Recently, the Spindleros have been expanding the brands we carry as well as our retail space to include a cafe with a kitchen full of pop ups and a sundry of pies and pastries from Tinkertown pies. Though we always allocate time to ride, gathering our scattered thoughts on paper has been a bit difficult. Luckily, we have amazing friends willing to put our recent brands through the ringer.

Recently, Chris Scott Smith from the Toecutters, a bikepacking and touring crew, took some notes on his tried and tested Topo Designs Climb shorts. We had the privilege to shoot him and extreme model and filmmaker, Jay Ritchey for the review to coincide with his recount. Enjoy this in all its glory!

Topo Design Climb Shorts

I’ve always been on a constant search to find a pair of pants or shorts that feel comfortable while riding a bike. I have certain requirements and needs, unfortunately everything has fallen short.
My requirements are simple enough. Something sturdy, made out of material that can withstand miles in the saddle and has deep enough pockets while showing off my gams. The last requirement being the most important. See, for me, I see all these shorts designed for cyclist, mountain bikers and tourers and my main issue is that they always end either just on the knee or perhaps a little longer than the knee. The problem is, with every pedal-stroke, I hate that constant feeling that you are wearing shorts as the hem kind of drags on your knee. To me, that just isn’t comfortable and it’s another area for possible hot spots. Plus I’m pretty sure fashion trends in men’s shorts are going the way of shorter shorts.  Now, there are commuter shorts out there or even touring shorts but in my search I just haven’t come across anything that doesn’t wear out over a short amount of time, stitching coming apart or fades after a couple miles in the saddle.

Enter the Topo Design Climb Shorts. The climb shorts were designed for scrambling around rock cliffs because of the high range of motion they provide. If you are like me, you aren’t dumb enough to climb to stupid heights clinging for your life on the side of a mountain and prefer to stick to a leisurely jaunt on two wheels… on the ground…..where it’s safe.

I found these shorts after seeing them on a friend. He let me borrow his (as most teenagers do) and I found them liberating. The shorts are made from a cotton and Lycra blend. The Lycra is only 2% but it gives these shorts a nice stretch in the legs while pedaling. They feature a button pocket and a zipper pocket which will ensure your wallet doesn’t fall out while heading the bar.

In the saddle, they don’t give me that bunching which causes uncomfortable fabric rub in the seat of my buns. Also, they fulfill my most important requirement of being short so everyone can admire my powerful stallion legs.

There are several other features on these shorts that are beneficial to cyclist making these more versatile than the climbing they were made for. Since the shorts have a more traditional form fitting fit but the gusseted crotch not only allows for more range of motion for those pedaling legs but helps against wear and tear over time from long rides. The side hand pockets are deep to keep your cellphone safely in your pocket.

One thing Topo is also known for is the built-in cinch belts on their pants and shorts. Riding around town or on tours, most of your favorite pair of shorts require the use of a belt. Anything with a large belt buckle can tend be too bulky riding around. The cinch belt simplifies the experience allowing for pulling up, hooking the T-lock fastener and heading out the door. It also allows you to hike up your trousers and and cinch em tight without having to stop.

They come in several, non-offensive colors but the red belt gives them a pop. Even though they come in darker colors, after several hundred miles and almost a year later I haven’t noticed much discoloration or fading in the seat of the pants. These pants are awfully tough, as well. I have yet to experience any tears or threading coming undone.

Here are my gripes though:

Sizing: There are only 4 sizes (small, Medium, large, Xlarge) This is due to the fact of the cinch belt allowing for them to fit a wide range of waists. For me I had a little bit of difficulty finding the right size. I bought several of their pants and shorts and between them I found different sizes fit better. Typically, I’m a 32”-33” and thinking most of my pants fall in the medium range found the medium to be really constricting. I switched to a large and have had no problem. Since I am in the lower size of the large range, they tend to stretch a little much after use so I’m having to cinch the belt a bit more often.

Fabric: This one isn’t that big of a deal because these are DURABLE. But, the material can make it get a little hot and sweaty down unda’. After a long day these will be wet and the cash in your pocket will most likely not be accepted by any gas station attendant. They also, don’t dry incredibly fast so taking a dip and jumping back on the bike is not going to be comfortable. Topo does make another short that is perfect for this but sacrifices long term durability.

Other than these two I honestly can’t say enough. I buy most of my pants from them now. Their climb pants are amazing for cold rides and have the same movement as the shorts. Both the shorts and their pants are stylish and have a slim fit making them look great on and off the bike.

Yesterday, a young man was killed by a driver who was fleeing from a police traffic stop here in Atlanta. The cyclist was hit in the bike lane, where he so called ‘belongs’. Now this incident is a little different from the norm because the driver was fleeing from the police when he hit the cyclist and was out of the usual ‘he was not where he was supposed to be’ or ‘the driver was on their phone’ or even the standard ‘I didn’t even see him’. But what was odd, but not so different, was the response it got, when I clicked to scroll through the story, hoping it wasn’t one of my friends, I told myself the same thing I tell myself I read any local article pertaining to anything cycling related…’Don’t Read the Comments’. But of course, without fail, I did.

Many of the commenter’s did not read the article at all, just readying their fingers to type any nonsense that came to mind stemming from their hate for people who ride bikes. For example, a few wrote ‘he shouldn’t have been on the road’, ‘he deserved it’, or ‘we should ban bikes from the streets’. Aside from missing the fact that the cyclist was a casualty of a driver alluding police, these people commenting in this fashion are basically saying this man does not matter. Husband? Who cares? Father? Not important, the only thing in their minds was that this gentleman was on a machine that they believe shouldn’t be on the road, even though all the traffic laws in the world say he should.

To say a human deserves to die because he/she’s commuting by bike is asinine, plain and simple. Because a person chooses to use a different form of transportation other than a car, should that person automatically deemed DOA because of his freedom of choice? Or is it because we’re so desensitized by other deaths around the world, whether it be by war, rampant murders, video games, etc. that we just blurt out the ‘they should die’ phrase without understanding what that person meant to their self and others? Did they not make someone smile? Did they not have parents that adored him/her? Or maybe even their family who won’t get to see their father/mother/brother/sister ever again?

This guy was immediately chastised because he was on a bike, didn’t matter the circumstances, didn’t matter that the driver was fleeing police, he was on the road where he shouldn’t have been and he got what was coming to him. Just because another human being wants to ride his bike to work, to clear their heads, to get exercise, why would any one get so mad at this person to suggest his/her death? Did he make you get to work 1 minute later than you wanted? Or did she make you miss that green light only to be stuck behind another car at the next light?

Now, do cyclists obey all the traffic laws? Run red lights? Roll through stop signs? Cut cars and so forth? Sure they do, shit I do (well, except cutting cars), even though I always make sure it is safe and I don’t cause an accident, which some drivers do as well, which is what it is, but some drivers are also speeding, on their phones (A LOT), and are times very angry and impatient due to sitting in traffic or other things happening in their lives. The thing is a split second bad decision due to any of these circumstances can cost another driver or cyclist their lives.

This disregard for human life is unsettling, as a commentator on Barstool Sports calls for ‘Death to cyclists’ and even made a T-shirt for it, I wonder who’s next? The College student who can’t afford parking, a father/mother who needs to bike because they can’t afford a car, the ‘New year New Me’ who is hell bent on finally losing weight in 2018 so they start commuting by bike, or me, a father of two amazing kids and a loving wife who can’t imagine not being around for them and commutes daily.

We need to stop throwing these phrases around so loosely, these cyclists are human beings, like the man asking for change in the streets, like the child starving in Sudan, like you driving your car to work everyday. No one deserves to die in any unjust fashion just because someone ‘belongs’ there and they don’t, or because they are in your way. We can start a conversation and make our cities better for all people no matter mode of transportation they have the freedom to use, or, maybe I just need to stop reading the comments…

This year has brought many great new things to the Spindle. We've opened in a new location, upped our custom bag making a thousand fold and one Spindlero brought another child into this world. While we were busy building a greater foundation for the brand, some of our friends have been conquering other goals. For instance, local legal battler, Gerry Weber, chooses exotic locales to take his gear, just for testing purposes. He's kindly lent us his skills in testing Acres Supply 14L Hydration Pack. When he's not defending artists in Atlanta or suing Athens for not allowing the likes of GWAR to play, he's getting sicky gnar gnar on trails around the world. Heres is account...

In their commitment to you the customer, The Spindle recently sponsored my 350 mile mountain bike expedition into the Mongolian steepe for the sole purpose of testing the Mission Workshop Hauser Hydration Backpack.  The rigorous test-hurdles included dust and hail storms, yak dodging exercises, sandy/rocky 20 percent downhills that produced three broken ribs for other non-Spindle riders, and an inexplicable requirement that this writer get drunk on fermented mare’s milk.   The route was all off-road (save about 10 miles of tarmac), and a mix of single track, vaguely defined jeep tracks and literally no track but a GPS coordinate.  

Before we see the Hauser in action, let’s take a tour of the bag.  The bag comes in two sizes, a ten liter and fourteen liter option, but why go small when they weigh almost the same amount?  The bag is weatherproof, and well into the water-resistant category.  Included is a tool roll, which I liked, but takes up too much room in a small bag to use for that purpose.  There are three small weatherproof pockets (one of which has pull-out straps for a roll bag or blanket) and a fourth larger pocketwith easy access to hydration.  The main pocket can roll or flat as the spirit moves you, and you can attach the helmet with ease.  The bag pocket can handle a small laptop plus papers.  Six areas in all!  The bag comes in nine colors, including some camo varieties.

The Hauser is roomy, light and comfortable.  Rarely do I use a backpack on extended bikepacking trips – the shoulders rebel.  But even packed with a (1) camera, lenses, pelican case (2) jacket and other provisions for inclement weather, and (3) a bunch of snacks: never a pained moment.  The bag felt nearly invisible due to the strapping system and perfect fit.  It was often hot, but the system separating the bag from back proved cool and far less nasty than expected. On steep descents, or dodging the various animals that crossed everywhere, the bag was fixed.  Even on a couple of oh-shit moments where death was near inevitable, the bag never sent me off a cliff or into a camel.  Yes, and one river crossing did not go so well,  but the bag’s waterproofing capabilities proved just fine for a brief dip in the river.  

The pocket system proved efficient, with just a few issues.  The main all-around back pocket is great and roomy, but remember to close it all the way, or stuff falls right out.  The camelback outside pack likely works well for that purpose, but is also your easy access to snacks and binoculars or a small camera.  I wish they had a second small side pocket.  I used one for sunglasses, but it would be nice to have another for phone which I ended up putting in a protected pocket on the inside.  Also, if they had a small add on for the belt where you could put sunscreen and bug juice, that would make sense.  While I tested the larger bag since the weight difference is small and you can never refuse extra space, The Spindle has promised a similar sponsored journey to Africa to test the smaller bag.

The Hauser has become my go-to bag for light hauling on the bike, or just rolling around town from work-to-bar-to-wherever.  The sheer comfort and practicality of the bag has replaced its larger competitors for most excursions.   

Team rider, Molly Russell, really puts in the work. She's out riding on the regs, races on the weekends and leaves the guys in her dust as she gets deeper and deeper in the CX and MTB scene. This Spindlera has been putting the ladies Kitsbow SS jacket to the test and heres what she has to say:

I’ve had this women’s Kitsbow SS jacket for a solid 3 months now and I, along with all my friends, can tell you that I wear it way too much. On my commute to work, during work, social events, on the trails, during bike races…everywhere. I love this jacket.

My favorite part about this jacket is the impressive ability to be so light and form fitting while still being wind resistant, water resistant and capable of handling temps below 40 degrees. My favorite temperature to wear this jacket in, without worrying about warm base layers, is in the upper 30s. 

With a base layer added, I’ve worn this jacket during a mountain bike race with temperatures starting in the teens with snow on the ground throughout the 17 miles and it was perfect. In contrast, in temps over 40 degrees, it’s got these awesome full length zippers near the armpits that can be zipped down or up half way or completely to allow for air flow of your preference.

My other favorite part is the large back pocket with a zipper that can fit all your bike essentials. I ride with a water bottle in the back pocket when I’m too lazy to put bottle cages on my bike. It also has hand pockets that zip closed, so you don’t have to worry about anything falling out while you’re getting rad on your bike. 

The jacket features Polartec material and has super cozy fleece on parts of the inside. All three pockets have mesh material to allow for air flow. I wouldn’t ride with anything heavy or sharp in the pockets because of the mesh, but I wouldn’t really advise riding with anything sharp or heavy in the pockets, period. I’ve fallen a few times in the jacket but it’s held up really well. Though, there is a very tiny burn hole in the jacket resulting from a bonfire ember. 

The back of the jacket seems to have that just-right length to cover your butt on the bike but still look flattering on or off the bike. I generally wear a size small for tops but for this jacket the medium worked best. The only real issue I have with the sizing is that the sleeves aren’t long enough, even with the taper, to cover my arms fully while extended- but I run into this issue often as a taller person.

Overall, I consider it a wardrobe staple and highly recommend it.

The Spindle Gravel team took it down to Monticello, FL on March 8, 2016 for the Dirt-y Pecan 60/100/150 mile unsupported ride. The team party paced through 60 miles of plantations, oak canopies, and of course, pecan orchards.

Monticello is a cool little town right over the GA/FL state line, we arrived late Friday evening, set up camp, and a couple of beers and whiskey shots later, it was time to rest up.  Rising up at 6 am to cook breakfast for the team was little rough, but Spindlero Ezz heeded the call for some tacos to get the gears moving, slowly after 7am you started to see cars and trucks with beautiful bikes strapped on and ready to get filthy!

The organizers rolled through and greeted everyone with a fierce battle cry, at the start of the race at 8, there was an estimated 250 riders ready to get going. Although the Spindle team lagged a little, due to Sharif’s inevitable mechanical failure, which we were just happy to get out of the way. Out by 8:30 on a gorgeous soon-to-be 75 degree day, we embarked on our fantastic voyage.

The route was less than 20% paved, so dirt and gravel were going to be abundant.  Pedaling through the farmlands between South Georgia and the panhandle of Florida was packed with stunning views and mixed terrain of which none of us have ever seen. The route was mostly exposed but portions of the trail was marbled with shade from the enormous tree limbs draped with Spanish Moss, lingering overhead. Excavated forest roads dug 4 feet deep through the wood exposed deep, red-orange GA clay that has been eroded over decades of sun and heavy machinery rolling through each groomed passage. The walls on these roads were enveloped with rich moss of bright greens and yellow shades. What we also found was a hybrid texture, a combination ofsand, GA red clay and water that could only be described as peanut butter. 

Most of us rode CX bikes and rolled through fine. Even Sharif and Ivan Ravioli (aka David Baker), had little trouble on the route with their All-City fixed CX bikes. Though Spindlero Andy's thoughts on choosing a 650b MTB deemed to be a bit of a sluggish decision. Being an unsupported ride everyone was well-prepared with their Spindle packs and frame bags loaded with snacks, fruit, and water. Helping immensely as the temperature rose throughout the day.

As we approached the finish, we scouted out a little farmers market that served up a sundry of local fruits, veggies and boiled peanuts which Spindlera Molly Russell and Atlanta Beltline Bicycle team rider, Zach Holmes, took back to camp.

With beautiful views and good people surrounding us, overall it was a beautiful ride. We drank the juice and are already looking forward to dirtying up our pecans for next year’s ride!  For more info on the ride please visit the Dirt-y Pecan facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/dirtypecan/?fref=ts