Hi Jon and listers,
just in case anyone is planning a trip to Oxford, and was about to drop $268 on a fancy Brooks Oxford Cape so that they look the part, I can tell you with utter confidence that no-one ever wears rain capes here.
I'm sure you already know, rain capes are the aerodynamic equivalent of one of those drag parachutes they use to slow down speedway cars.
I have always found that a belted cotton mix trench coat is really good for short commutes through rain, or for longer rides a close fitting cotton Ventile jacket.
Less conservative Oxford cyclists (who are in the majority here) wear bright yellow cycling jackets. This is mainly because the roads are narrow and they are continually jostling with cars.
I must say that I find that reinvention of Brooks as a heritage-style design house is becoming increasingly irksome to me.
They should be able to come up with something that is more practical, after all, that is what Brooks was originally all about.
Best wishes, Mark
Mark Lawrence Oxford United Kingdom
-----Original Message----- From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org [mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org] On Behalf Of Jon Spangler Sent: 11 January 2011 06:32 To: Dale Brown Subject: [CR] Brooks introduces the world's most fashionable rain cape (KOF candidate)
Listers,
As one who used Burley Bev's rain capes and half-a-gaitors extensively in Eugene, OR, years ago (pre-Gore-tex and well within the CR timeline) this new/old fashion entry took me back a ways....
The latest rain cape from Brooks is absolutely the most fashion-forwad cyclist's rain cape that I have ever seen. Very retro, too, and definitely a KOF-qualifier as such with the waxed cotton and tweed trim.
I'm sure the price will be suitably astronomical, too, but many of our "tweedier" riders may still go for it....
http://blog.brooksengland.com/
Nostalgically yours from Alameda, CA USA,
Jon Spangler who is hurting, indeed, over the University of Oregon's loss tonight in the absolutely non-KOF BCS despite the fact that the BCS itself is heretical....
Jon Spangler
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