Going by the prose on the Brooks website, they should have done it in purple. Disloyal to a generation of those toiling on the edges of the Yorkshire moors to create 'fluorescent tweed' (wool from fluorescent sheep ?) though Mark Lawrence and I may be, the garment looks to be 'a solution looking for a problem'. Now, if Burberry were to make one, with lots of jangling 100% navy bronze buckles, garish check to dazzle drivers and a $1268 price tag, they might sell one or two. I'll take orders ! Otherwise, bright yellow jackets rule on dark rainy nights. A lot of the danger to cyclists in the UK comes from the streets being made for the horse and cart, now accomodating 2 six foot wide cars with wingmirrors designed to sweep any remaining carriageway clear.....
Jon, 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.... Any chance of a translation to Yurrupean please ? !
John Purser, still sore in Sudbury England (but much cheered up by friendly chat over the ether with Billy Ketchum)
Message: 10 Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2011 22:32:05 -0800 From: Jon Spangler <jonswriter@att.net> Subject: [CR] Brooks introduces the world's most fashionable rain cape (KOF candidate) To: Dale Brown <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Message-ID: <97A13349-450A-4651-9425-2287751569E5@att.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
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
Writer/editor
Linda Hudson Writing
TEL 510-864-2144
CEL 510-846-5356
JonSwriter@att.net
http://www.linkedin.com/
Message: 13 Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2011 13:54:15 +0000 From: Mark Lawrence <mark.lawrence@firstreadthis.com> Subject: Re: [CR] Brooks introduces the world's most fashionable rain cape (KOF candidate) To: Jon Spangler <jonswriter@att.net>, Dale Brown <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Message-ID: <35ABF7BF50720C47BA9DF7AD1A6600C72794BE5A1E@PEMEXMBXVS02.jellyfishnet.co.uk.local>
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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
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