Stand up straight
Likes: The shirt puts a noticeable rearward tug on the shoulders that seems to flatten down your shoulder blades, forcing you to stand taller. But though I definitely felt the pressure, it's very comfortable, probably because my torso was now in a more natural position. Since good posture is a key to good health, this shirt, a lower-end version of the company's Velcro-strapped S3 Brace ($350), is a good idea. It can be worn alone during workouts or underneath street clothing, and paired with paneled "posture" tights ($190), is designed to relieve weight on the injury-prone medial side of the knee.
Dislikes: My shirt was a bit tight under my armpits.
Price: $99.95. (800) 916-2544; http://www.alignmed.com
Commuter suiter
Outlier 4Season OG pants and Blazed Cotton Pivot Sleeve Shirt: Commuter bike clothing designed to allow a wide range of motion that looks good enough to wear all day. The pants use stretchable, breathable, dirt- and water-resistant Schoeller Dryskin Extreme fabric, a mix of natural fibers. The shirt's 100% cotton fibers have a "NanoSphere" treatment designed to reduce wrinkles and keep moisture away.
Likes: The pants work great, are quite comfortable and look good enough for informal work environments. The expensive Schoeller material has a flexibility that does not impede pedaling motion and positioning, a breathability that minimizes sweating and superb durability. The shirt is stylish and comfy, with a hooded pocket that prevents small objects from spilling out and extra volume in the shoulder blades to allow unencumbered riding in the standard lean-forward cycling position. As advertised, it does not wrinkle easily and seems to soak up less sweat than cotton would.
Dislikes: At these prices, you don't want to spill coffee on them.
Price: $180 (pants), $165 (shirt). (347) 688-5435; http://www.outlier.cc
Quicker zipper-offer
REI Sahara Convertible Pants with No-Sit Zips: The only hiking pant you can change from long-leg to short-leg without having to remove your shoes first.
Likes: Due to an amazing, never-before-used technology — a vertical zipper — the zip-off lower legs zip off much faster. No need to sit down on a rock and take your shoes off. It saves a lot of time, especially if you have high-top boots and are carrying a pack.
Dislikes: None.
Price: $59.50. (800) 426-4840; http://www.rei.com
Light supertight
CW-X Revolution Tight: Full-leg athletic tight with variable-stretch muscle support panels that use a secret new process to cut 14% off the weight of the normal support tight by CW-X, which pioneered this type of product.
Likes: The lighter weight makes it more comfortable than the standard CW-X, which is made of a three-layer sandwich of Coolmax and polyurethane. The proprietary process uses a laser to burn off portions of the top layer where it is not needed.
Dislikes: You may have to be a sponsored Olympic-caliber athlete to justify spending an extra $100 over the regular CW-X tight to reduce its weight by 14%.
Price: $195. (212) 743-9673; http://www.cw-x.com
Wallack is the co-author of "Bike for Life: How to Ride to 100."
roywallack@aol.com
