Review: Sugoi Zap bike jacket (2014)

Last year I discussed the importance of being seen by other road users and being safe from harm and the elements. Sugoi made headlines that year by announcing their Zap bike jacket, claiming to offer both. Does it live up to the promise?

FEATURES

• “Pixel” fabric appears ordinary in daylight but becomes hyper-reflective when struck by artificial light, due to embedded glass micro-beads
• Waterproof,  with storm flap and taped seams to avoid water ingress
• Internal mesh membrane
• Cycling-specific cut with dropped tail for bum coverage
• Elasticated cuffs
• Large rear pocket with Velcro closure
• Available in three colors – red, lime green, black

IMPRESSIONS

When I got this jacket, I was so intrigued by Sugoi’s reflectivity claims that I immediately put it to the test by taking photos of it with the flash off, then on.

Front view of the Zap jacket under normal light.

Front view of the Zap jacket, taken with LED flash from my cellphone.

Rear view of the Zap jacket, taken with LED flash from my cellphone.

Sure enough, the Pixel fabric is a legitimate technology that does what it says on the tin…or fabric, in this case. Under daylight or normal overhead indoor lighting, it appears like a regular jacket. Shine a focused beam of light on it, however, such as from a flash bulb or a headlight, and the whole jacket becomes dazzlingly reflective – not just one or two details. Some of the glass micro-beads can even rub off the jacket and land on your person, making you appear to have reflective spots!

Here you see the Zap jacket rolled up into a jersey pocket. Some of the glass micro-beads will slough off the jacket and onto other surfaces, as shown in this flash shot.

I’m still a firm believer in running your lights while riding in order to be visible. That said, the jacket raises your profile to a much larger extent than if you were to use safety lights alone, which are basically “point” light sources. Anything reflective still relies on other vehicle drivers actually bothering to drive with their headlights on, however.

Judging the Zap on reflectivity alone doesn’t do it justice. It’s still supposed to be a jacket after all, and one that’s supposed to be waterproof in the rain, to boot.

WATERPROOFING VS. BREATHABILITY

Now, one important thing to know before proceeding: “waterproof” as an adjective doesn’t mean no water will ingress at all. Waterproof by clothing standards means an article of fabric will stand up to a certain water pressure or volume level before it eventually wets and gets soaked through. This can be improved by taping a garment’s seams, which are the points where water can seep in first.

Conversely, cycling as an activity will inevitably result in the rider generating sweat from underneath the jacket, and the term “breathability” refers to how well an article of fabric can let this sweat out in the form of water vapor. Rain gear that isn’t breathable is akin to riding your bike while wearing a plastic bag or sheet: you may not be getting rain ingress, but you will get wet from your sweat anyway. Common features meant to improve breathability are strategically located perforations or vents that are either fixed or can be opened and closed at will.

As you can see, waterproofing and breathability are two opposing sides of the same coin, and so each rain jacket out there is a compromise between the two conflicting goals.

The insulating ability of the material also comes into play here, to an extent. As long as you are moving on the bike, less breathability can be a positive factor if it means you can comfortably maintain your body’s warmth and guard against the wind getting in. This temperature regulation is why a good cycling rain jacket will keep you from catching a cold when riding, even when you’re sweating.

BEYOND THE REFLECTIVITY

So, having said all that, how does the Zap do? Pretty well, I should say.

The Zap jacket I have is a size XL. A little long on the sleeves and just a bit baggy in fit.

Note the dropped tail.

With the reflectivity working you can see the dropped tail much better. No photo manipulation here, folks – this photo is straight from my cellphone.

The jacket under review is a size XL. For someone like me, 5’7″ with a bit of a gut, perhaps the smaller size L is a better fit if you want your cycling jackets close-cut, but the XL is still a decent fit. The Zap has the classic dropped tail hem, which provides coverage for your bum while you’re bent over a road bike and pedaling or sprinting away. That dropped tail also houses a large single rear pocket with a Velcro flap closure, wide enough to swallow three granola bars side by side – or your phone and wallet. The cuffs are elasticated, which can cinch up the fit around the wrists, but I wish they had a Velcro or drawstring closure instead for more adjustability.

That rear pocket is the width of three granola bars. Pretty large.

Reflective granola bars anyone?

I’ve worn the Zap in quite a few rides where the rain was pouring at moderate strength for an extended amount of time. Worn with a cycling jersey, arm warmers, and a Uniqlo AIRism shirt as a base layer, it’s quite amazing how well and for how long it could keep the rainwater at bay. Given that level of rain, it would take 90-100 minutes of continuous riding before the arms and shoulders start getting damp from the rainwater – and you’d feel it, as it will be colder and clammier to the touch than the sweat you’re generating.

The Firefly Brigade’s March 2015 Critical Mass Ride, here passing SM City Sucat on a rainy morning. I’m the rider with the yellow helmet, and while riding at a slow pace, the Zap jacket kept me comfortably dry. Photo courtesy of the Firefly Brigade.

That said, on the scale of compromise between waterproofing and breathability, the Zap leans more toward the former. The Pixel fabric and interior fleece mesh lining excel at insulation and trapping your body heat to keep your core warm and comfortable. It also means the Zap really is a jacket for sustained rain and cold, gloomy conditions. There are no underarm perforations or added zippers to open for more breathability when needed; if you get too hot under the collar, your only option is to open the main zip. Given how warm it can get in the Philippines, this is a minor letdown for people expecting to wear the Zap year-round for better visibility at night. It’s fairly bulky rolled up in a jersey pocket, so not the most “packable” jacket out there, and the storm flap is a little strange and unwieldy in that it sits on the left side of the jacket, rather than parallel to the zipper on the right side as on most others.

VERDICT – YEA OR NAY?

Given how well it delivers on its promises, however, the Sugoi Zap jacket is a very good piece of cycling kit, one of those investment-grade items worth saving up for. It should last you years if taken care of properly, and it’s a useful addition to any cyclist’s wardrobe.

Perhaps subsequent versions of the Zap can incorporate more ways of tweaking the fit and better breathability, or it may even spawn a lightweight windbreaker version for more everyday use as a bike commute garment.

Hands-on review: Feedback Sports bike maintenance app (Android)

When was the last time you changed out your bike’s cables, lubed your chain, or checked the thickness of the brake pads? If you ride your bikes often, chances are you’ll want to keep tabs on their maintenance.

Many people have smartphones these days, and “there’s an app for that” is a popular reply for many potential problems. As it turns out, it also applies for bicycle maintenance. Feedback Sports, a company famous for its repair workstands and bicycle tools, now has an eponymous, free app that lets you focus on just that.

REQUIREMENTS

• Operating system: Android 4.0 and up; iOS 7.0 and up
• Resources: 9.4 MB for Android; 15.5 MB for iOS

Clicking on the (i) opens the Bike Profile screen with your input details.

INITIAL SETUP AND USE

You start by making a “profile page” for each of your bikes.  The profile contains your bike’s name, make, model and serial number; purchase details; fit specifications; stats such as distance run and weight; and a portrait (vertically oriented) photo of the bike.

If you have multiple bikes you can see all of their profile pages in the My Bikes tab.

You can also switch between your bikes on the home screen by swiping left and right.

Once you have a profile page for your bike, you can now add components in the Component List screen. These fall under one of six categories:

• Frame, Fork and Headset
• Drivetrain
• Handlebar, Saddle and Seatpost
• Wheels and Tires
• Brakes
• Accessories

Under each of these categories, there are several more specific sub-categories of parts; e.g. the “Wheels and Tires” category has hubs, rims, spokes, tires and tubes. Each item will have the date added, as well as optional details like weight, cost, and extra details in the description.

The initial entry of all these bike components into the app is admittedly a bit of a tedious grind, especially since modern bikes have a bevy of them. If you’re a completionist, a typical bike will have twenty to thirty entries in the Component List screen alone. The good news is you have to do this only once. The only time you’ll have to revisit this screen for editing is if you add new components and/or remove old one when they get replaced.

Feedback Sports also allows you to export the Component List in the app as a CSV file for easy editing in a spreadsheet program, such as Microsoft Excel or LibreOffice Calc.

THE APP AS MAINTENANCE MINDER

Once you’ve input the details of your bike, you can now make use of the Maintain screen to input maintenance records. As with the Component List screen, Feedback Sports classifies maintenance records under the six main component categories and their sub-categories. From there, you enter the maintenance date, a top-level description of the maintenance done to that particular part, and a more detailed description if you so choose.

Editing an existing maintenance record. Funny enough, you can’t delete any of them.

Before you save each new maintenance record, you’re given the option to set a date-based maintenance reminder for that particular item. This will show up on the Reminders screen as a checklist organized by date. This is helpful for such periodic maintenance jobs such as checking chain wear or overhauling your wheel hubs.

The Reminders tab with all the reminders you’ve set up per bike. A reminder will disappear when you tap it as “checked.” It will disappear after you leave this screen.

Once you’ve saved enough maintenance records, they show up on the Maintenance Records screen. From here, you can see at a glance just how long you’ve been riding with old, corroded cables and a neglected chain. You can also filter through the records to search for particular maintenance jobs. As with the Components list, you can also export your maintenance history as a CSV file.

The Maintenance Records screen.

FINAL THOUGHTS

My complaints are few. There doesn’t seem to be a way of removing a maintenance record you’ve entered as a test value, or by mistake – any maintenance records you input and save seem permanent. Also, this app isn’t smart enough to associate ridden distances (or “odometer readings” if you prefer) to wear components such as chains – not by itself, anyway. If that’s how you roll, you’ll have to do that in a roundabout way, via the description field provided for each component.

Finally, while the app allows exporting of data as standard CSV files, it doesn’t seem to allow importing them into the app. Not everybody has the patience for the tedium of such data entry using a smartphone.

Overall, I like the Feedback Sports app. It’s not flashy and its no-frills approach may be a little boring, but over a few months of use it’s been very helpful in keeping track of my bikes’ consumables. It’s the not-so-sexy stuff, like brake and shift cables, brake pads and the chain, that contribute the most to how your bike actually feels to ride, so keeping an eye on their condition pays off in the end for people who ride their bikes often. It’s a good tool to use for the maintenance-minded among us riders.

The MIT V8

First, some introductory notes.  I started biking as a kid using what is now called “play bikes”.  Then in college, took up biking more seriously as a roadie but stopped when work got in the way.   Took it up again several years ago as a MTB rider and last year joined the folding bike “fad”.

My first folding bike was a Tern Link C-7 which I upgraded until literally only the frame and fork remained stock.  Several acquisitions followed, the most notable of which was a “surplus” brompton.  These were the two folding bikes which I used frequently because of different reasons.  I liked the capability of the tern to be upgraded to a 20 speed bicycle, but i also liked the portability and compact fold of the brompton.  If only there was a way to marry both– that would be perfect for my needs.

Enter the MIT or what used to be called the Flamingo.  Early write-ups said that it possessed the brompton fold, with capability of installing a front derailleur (FD) and rear derailleur (RD) as well as quick release hubs.   Needless to say,  I awaited the availability of the MIT from the local distributor DNC with bated breath.  When it arrived, I got one the second day it was available making me one of the first to adopt this bike. I was so excited about finally getting it that straight out of the box I installed some of the parts from my tern link and brompton resulting in this mutant of a v8. maybe it should be called a MIT v20–

first to go was the mickey mouse handlebar. i got the straight bar from my tern, and even installed the stem extender to make the bar higher (and just because i wanted to use it ) installed cheap orange sapience foam grip for picture taking purposes. i took the trigger shifters from the tern and replaced the sram grip shift (which i never liked) the funky taiwanese silver brake levers were replaced with more dignified looking shimano brake levers

the mit frame has a mount for the brompton style carrier block but alas, if you install the brompton block it will hit the stock front brake. Btw, it boggles the mind why the mit designers used a caliper style brake in the front and vbrakes in the back, especially when i was told the older flamingo had v brakes installed at the back of the fork. this would have been a better implementation. anyway to be able to install a carrier block to the frame, i also installed a brompton brake on the fork. at the back i installed the XT vbrake from my tern.

i also installed the drivetrain from the tern which is made up of the ounce 56/46 crank with outboard BB, sora FD and zee RD. at first, i expected to have to use the litepro hubs from the tern but surpisingly the stock 8 speed hub of the MIT accomodated the 11-32 SLX hub i was using. joy all around. the stock MIT had an “extender” added to the SRAM RD which serves as a chain tensioner. i noticed that on the stock SRAM RD it was positioned at 90 degrees angle in relation to the RD arm. so i just installed it the way it was on the Zee RD and encountered no problems whatsoever.

BTW the MIT has chosen hubs as stock. very nice. changed the silver spokes and nipples to black ones though.

at first i stripped it down because i wanted easy access to the brakes and drivetrain while i was testing it. climbed and descended on my usual haunts in east rizal for the  first three days.  the bike was a headturner and people couldnt help themselves from approaching me and asking how much the bike was (its not for sale). people from across the street in the climb up to antipolo kept shouting “ang ganda ng bike mo sir!” well with hinge locks like this it really is stunning

of course, for folding bikes, the brooks saddle is mandatory!

none of the parts i installed interfered with the awesome fold.

testing done and no problems, i reinstalled the rack and fenders. initially i installed the brompton ez wheels on the frame and rack but i didnt like the way they rolled so i installed those skate wheels from kids skates. couldnt find any orange ones so had to make do with  blue. if you notice i also installed the clipless eggbeater pedals i love.

the old and the new–

a few hundred kilometers and several months later, i have the following impressions:

1.  the plastic washer/bolt assembly that holds the suspension block to the frame is a piece of useless crap that will easily break. better replace it with a metal washer/nut combo. this upgared part, sadly is not available from the distributor but is easily DIYed.

2. the lock which holds the suspension block and rear triangle is quite ugly and cumbersome, when i have the time i will try to find a way to retrofit the much better designed brompton lock.

3. the chain retention device that bolts on to the RD is prevented from moving too far into the bike by a headless screw that protrudes into the open space of the RD arm. pretty flimsy if you ask me as that part is subject to a considerable amount of stress. after several climbs up the rizal area, as expected i lost (probably broke off) that headless screw. but as all bikers know, the do-it-all cable tie is your best friend. i just threaded a cable tie through the hole that used to hold the screw and viola it works even better than before.

4. though the sram RD is a fine piece of eqpt. you gotta swap it out for a short cage RD. I cannot over-emphasize that the best RD for the job is the 11-36 cog capable AM Zee  RTD (or if youve got good legs the DH version zee) shifting is a joy.

5. for my body size, swapping a straight bar even with the stem extender puts me in too much of an aggressive position. i put back the M bar.

i think ive got enough hours on this bike to say that its got all the attributes i am looking for.

its got the compact fold i love in the brompton.
its very easy to take out the back wheel, an area in which the brompton fails.
its not too heavy (though not too light either with fenders and rack installed)
its easy to carry, which i love in the brompton.
its easy to push like a trolley, which i love in the brompton.
its got the capability of going dual crank that i love in my tern.
its got the versality to swap out parts and upgrade that i love in my tern.
its not too prohibitively expensive, that i love in my tern.

in short, its got all the good qualities i love in my tern and love in my brompton but not much of the bad qualities of either.

is it a surprise that i have already sold both my tern and  my brompton?

So you want a folding bike, huh?

No doubt about it, folding bikes came on in a huge way in 2013, and all signs point to this new category of bicycle increasing in popularity. More people are getting bitten by the cycling bug and many of them are looking at folding bikes as the way to go.

So, as a prospective buyer, you ask – which folding bike is for me?

Be aware that with any folding bike, you are essentially juggling two things – the “folding” bit and the “bike” bit. The frame and wheel size determines a lot of what you can and can’t do with a folding bike, so let’s start with that. This isn’t meant to be a definitive guide, but should serve as a primer for the prospective folding bike buyer.

For me, there are three general categories of folding bikes and they are classified by the diameters of the wheels they run.

1. 16″ and smaller
2. 20″
3. 24″ and larger

FOLDING BIKES WITH 16″ AND SMALLER WHEELS

A limited edition 2012 “Jubilee” Brompton M3L – the archetypal 16″ folding bike.
Photo courtesy of the Brompton website.

These are usually “last mile” bikes. They are perfect for bimodal commuting (bike + public transport) because they can fold into a super-compact package, so you could hop on a bus or train, get off a station, then pedal the proverbial “last mile” to your destination. Because of this heavy slant towards portability, however, they are also limited in ability. Some 16″ bikes don’t have multiple gears, and the small wheel size means they are more susceptible to road acne and potholes. Those that do have gearing, like Bromptons, usually resort to internal gear hubs (IGH) which tend to be a niche item in the Philippines, although there’s a growing number that use conventional derailleur drivetrains. Lastly, the small tires and wheels also have more rolling resistance, so don’t expect big speed out of a 16″ bike.

One huge upside for such small wheeled bikes is how maneuverable they are in tight spaces – such as filtering between stopped cars at a red light.

Some notable examples:

• Dahon Jifo
• Dahon Dove
• Doppelganger 100-series
• Bike Friday Tikit
• Brompton (all variants)
• MIT V8
• Flamingo London NX7
• Strida (16″ variants)

FOLDING BIKES WITH 20″ WHEELS

Dahon Mu P8 – a typical 20″ folding bike.
Photo courtesy of the Dahon Bikes website.

The overwhelming majority of folding bikes come with 20″ wheels; this size is shared with BMX bikes and children’s mountain bikes. They tend to be quite versatile, and for many people, they can easily become an “only bike.” Many of them have geared drivetrains, easy-to-find tires and inner tubes, a decent turn of speed, good acceleration and uphill climbing ability, and better protection from road bumps and ruts. They don’t fold into as small a package, but they can still be brought on the MRT/LRT as 20″ is the largest size of folding bike these trains will take.

With a 20″ folding bike, you can still cut your path through narrow gaps in stopped vehicular traffic. When the lights turn green, a fit cyclist with correct pedaling technique can power the same bike to a sprint of 35-40 km/h and maintain an average speed of 17-20 km/h on flat terrain. When the roads go uphill, the same rider on the same bike can outclimb mountain bikes – and there are even a few 20″ folding bikes that have MTB-style suspension, too. Other 20″ folding bikes even swing to the other side and are essentially portable road bikes, built for small-wheeled speed. This size is the happy median between “folding” and “bike.”

Some notable examples:

• Rhine Birdy
• Doppelganger 200-series
• Bike Friday New World Tourist
• SGM Storm series/Light Storm
• Dahon Speed/Vitesse/Vybe/Eco + Tern Link
• Dahon Mu/Vector + Tern Verge
• Dahon Jetstream
• Anemos Z20 “Zippy”
• Peerless Firebird

FOLDING BIKES WITH 24″ AND LARGER WHEELS

Montague Paratrooper: the quintessential folding mountain bike with 26″ wheels.
Photo courtesy of militarybikes.com

At this size, you’re swinging more toward a full-sized bike, and less toward a folding one.  Even folded, a 24″ or bigger folding bike is just more cumbersome to carry and stow away compared to its 20″ brethren. You also lose the close-quarters maneuverability you would’ve enjoyed in a smaller-wheeled bike. The upside is that there is less unfamiliarity for those transitioning from a normal bike. There will be less of the twitchy, darty steering feel of 16″ and 20″ folding bikes, since the handlebars are no longer as far away from the front wheel. The larger wheels themselves will also reduce rolling resistance and aid in momentum, so sustaining higher speeds on these machines will take less effort.

Since there is less emphasis on the folding side of the equation, many 24″ and larger folding bikes are built with toughness and stiffness in mind. The prime example of this is Montague’s Paratrooper and Paratrooper Pro, which is a full-sized 26″ hardtail mountain bike that just so happens to fold around its seat tube. Such a design eliminates potential flexing of the frame, compared to many other folding bikes which “break” the main frame tube in half.

Some notable examples:

• Montague Paratrooper/Paratrooper Pro (26″)
• Tern Eclipse + Dahon Ios (24″)
• Dahon Jack/Matrix/Cadenza + Tern Joe (26″)
• Doppelganger 806 Squalo (700C/29″)

So that’s it, the three general types of folding bikes.  “Which one is best for me?” you may ask. Only you know the answer to that question. Make a note of what your folding bike is intended to do, then shop accordingly. Good luck!

Animo! Zippy!

Animo! Zippy!  an Anemos Zippy bike project by Dan Taytay
Re-posted from http://www.pinoymtbiker.org/forum/showthread.php?p=643788#post643788

After acquiring a Tern folding bike, i bought several others mostly ones with interesting folds.

I was intrigued by the Anemos Zippy but didnt rush out to buy one, mainly because I was skeptical of the folding fork. Still the unique fold of the Anemos lingered in my mind. Recently someone (i think hes the distributor of peerless bikes) sold his Zippy frame fork stem and crank. It was a perfect offer because i could build it up cheaply with available parts. if i didnt like it, i could easliy sell it without getting too big a hit.

After logging a few hundred kilometers in east rizal, however i realized that the folding fork is no cause for concern. The zippy is a keeper and so is worthy of better parts. Thus the fun began…

Started with decent hubs. The fork of the zippy accepts road/mtb hubs and it was a challenge to get hubs with the same holes as the newson rims. eventually i found a pair in the perfect color.

laced them to newson rims with cst tires with yellow trim.

I didnt like the feel of the hard plastic rollers, so i replaced them with the rubber wheels from a kid’s shoe-skate. replaced the seatpost clamp with red GUB ones, just for accent. of course you gotta have that VW emblem…

during the cheap build, i opted to retain the stock single crank. had a lot of dropped chain instances. so decided to go dual, since there is a built in FD hanger on the frame. my tern already has the ounce 56-46 crank, so i decided to install a shimano 105 crank in this one, just to be able to compare the ride.

the drive train is controlled by shimano flat bar road trigger shifters, just like the ones used in the tern verge p18…very smooth…

the intriguing folding fork…

animo! zippy!