Hi Susan,

Again, you astonish me with your quick and comprehensive responses to your customers' needs. Thank you! On a few of your points:

Quote Originally Posted by Susan Otcenas View Post
No women's Ergos. But, on the bright side, For S'09 (which we've already received) Sidi has added a carbon sole to the Women's Genius 5 Pro Carbon http://teamestrogen.com/prodSD_1250776.html This shoe is replacing the nylon-soled women's Genius 5 (which we have on sale now, in limited sizes remaining)
What amazes me is that Sidi created the Women's Genius 6.6 and they started the sizing at 38. That is the equivalent of a 7-7.5 in standard shoe sizing. However, walk into any department store and you will see women's sizes start at 6.0 (with smaller selections at 5.5). And as anyone with smaller feet will attest to, there are just as many women fighting for the 6.5s as there are for the 8.5's at Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale!

And I know your hands are tied to whatever the manufacturer/distributer sends you, but come on.... there's no way I would pay $300-$500 for a pair of shoes with a pink sheen or with blue flowers.

If such patterns are desirable... why not just make the shoes plain and offer lycra shoe covers with different colors/designs on them? Lycra covers are cheap, easily washable and are infinitely more matchable!


Quote Originally Posted by Susan Otcenas View Post
• Safety-minded gear that not baggy and dowdy-looking.
Give me some more examples about what you're talking about here.
Ok, the standard "safety" color seems to the the same screaming yellow windvest/jacket by PI that everyone on the planet wears. It's useful and practical... but there are a lot of riders who wouldn't be caught dead riding their $6000 rigs with a flapping yellow jacket. (I go hill climbing at 4am sometimes, so I see them out there)

Why not offer accessories that are as stylish as their are functional? Keep making multi-paneled, multi-colored gloves, but add reflectors or reflective piping/fabric to the outside of the pinky finger, which will make them noticeable to a car coming up from behind you, as you are signalling.

Better yet, make matching arm warmers with the same reflectors in a bold racing stripe on the back of the arm. I have these fleecy arm warmers by Rapha:


Why can't the white portion be reflective? If multi-paneling is too expensive, why can't reflective ink be printed on to standard colored ones? I've seen little "dots" of the stuff on many jerseys... why not accessories, too? Altura has one, but I can see such a design added to the back side in bolder stripes, maybe even something tribal and cool looking.



As for jerseys, it someone can make them with multi-panels, why can't some of the the panels be made for safety-purposes as well as looking good? I love EO's Diba jersey (I own two) but when I look at my black/white one, I often ponder what it would be like if the white inserts were somehow made reflective.. it appears white in the daytime but reflects the light of oncoming cars at night. Same with the Iral knickers.


Here's another one:

Great idea. I would feel well seen in this.
But a.) it's fugly and b.) I won't wear it because it will flap like a helicopter when I ride. But I do not see how this idea cannot be modified to please the discriminating cyclist.

I can see an unexplored wilderness when it comes to other items as well: from reflective helmets with space for removeable lights/LEDs (Fizik already started it with their saddle) to reflective patches that can be velcro'd/snapped on when needed.

I guess my point is... why don't manufacturers think outside the box a bit and stop thinking that the only way to promote safety if with yellow windjackets that are as uncomfortable as they are uninspired? Safety, performance and looks do not need to be mutually exclusive.

/rant #2

Thanks for listening Susan. You're the best.