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.
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