Flashback. Eight-thirty a.m. and the blue-haired seniors are chain-smoking their way through another tub of quarters at the Venetian slots. Dealers shuffle from foot to foot at their empty tables waiting for the action to pick up, or the world to end. In their ruddy brown uniforms they look sad, empty and in need of [...]

Following on the heels of the race-inspired Eleven Jersey and Bibs, Panache offers a dashing alternative for those training miles. The GS Training Jersey sports a classic houndstooth pattern with sharp Panache branding front and back. Ribbed polyester/Lycra cuffs and collar gives it a retro edge without sacrificing comfort. – Available direct from Panache for [...]

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Those of you who read Velodramatic regularly know I have a dark addiction to high-end cycling kit. I go one or two weeks without feeding the habit and my pedal stroke breaks down (more ankling [...]

Middle of the year and time to update the Top 10 Kit List. Rapha continues to dominate with seven of the ten positions; no surprise there. The Gilet, the rouleur of Rapha’s product lineup, is on the front of this breakaway doing the leadout for big guns like the Light Weight Jersey and Classic Softshell [...]

Strip away all the fancy layers we wrap ourselves in to get on our bikes, and what are you left with but the basics. Enter Rapha’s supremely comfortable 2008 Bibs and silky-soft merino Base Layer. OK, nobody said the basics couldn’t be fancy.

In 2007 I bought my first pair of Rapha bibs and loved the [...]

Australia’s Knog is probably best known for their tiny Frog LED lights; clever loops of silicon that wrap themselves around handlebars, seatstays, chainstays and in my case, the light loops of my Rapha Fixed Backpack.

Of course, Knog has a lot more to offer: powerful lights, urban bags, laptop bags and the subject of this [...]

For a moment, wearing Rapha’s Touring Shorts, I’m an Edinburgh schoolboy again. The Moray House uniform: shorts; shirt and tie; jacket and cap. That was the last time I wore shorts as beautifully tailored as these, though in a smaller size and much heavier fabric.

The touring shorts are cool, light and wonderfully constructed in the [...]

I’m prepared to go into uncharted hyperbole with this kit review. I’ve only worn it twice, but Campagnolo’s short sleeve base layer is the best fitting, finished and styled piece of base layer I’ve ever worn. I think highly of pieces from Craft, Briko and Descente in my starting lineup, but this product is in [...]

If like me, you happen to be a regular reader of thewashingmachinepost you know that Scotland is the perfect proving ground for foul weather gear and winter kit. Declaring a jacket wind or waterproof in the Hebrides carries a little more weight than saying it’s warm and comfy on winter mornings in San Jose California. [...]

Four labels dominate the Velodramatic closet but only one inspires me to ride farther, climb higher and get on the bike whatever the weather.
That brand is Rapha.
The new Kit page above lists my top ten pieces of cycling clothing / kit, and it’s no surprise given the previous statement that Rapha dominates.
I realize that [...]

Winter has finally arrived in the Bay Area. Mt. Hamilton, benign and warm on New Year’s Day, has been socked with snow and shrouded by cloud most of the week. Down in the valley, the commuting miles have been cold, damp and miserable, despite an additional layer or two of clothing.

Today I tested a pair [...]

4,000 Road Miles and Counting on my Favorite Specialized Cycling Shoes
I’ll admit I liked the look of the Specialized Trail 120 shoes the minute I first saw them. True to their brand name, they’ve really turned out to be something special.

The rare 3/4 height offers great ankle support throughout the entire pedal stroke and [...]

I’ve often asserted that a brand has truly arrived when its customers create their own tributes. Shaving a logo into your hair or bolder still, tattooing it on your body, is a definite sign you believe in the message. Since the Rapha script is too complex for my stylist and I don’t watch Miami ink [...]