Chinese cycling clothes

[fhold]

@Serge_K @SillyMochi do you have any experience how waterproof these shoes are? I'm looking for a pair for commuting and need something that is also waterproof. If not, do you know of an alternative?

[fhold]

thanks for the quick answer, I think then i skip on them. My commute is just 40 min but it can get quite wet so it's not an option if water will enter (especially for the return, as the shoes won't dry that quickly)

[courdacier]

"winter" gear update. Tested the gloves mentioned earlier in the thread. EXTREMELY warm, so much that my hands sweated. 85km at 6 degrees Celsius, 35kmh average, windy and no sun.

I really like the wind jacket (mentioned earlier in the thread). On that 6C ride, mostly in Z2, base layer, plastic LS TS, merino wool LS TS, jacket, buff around the neck. Long BIB. I felt great, neither hot nor cold.

Got one of these cheap base layers and they are heavy! compared to something legit like cutaway.
still works but meh.

[courdacier]

I have pretty nasty Raynaud's syndrome so Pogies are pretty much mandatory for me if it is much below 40F.   I often stuff an XL adhesive "hot hands" pouch in each one as well.  The combo of a thinner glove + pogies + the hot hands packet works better than any one glove i've come across aside from obnoxious ski gloves.    I may try some heated grip elements on my MTB grips this year or grab some heated gloves for road&mtb.

the one big disadvantage of hot hands as you know is they require oxygen, so once you get them going/saturated and throw them inside a neoprene overboot they poop out and don't last nearly as long as something electric. it's more of an emergency item, not a sustainable solution for long rides.

[JonMS]

I have enough now to add my two cents.

Fall/Winter

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256807544127583.html
These are awesome. I have worn these down to low 40F and they do great! Better at wind blocking than my CLD RDY Adidas bibs I have. Read the size chart because these are asian fit.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806703610824.html
This vest is SWEET. I have a couple of RION newer design jerseys and I love them. This vest is excellent at blocking wind I wish they made a jacket with the same design.

Spring/Summer

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806471876018.html
I hate full-zip clothing and was delighted to find these. They are my favorite jersey to date.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805157092372.html
Favorite bibs I have from Ali. fit is true to size and they have been great for long rides.

Accessories

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256807269951442.html
These have been quite good socks, I just keep buying the colors they add.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805983618808.html
My first pair of actual SPD-SL road shoes. Absolutely love these things and the carbon sole is great.

[kbernstein]

Followup on my 11/11 order:

I'm 184cm, 73kg(74 now? I don't want to check  ) and usually L on asian sizes. Worth noting that I'm not a big sweater and fairly resistant to cold overall
I chose those sizes based on recommendations I found in item reviews and not the size charts
I've worn the bibs 4 times already, and both tops twice with base layers, all on shorter rides between 45mins and 2 hours, between -4°C and 7°C

The inbike bibs are simply fantastic. I think XL is right, they're warm but breathable, pad is the best I've seen yet and straps are comfortable. Cannot fault it, a nobrainer. Agree with JonMS above

The spexcel wind breaker is great but sizing is a little odd. I'm not very broad shouldered for an european but it still flaps quite a bit at speed, sleeves are quite long but somehow the vest sits quite high meaning it starts way above my hips and the neck is quite high to my chin. I wouldn't be able to zip it all the way. Questioning whether I would be better off with XXL? Also doesn't have any holes in the sleeves despite what the pictures show. The fabric does its job but I would question the construction somewhat

The thermal jersey is great. I think I would definitely be better off with size L but XL is alright. My experience is very different from Serge's, I really like it. Just a base layer under and it got me to -4°C comfortably, but it wasn't a sweat sponge at 6°C in zone 4 either. Construction is great, zipper pocket and rubber gripper and all. No complaints. For 14 euros it's fantastic

[TidyDinosaur]

Yeah, that INBIKE seems like a decent newcomer (or have I just noticed them in the last few months?)

[PLA]

Yeah, that INBIKE seems like a decent newcomer (or have I just noticed them in the last few months?)

They seem to have a link to lameda, might make some stuff for them. I had a set of shorts from them but the pad was so gigantic I had to return them, but try another set in future with a different pad. Quality seemed good.

[rtuk]

The thermal jersey is great.

How is the colour for you?

Described as yellow and dark blue & shows on my screen as dark orange and dark blue.

[kbernstein]

How is the colour for you?

Described as yellow and dark blue & shows on my screen as dark orange and dark blue.

About halfway between kärcher vacuum flashy yellow and a jar of ovomaltine. I think women would call it dark baby mustard or something. Doesn't remind me of anything

[rtuk]

About halfway between kärcher vacuum flashy yellow and a jar of ovomaltine. I think women would call it dark baby mustard or something. Doesn't remind me of anything

Thanks vm for sharing the comparison pic - makes things much clearer.

To my eyes & on my screen - your top is much much closer to the Ovo than the Karcher. I'd describe the top as a toned down shade of orange.

[amacal1]

I ordered almost the exact same gear earlier. I have that same pair of InBike bibs and the same Spexcel windbreaking jacket. I finally had some cold weather this weekend to try them out on, properly (though I've used the Spexcel jacket a couple of times now).

Yesterday I did about a 70km ride starting right at 0deg C and ending at about 5deg C, very damp but not wet. I used those InBike bibs and a YKYWbike thermal jersey with a wicking base layer I had gotten locally. I covered that with the Specxel jacket for about the first half of the ride because it was fairly windy. I probably kept the jacket on too long because I had gotten slightly sweaty. Fortunately I didn't get too cold once the jacket came off. I was happy with my entire kit. Except my gloves. The gloves were the only thing I didn't get chiner. I spent more on the gloves than the bib, and had some Pearl Izumi light thermal gloves. My fingers were not happy for the first half of the ride. When I got home I checked the specs again and realized they were really for 5deg to 15deg C, and running them at 0 deg C I can confirm they were not good enough for that. So, warmer gloves are on my list now.

[kbernstein]

Except my gloves. The gloves were the only thing I didn't get chiner. I spent more on the gloves than the bib, and had some Pearl Izumi light thermal gloves. My fingers were not happy for the first half of the ride. When I got home I checked the specs again and realized they were really for 5deg to 15deg C, and running them at 0 deg C I can confirm they were not good enough for that. So, warmer gloves are on my list now.

Sounds awfully familiar...  Gloves from an expensive western brand before I found the aliexpress light, and they are the weakest link in my winter kit so far.
About the spexcel windbreaker; do you too notice a weird construction, as if the arm holes are offset and too high, or is it just me with weird shoulders?

[Pedaldancer]

Sounds awfully familiar...  Gloves from an expensive western brand before I found the aliexpress light, and they are the weakest link in my winter kit so far.
About the spexcel windbreaker; do you too notice a weird construction, as if the arm holes are offset and too high, or is it just me with weird shoulders?

To high armholes sounds a bit weird. Is the lower edge cutting into your armpits?

I also received my inbike Thermo bib.
The fabric is probably the same as for the men bib. It's soft, but not very thick. Depending on how the windshielding properties are, I won't use it below e.g. 10°C.
I need to take some width away from the hip/waist area with my sewingmachine, the legs are fine and should not be shorter, something not unusual on women's cut. Maybe I should have taken the mens version, but I was shooting for the green version. Looks teal on the photos, but it's sage . Also nice, just for information.
https://a.aliexpress.com/_ExJOYfI

[kbernstein]

To high armholes sounds a bit weird. Is the lower edge cutting into your armpits?

The arm holes themselves are fine so to speak but the rest of the chest sits high; starts almost at bellybutton and ends above chin. It's still usable but very odd. Never had that problem with anything else