10 Great Value SkiBike Essentials - # 7 Columbia Salopettes
Posted: Saturday, 28 April 2012 by Mark Kinnon in Labels: D.I.Y., SkiBike, Skibob
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I want to pay tribute to 10 excellent items that I have used whilst skibiking, they didn't cost much and have all delivered fantastic value for money.
All of them cost under £60, to stay in budget, some had to be bought from secondhand from eBay, usually in nearly new condition having seen a weeks use or less. SkiBike related bargains are out there to be had, providing you buy at the end of the winter season right through to late September.
Item: Columbia Salopettes
Price Paid: under £20
What was so good about this item then?
These Columbia brand salopettes were bought from eBay lightly used and in as new condition. Bought brand new, they would have gone over the £60 limit of this feature.
They are lightweight with an amazingly water proof shell* and a fuzzy, very warm inner lining. It is so cosy, that it is like walking around in a sleeping bag all day. They feature good sized pockets where you would expect them to put things and quality zips to keep them there. Being Columbia they incorporate technical features, such as, snow gaiters to stop the tops of your boots filling up with snow and getting damp as a result. There is plenty of articulation in the legs without becoming flappy in a breeze.
* I have used these for sailing too, believe me, sailing in the English Channel in December or the Baltic in April is much colder than skibiking.
Any gripes or whinges about this item?
On their first outing I made a visit to a newly surfaced dry slope with a very abrasive surface, 2 bad falls shreded the outer layer and my keys wore their way almost all the way through the exposed pocket material. I was able to make crude but effective repairs afterwards, but the same could have happened on rocks or icy snow. They have strenghtened sections around the knees and ankles but could really do with having something similar on the upper thighs. They didn't come with braces, nor could I find anywhere to button them on, not ideal.
All of them cost under £60, to stay in budget, some had to be bought from secondhand from eBay, usually in nearly new condition having seen a weeks use or less. SkiBike related bargains are out there to be had, providing you buy at the end of the winter season right through to late September.
Item: Columbia Salopettes
Price Paid: under £20
What was so good about this item then?
These Columbia brand salopettes were bought from eBay lightly used and in as new condition. Bought brand new, they would have gone over the £60 limit of this feature.
They are lightweight with an amazingly water proof shell* and a fuzzy, very warm inner lining. It is so cosy, that it is like walking around in a sleeping bag all day. They feature good sized pockets where you would expect them to put things and quality zips to keep them there. Being Columbia they incorporate technical features, such as, snow gaiters to stop the tops of your boots filling up with snow and getting damp as a result. There is plenty of articulation in the legs without becoming flappy in a breeze.
* I have used these for sailing too, believe me, sailing in the English Channel in December or the Baltic in April is much colder than skibiking.
Any gripes or whinges about this item?
On their first outing I made a visit to a newly surfaced dry slope with a very abrasive surface, 2 bad falls shreded the outer layer and my keys wore their way almost all the way through the exposed pocket material. I was able to make crude but effective repairs afterwards, but the same could have happened on rocks or icy snow. They have strenghtened sections around the knees and ankles but could really do with having something similar on the upper thighs. They didn't come with braces, nor could I find anywhere to button them on, not ideal.
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| The English Channel in December - colder than skibiking |
