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prendas primaloft cupron socks and winter thermolite socks
on the subject of socks, velominati is quite clear. aside from the unilateral approach of rule #28, declaring that 'socks can be any damn colour you like', its predecessor in the hierarchy remains a tad more open to interpretation. a sunday morning colleague in the peloton blatantly flouts the 'no socks is a no-no' advice, but since he's bigger and faster than i am, it's a contravention i'm unlikely to bring to his attention anytime soon. however, the contention that socks ought best be 'like goldilocks', is one i'm not sure i entirely comprehend.
the rule itself begins with declaration 'not too short, not too long', but the only mental picture i have related to goldilocks was her ill-advised consumption of porridge and three furry bears returning home. i assume that the simile is intended to refer to the ideal plate of porridge being neither too hot, nor too cold, but i confess it's a simile that i find just a tad contrived for my liking. nonetheless, i think i begin to see their point.
what i believe velominati may have ommited from this particular regulation is a seasonal disclaimer. now that the clocks have gone back, and british summer time is no more, the weather has followed suit. granted, we in the hebrides have benefitted from several days of clear blue skies accompanied by near zero temperatures. the volkswagen golf inadvisably parked at the point where the road narrows on my morning walk, was seen to have frosted windows at the beginning of the week. sadly, this has now been replaced with drizzling rain and a slight raising of the windspeed.
accepting such to be the case, the bibshort drawer, including at least two thermal varieties, has been placed on notice, replaced by regular access to the bibtight drawer. i daresay it would amount to some form of velocipedinal fashion statement to wear the socks outboard of my tights, but i am noted for my conventional approach to on-the-bike sartorial elegance, and i would (almost) never do such a thing. thus, come the weekend, when there are kilometres to be ridden, the socks-du-jour are carefully ensconced 'neath the legs of my bibtights, just as they should be.
if you're willing to accept this as normal, nationwide behaviour, the length of the socks thus worn, is surely of purely academic interest and a matter between me and my sock drawer?
despite all the foregoing discussion, the realities of the situation are more generally centred around two sides of one coin; are my feet warm or are they cold? it is entirely possible for a bike ride to come under the heading of 'best ever', yet be totally undermined due to cold feet that failed miserably to warm up during the ensuing perambulations. and though i'm sure there are extreme conditions that would render the following statement to be slightly suspect, i'm happy to recommend that, if the latter seems a potentially likely scenario, then you have a definitive need for one or both pairs of socks under consideration.
prendas have positioned their primaloft cupron socks and winter thermolite socks in seasonal order, the former being ideal for the current strain of weather, and the latter coming into their own as the temperature begins to drop nearer to, or past the magic zero. of the two, the cupron socks are the more visually impressive, but given that no-one other than mrs washingmachinepost and yours truly will ever see their relative magnificence, this is scarcely a factor likely to be positioned high on the choice criteria. even the strategically placed prendas logo on the back is hidden from view behind thermal lycra.
i beileve i have stated before that the best thing that can be said about socks is that they're all but forgotten while in use, assuming they're carrying out the duties expected. if your feet are cold, you'd be sure to notice and probably likewise if they were overheating. the cupron socks, for this specific time of year (in the uk at least) are ideal. comfortable to wear, cosy in use and not prone to niff, thanks to the cupron yarn featured in the knit.
as if to prove my point, i wore the thermolite socks on the days following my cupron rides, when the temperatures remained similar and my feet were notably warmer, perhaps slightly too much so. acessorise with waterproof overshoes, and you're likely to have scorch marks on your toes. this is, at least in part, achieved by the use of the hollow thermolite fibres, providing impressive insulation without any additional weight. the time will soon be here when these become first choice pulled from the sock drawer, but given the fickleness of the scottish climate, november can hardly be considered too early to make these a priority purchase. it might even be worth your while taking advantage of prendas' current multisaver deal to acquire three pairs of thermolites for a mere £24 (normally £8.99 each).
alternatively, since the primaloft cupron socks are available under the same terms, it might come down to choosing of which you'd prefer to have two pairs. however, if i were you, i'd buy three of each; it's not like you won't need them.
both prendas primaloft cupron socks and thermolite winter socks are available in sizes ranging from xs to xxl at a retail price of £8.99 per pair. the multisaver deal available on both, offers three pairs fro only £24.
friday 01 november 2019
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