Pearl Izumi P.R.O. Softshell Tights

My pair of Pearl Izumi P.R.O. cycling tights have been performing ‘brilliantly’.

And that’s just the reflective panels.

I’ve been wearing them in a variety of conditions (from drizzly rain to biting cold) and all is going well. I’m a little bit at a loss for words as to what to write, but that’s a good thing as far as I’m concerned.

When a quality product does what its supposed to do, especially something like cycling tights, they really shouldn’t be something that you’re constantly ‘aware’ off. Poorly performing tights would be binding on the calves, rubbing the inner thighs with poorly stitched seams, or in some other way, demanding attention.

Not so with these high quality bicycling tights.

They did catch my attention the other morning when I spent two hours riding when the temperature was in the 30’s. What I noticed was that my knees felt warmer than the rest of my legs.

And that’s a good thing.

Here’s how Pearl Izumi describes it…’windproof laminate overlay on knee and calf is breathable and adds additional warmth’. Well, sure enough, it works. It took some biting cold (the wind chill adds the teeth to it) to really appreciate the extra knee technology, but appreciate it, I did.

MicroSensor vs. UltraSensor

A word about MicroSensor technology. With so many different fiber technologies floating around, there is some confusion regarding which fabric does which function. Here’s how it works with Pearl Izumi…

UltraSensor is a moisture-transfer fabric which features a one-way capillary action.

In other words, your disgusting sweat moves out into the atmosphere, contributing to man-made global warming, while the sweet moisture from natural rainfall never reaches you.

But in the case of the Pearl Izumi P.R.O. softshell tights, you aren’t dealing with UltraSensor fabric, but instead, MicroSensor fabric.

MicroSensor fabric performs very similarly, but the fabric transfers moisture at a 15-20% increased rate.

All I know is that my sweat wasn’t up against my skin, and my knees were warm.

What About Bibs, Stirrups, and… Oh, A Chamois?

I’ve got a real affinity for bib shorts. I like a system that keeps the chamois up where it belongs.

This pair of tights isn’t of the ‘bib’ variety, but I haven’t had any problems, maybe because these tights don’t have a chamois either. The system is to wear the shorts of your choice (in my case, bib shorts), and put the tights on over the shorts.

One advantage to this system is that you aren’t having to throw your nice tights into the washer to be mauled by the agitators after every ride.

Stirrups keep the tights pulled tight from the bottom, but they add some extra annoyance in the shoe. This pair of tights has no stirrups, so while they aren’t pulled down as diligently, they stay down adequately with the rubberized grippers.

Lighting Up!

Reflection is essential in the low light conditions of winter months and these tights have some very effective reflective material at the bottom of the legs. I’m always amazed at how bright reflective panels can be at dusk/night. Add to this brightness all of the movement associated with pedaling, and all but the most brain-dead of motorists should see a rider in these tights.

What to do about the 16.4% of motorists who have been registered as certifiably brain-dead?

I don’t know.