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Nalini Tortora Cycling Shorts

Petitebikefit.com receives promotional products for review purposes.

By Brett Aronowitz

09/21/2011

Tortora Cycling Shorts are another seasonal 2011 offering from Nalini.  These shorts are made with fabric that quickly absorbs perspiration, carrying it to the fabric’s outer surface and dispersing it for rapid evaporation.  In short, it wicks well.  The fabric provides UV protection of 50+.  The shorts feature a UCN Lady professional road chamois made from stretchable microfiber and Nalini fabric which is also a microfiber similar to natural chamois leather with a supple surface, soft to the touch which deters skin inflammation because of it’s ability to breathe.  It is resistant to tears and abrasions and stress in the wash at temperatures up to 86 degrees.

The fit is good for women, like myself, with a short torso, and is true to size.  The fabric is lightweight and comfortable without too much compression.  The waistband is roughly 1.25 inches wide but the cut of the shorts rides lower than some other brands, so it doesn’t cinch you in the waist.  The fabric grips your thighs well and the inseam is roughly 7″ which, (in my humble opinion) is great length for petite women. The heavy duty reflective logo on the sides of the legs will crack and peel over time– especially if subject to the clothes dryer.  The legs have small silicon grippers on roughly 1 inch elastic.  The contrasting color, four needle seam construction is solid, and  the shorts are comfortable for longer rides.

Check out Albabici’s website for a list of local and online retailers.

Nalini Lady Team Short Sleeve Jersey

Petitebikefit.com receives promotional products for review purposes.

By Brett Aronowitz

09/20/2011

The colors on Nalini’s Lady Team Short Sleeve jersey are terrific–bright purple and white, with a dash of hot pink!  The shoulders feature a mesh fabric with a reflective silver backing for increased visibility from the front and back.  This Jersey has a flattering, true to size, cut.

The fabric is lightweight and highly hydrophilic (meaning it absorbs moisture and transfers it to the exterior of the fabric through microgrooves on the surface of the fibers). The effect is that the jersey is fast drying and controls body temperature. It’s also antibacterial, thereby reducing odors.  Nalini reports that this effect endures even with repeated washings.  The fibers also provide UV protection during the summer, and at high elevations.

I’m delighted to report that there is no binding elastic in the sleeves! I only wish the bottom seam had the same treatment. Instead, they’ve added a quarter inch of silicon gripper onto the elastic hem, but I realize the Lady Team line of products has been designed to cater to the needs of teams and club riders.

The three back pockets are sufficient but not generously sized. The designers at Nalini thoughtfully put a a velcro closure on the middle cellphone pocket. I have an iPhone 4 with a silicon cover and it just barely fits in this pocket–making me most appreciative of the velcro.  Check out Albabici’s website for a list of local and online retailers.

Nalini- SAJAMA I -Fleece lined tights

Petitebikefit.com receives promotional products for review purposes.

By Brett Aronowitz

09/19/2011

There are many schools of thought on dressing for the rain and cold, depending on how frequently you must ride under these conditions. As a Southern California resident, my goal is to stay warm and comfortable without overheating. Just finding a pair of fleece lined tights that fit a petite woman can be a problem unless you know about Nalini.

Nalini cycling attire would be almost impossible to find if it weren’t for the internet. Imported from Italy, these products are used mostly by the pros– and their superior quality reflects why. Their importer is Albabici, located in Ventura, California (also the U.S. importer of SMP saddles).

Even with all that pasta, Italian women’s sizes seem to be petite women friendly. I normally wear a small in competitors sizing but because they run a little small, I am more comfortable wearing Nalini’s medium in both the jacket and tights.

The distinctive feature of Nalini’s warm, fleece-lined tights is their wide, non-squeezing, non-marking waistband that has no elasticity, making them infinitely more comfortable than any cycling shorts or tights.

Even wearing a size medium, the leg length on these tights is perfect. Zippers on the lower leg create a nice seal from wind and rain. The leg fit is comfortably snug without binding or feeling bulky. The chamois is thick and plush without feeling like a diaper, and, acccording to the literature, has been stabilized at the saddle point, which somehow induces the rider to position herself correctly on the bike. Nalini claims that the properties of the fabric used in the chamois along with the mechanics of the pedal stroke allow for “excellent drainage” and a “sensation of freshness even during extended use.”

I would prefer these warm tights on a cool day rather than wearing shorts and constantly fighting with sagging leg warmers.

 

Specialized Deflect Hybrid Jacket

Petitebikefit.com receives promotional products for review purposes.

By Brett Aronowitz

08/08/2011

Visiblity is everything, like in the early morning, when drivers are not fully awake or especially during rainy conditions.

I needed a lightweight jacket for the unpredictable weather from Seattle to Portland, and the Specialized Deflect Hybrid Jacket was the answer. The neon yellow was the perfect color for my riding buddy to spot me in a crowd (there were 10,000 riders).

Since this hybrid jacket/vest is fully wind and water resistant, it doesn’t breathe very well. However, Specialized cleverly equipped this “cyclist’s must-have” with a variety of options.

For example, the jacket has velcro closures on the bottoms of the sleeves along with zippers under the shoulders which unzip forward from just behind the armpits. These pit zips give you, the rider, an initial way to moderate your body temperature. Still too warm? A series of three snaps just beneath the back collar, and two velcro closures remove the yoke and sleeves as one unit, creating a vest with a mesh yoke in back, and plenty of additional ventilation, while still providing wind and rain deflection.

The jacket comes with two zippered pockets, one in back which is large enough to store your sleeves, and a pocket on the left side but, mysteriously, none on the right.

I love this jacket because it’s so versatile. However, even with a wide back, I’ve wondered if I would be more comfortable in a smaller size as the sleeves are super long.

Also,  knowing when to start peeling off layers is a very important skill.  Without it, you may find yourself in a rainstorm of sweat between you and your jacket.  When you no longer need to wear an outer shell,  the entire jacket folds up and can fit into it’s own rear zippered pocket.

Note: With some practice, a confident rider could probably remove the sleeves while riding. I don’t encourage this, and I certainly don’t believe you can put the sleeves back on while moving.

Some Hanky Panky has forced Me to Ask again

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