Sugoi RS Flex Review

[Grog]

Grog - unfortunately, I wear L in Ibex. There are some Ibex groupies on TE, someone might help you out.

If you ever want something and want to try it on, come on down to Seattle and one of us here can tell you what bike shops carry Ibex. Could turn it into a shopping trip and bike ride with the Seattle bunch! You could also try calling the bike shops in Bellingham (especially Fairhaven Bicycles and Kushan Cycles) and see if they have Ibex. Less of a trek for you than Seattle.

The Ibex stuff is on its way back to Vermont. Too bad.

I'm in for a ride around Seattle in the early fall though! There's a few of us in the PNW isn't there? Seattle could be a good halfway point for most of us.

[Nanci]

The Sugoi RS Flex shorts went on their first long ride yesterday. 140 miles, 10 or more hours on the bike. No complaints. They have officially replaced Trashy Cat as the perfect short. I did not have one single urge to pull at them, or shift them around, or adjust them, or anything for the entire ride. I _really_ paid attention to how they were feeling after 80 miles or so since it was their test ride- they felt like a second skin. In 95F and 98 dropping to 50% humidity, with two periods of rain, I didn't get any heat rash or problems from the elastic, either.

One thing I did differently than usual was to use some Brave Soldier Friction Zone spread on pretty much everything "down there" to protect from salt/sweat. (Not on the perfect chamois, though- I wear Patagonia seamless panties- can't handle going commando). I put it on after each potty break, so every 25-30 miles or so. I never had the "peeing razor blades" sensation at any time, and when the ride was over, a close inspection (so I could compare to times when I _didn't_ use a chamois cream) revealed no visible damage- no rubbed off areas, no inflammed follicles- nothing. Yes, this morning on my recovery ride I felt like I had been on a bike for a long time yesterday, but I wouldn't even go so far as to call the condition painful- more like a little sensitive. So that was good, too. Brave Soldier Friction Zone smells _wonderful_ and doesn't have lanolin, and is what I would call semi-greasy, and is "tingly" but not numbing when put on.

Nanci

[polaris]

I've been searching for a perfect short since spring. I lost a few pounds over the winter due to illness and my medium shorts no longer fit, especially my favourite Sugois & MECs (Mountain Equipment Co-op here in Canada). They'd be fine for a 30k ride, but after that I started having problems with short-shifting.

I only started having a problem with fit as I started riding longer distances this year. What's comfortable for 30-40 km becomes a real problem around 50k and a major issue at 80+.

I tried Pearl Izumis (C$70), Specialized (C$50) and 8-panel MECs ($59), all in a size Small which is supposed to fit 36" +/- hips. The Pearls are too long (would make a great boob tube), plus a big waddy pad, the Specialized are pretty good (red chamois) but the fabric is a bit too stretchy. The MECs in the Small are a bit snug around the upper hip (makes pee breaks difficult) and the Medium, which I bought last year and fit perfectly then, are now a bit too loose around the waist. Too bad they don't have the drawstring waist like the Sugoi as their pad is terrific.

HOWEVER, the Sugois are JUST RIGHT! The pad fits snug to the body and doesn't shift, the fabric has just the right amount of stretch and the body length is just right for this short-waisted woman. I've ridden over 100k wearing these shorts with absolutely no shifting/discomfort. When I wore them for the first time and they passed the 50k test, I knew I had a winner.

The downside is that they are $119 a pair + shipping but NO tax at cyclepath.ca, the best price I've found so far - do I buy another pair and make sure I don't gain any weight over the winter, or take the chance that next year's model will be even better but probably more expensive. I can't believe I paid that much for a pair of shorts - I wouldn't pay that for a pair of pants!

[Nanci]

I love these shorts, too. I wonder what they are going to change. Probably the fabric, which is so nice...Hopefully not the chamois.

[Surlygirl]

I also loved the Rs Flex shorts. They are by far the most expensive shorts I've owned and the most comfortable. The only bad thing was I sat down on my porch and when I stood up I noticed they had two small holes and an abraded area around them on the inner thigh. I had only worn them twice so I don't think is was a wear issue. I don't think I snagged them on the porch and and it just seemed strange. Hopefully this was just a freak thing and I think I'll order another pair but wondering also if they are changing the material or the chamois for 07 and if I should wait. Usually I find something I like and then they change it.

Anyone else have these issues or is it just me? Susan do you know what the changes in the 07 will be?

[Susan Otcenas]

Yup.

The fabric is unchanged. The chamois IS changing. The 2006 chamois had sporadic delamination problems (the top layer de-laminating from the next layer) so I think this is part of an attempt to fix that.

I was out on an organized century ride yesterday and I saw TONS of people wearing Sugoi shorts, especially the RS Flex. Popular short, for sure! (I had mine on too. )

Susan

[Running Mommy]

I just ordered a pair in my XL big butt size..
Funny I was looking at them last week but I had paid a bunch of bills, so the pocket book was lean. This week I made sure to add THEM into the budget!!
I have a pair from 04 or 05 and I LOVE them!! They were my shorts of choice for the Ironman.