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this is cambridge baselayer

this is cambridge sleeved baselayer

recent discussions in the velo club peloton have surrounded the propensity of motorists to perhaps look no further than the satnav on the dashboard, the result, quite possibly, of an encroaching feeling of personal security fostered by today's build of motor car.

on learning to ride a bicycle, the incumbent is often taught that to look down at the front wheel (obviously, chris froome missed out this next step) was not the way to proceed. "keep your eye on the road ahead." would form part of the newbie's encouragement, at least until we had mastered the art of riding forwards without bumping into stuff or falling off in the process. though we as an agglomeration of cyclists had scarcely considered it before, looking as far ahead as possible when the topography allows, is tantamount to self-preservation, but one that is rarely reciprocated.

which brings me back to my original point.

this is cambridge sleeved baselayer

for though we can often be aware of an oncoming vehicle quite some distance away, the surprised look on the faces of driver and passengers would tend to suggest that our mystical and sudden appearance through the windscreen and not on the satnav was something of an unexpected pleasure. such are the manouevres required to navigate the average single-track road, peppered though they are with numerous passing places, that the sight of (safely or otherwise) passing bicycles is just one rural aspect too far.

we, on the other hand, have already clocked the impending doom, safe in the knowledge that, no matter how many passing places there are between them and us, the odds are that they will be driven past unused and unfettered by a slowing or stopping vehicle. thus it is that we become mere objects and usually irritating objects at that.

there is often scarce acknowledgment of our existence at all, let alone appreciation of the sportwool and lycra occupied carbon fibre. when in the passenger seat of just such a vehicle, i have often heard comment made as to the desirability of the behemoth passing in the opposite direction. i have serious doubts as to the same being said of the nano fibres of our oversized downtubes. but in all honesty, in such situations, appearing out the other side unscathed will suffice for the majority of us.

this is cambridge sleeved baselayer

what matters to a passing motorist, walker or even fellow cyclist, is not necessarily that which satisfies ourselves. i may well be clad in a windproof outer shell featuring a soft lining of super-roubaix conjoined with industrial strength lycra lined with a faux chamois pad the likes of which parker knoll have harvested for their comfiest armchairs. such information is that which keeps me and me alone satisfied throughout the, perchance, gruelling nature of my bicycle ride. and should my state of the art baselayer, hidden beneath those windcheating outer layers, feature bright pink hoops of untold depth, well, that's for me to know and you to be more than interested in.

the eponymously monikered 'this is cambridge' are famed across the four corners of the globe for their handmade cotton caps, headwear that will cossett your barnet with hitherto unexperienced luxury. but, buoyed with such success, the cambridgeans have recently extended their expertise and craftwork south of your ears to encompass an idiosyncratic range of impressive jerseys, presumably on their way ultimately to offering a similar range of quality bibshorts. while we await that day with baited breath, they have taken a step sideways, so to speak, and provided the ideal lining for those jerseys.

i cannot pretend that considering the time of year, i would have them consider both long-sleeve versions of their jerseys and ultimately baselayers of similar ilk, but it is often necessary to take things one step at a time. therefore the latest range of this is cambridge mesh baselayers consists of those with short sleeves and those without.

this is cambridge sleeved baselayer

and some of them are bright pink.

of course, if the motorists to whom i referred above could care less about the apparel of those passed along the way, they will hardly be even likely to consider the possibility of a pink coloured baselayer that fits like a second skin. in fact, they could easily be forgiven their misdemeanour; such is the italian constitution of the fluorescent under garment, that even i was scarcely aware of its existence at any point of its trajectory. which is, to put not too fine a point on it, probably the whole point. and on the basis that a baselayer is going to get all swot and hetty, the polyester fabric does a remarkably fine job of pretending that it hasn't.

as this is cambridge say on their website, if you're looking for a more relaxed fit, you might wish to size upwards. my review sample was size medium and though it fits to perfection, i cannot deny it's a bit of a blighter to remove before getting in the shower. i'm sure we wouldn't have it any other way. at a cost of £38, available in both sleeved and non-sleeved men's (and women's very soon) in sizes ranging from small to xxl, it's pretty darned ginger peachy.

and it's bright pink (though it doesn't have to be.)

this is cambridge baselayer

saturday 8 october 2016

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