff cry that cuts no ice, for, well past middle age, i'm still riding mine. in fact, bereft of a motor vehicle (by choice), the bicycle and a pair of feet are my only options. but, of course, when we were young, everybody had a bicycle, and we'd no problem grabbing it from the shed or garage and cycling farther than many people drive nowadays. and were that not enough, unless you were particularly sports obsessed, there was no defined dress code for so doing.
if someone were to suggest cycling anywhere in particular, i cannot recall ever asking them to wait while i popped inside to choose a pair of bibshorts and jersey to match. nor, indeed, checking the weather forecast to decide whether i might require a breathable, stowaway jacket. just in case. a sweatshirt, jeans and whatever footwear had been insisted upon by my mother were just fine, with no restrictions due to the make of clipless pedal appended to my raleigh twenty bicycle. those were indeed, the halcyon days of yore, when summer holidays were warm and sunny each and everyday and punctures were all but unheard of because the roads were well maintained.
oh, how things have changed.
yet for many, the inspiration behind those far-off days still persists, and not just amongst those of us who now grow long in the tooth. cyclists clad in matching bibs, jersey, jacket, socks and shoes, with drop bar carbon bikes are, believe it or not, in the minority. there are far more excluded members of the club, who think nothing of riding their bicycles in 'normal' clothes, and for purposes other than impressing fellow strava users, or hoping to be mistaken for refugees from the peloton.
however, though i once rode with a fellow who insisted that a cotton t-shirt was the last word in baselayer technology, inhabit the saddle for any appreciable length of time, and it becomes readily apparent that one's velocipedinally sartorial choices could undoubtedly be improved, if only for the sake of comfort. and rather than adopt the way of the lycra lout, it may be prudent to retain some degree of street credibility by adopting less ostentiatious garmentage. i've no doubt several will see where this is heading, but it's hard to deny that the wonder fabric ticking the majority of boxes, is that of merino wool.
though scarcely the cheapest of quality fabrics, merino does offer particularly welcome thermal properties as well as offering a sturdy defence against malodourousness (which may not be a real word). the structure of a single fibre of merino features no crevices in which bacteria might gain a foothold, meaning that even after a strenuous commute or weekend bike ride, people will still be happy to be your friend. added to this is the pointed fact that the fabric can operate in stealth mode, leaving innocent bystanders totally unaware that the merino hoodie you happen to be wearing, was produced by one of the world's finest cycling apparel manufacturers. in this case, portland's showers pass.
perhaps better known for their wide range of waterproofs which gave rise to the company name, in recent years, they have branched out to offer clothing that does actually get wet, the latest of which is this basecamp merino hoodie. arguably more pertinent to the gravel or mountain bike rider, the jersey features a hood with two drawstrings, a quarter-length zip and one full-width pocket accessed from two zipped openings on the front, ideal for keeping your hands warm on chilly days.
the fabric is breathable, comprised of 95% merino wool and 5% elastane, offers decent sun protection (less of a problem on scotland's west coast) and is impossibly light for such a cosy jersey. the hood can be worn under a helmet if you're into that sort of thing, but is every bit as fashionable if you never pull the hood over your head. i spent a very pleasant afternoon thundering (a guy can dream, right?) up and down the gravel track between washingmachinepost towers and the site of gartbreck distillery, now more of a forlorn hope than a potential addition to islay's single-malt future.
but, just to prove the hoodie's versatility, i also wore it for two nights' worth of gigs in one of bowmore's favoured hostelries, simply rolling up the sleeves and lowering the zip when the music got louder and room became hotter. at the end of the eve, it warmed the cockles of my paradiddles on the way home. the fit is, in apparel parlance, relaxed, with a generous length to the sleeves and torso. it's practical enough to wear on the bike, but stylish enough to be worn out of the saddle without ever clueing those around you that you watched all of paris-roubaix today. believe me, you need one of these.
the showers pass basecamp merino hoodie is available in clay (as reviewed) and harvest, in sizes ranging from small to xxl (medium size reviewed). all this is priced at £98. looked after, it ought to last for years. | showers pass basecamp merino hoodie
sunday 17 april 2022
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