Pearl Izumi Balaclava - Warm and Good Looking

Balaclava is such a strange word. I must admit that I had no idea what it was when I first came across it. I thought that what I was looking for was a "facemask." You know, like one of those itchy facemasks you wore as a kid that held in your moisture-rich breath until it was soaked through. I wasn't looking for that experience again, but I was looking for something to keep my face and head warm while riding in frigid temperatures.

See, I'm going bald and the temperature I perceive it to be outside has dropped significantly since I have less hair to keep the warmth in. So, when it's cold I must have a hat on or I get instant brain freeze. Combined with my desire to go biking while it's still cold out, I needed something to maintain body temperature and stay comfortable.

Enter the Pearl Izumi Balaclava. This isn't the facemask you're used to. It is a microsensor fabric that feels like a second skin. It's lightweight, stretchable and doesn't have any itchiness or fabric-related side-effects.

The day I received mine from Performance Bicycle via Amazon it was too snowy and icy out to ride my bike. I don't have spikes in my tires (more on that in a future post) or a Pugsley like Up In Alaska (full disclosure: I don't fully know what a Pugsley is anyhow!). I just can't ride on ice and snow. Fortunately for me there was a fresh dusting of snow and a driveway to be cleared, and the temperature was below 20 so I decided to test my new balaclava.

I'm excited to announce that it worked great. I, admittedly, had doubts that the thin fabric would work to keep me warm with no hat. But it did. It was great. My head felt warm. My cheeks, nose, ears all were comfortable for the 1/2 hour I spent shoveling. I can only imagine that under more strenuous activity that I would remain warm indefinitely.

The moisture wicking is great with the PI balaclava. Breathing didn't create a surplus of moisture on the fabric and though I sweat a bit around my neck the microsensor fabric wicked it away quickly enough that it was not noticeable. It didn't leave me with a wet feeling.

The fabric is really thin. It's light, stretches, has seams but they aren't uncomfortable. It's thin enough that it fits great under a helmet with no modification of the straps or pads. That's important for those of us who are lazy and don't want to make helmet modifications between seasons.

I did wonder when putting it on if my "five o'clock shadow" would wind up, over time, degrading the fabric enough that it would break down. If it does I'll certainly report it. Until then, however, there doesn't appear to be any problem with a little stubble. The microsensor fabric slides right over it and doesn't get stuck.

The balaclava is versatile enough that it can stretch below the nose or above it. This is handy as it's not always comfortable to breathe through fabric. During my first and second ventures I tried it both ways. Above the nose and below and both were equally comfortable. It felt less constricted to have the fabric below the nose, but it was warmer to leave my nose covered and didn't present any breathing difficulty.

The other consideration for below/above is when wearing with glasses. Wearing the balaclava above the nose does cause a gap between the skin and fabric that might cause moisture-rich air to fog up glasses. I'll test that out when I have opportunity.

To close, the Pearl Izumi microsensor balaclava is a great addition to my mountain biking hobby. It'll provide me the opportunity to ride at low temperatures so I don't go crazy inside all the time. I'll have more opportunity to use it in action this spring and I'll update if necessary.


View the Pearl Izumi balaclava options on Amazon or the manufacturer.

Mountain Biking - For fun, fitness and fame

Okay, maybe not for fame unless you're the Fat Cyclist. He's famous.

For the rest of us, mountain biking offers a break from the norm. It provides the chance to get out into nature and explore at high speeds. It's challenging (depending on where you ride) and can be quite a workout. Pop in the headphones, turn on the tunes, clip in the pedals and go!

I started mountain biking two years ago and fell in love. I didn't enjoy running and I didn't particularly like to be cooped up in a gym. I wanted to get outside. I had always enjoyed biking as a kid and hadn't biked anywhere for a number of years. Plus, I wanted to spend time with friends.

Mountain biking is an affordable outdoor adventure. A basic bike, shoes and pedals, biking shorts and the like will cost less than $1000 new. You can score some deals on eBay or at a local bike swap to save a bundle.

I'll recommend a few options you may want to consider. In addition to your bike, buy some clipless pedals. They'll make a world of difference when biking - they're more stable as they bind your feet to the pedals and they're more efficient as you can pedal on the upstroke and the downstroke. There's a bunch of pedal manufacturers out there - Shimano, Crank Brothers, Time and more. I opted for the Time ATAC based on reviews I had seen. I bought them on eBay for a good discount. They've served me well, but it's largely personal preference. I have friends with Shimano and with Crank Brothers. You can read more about clipless pedals at wikipedia.

Pick up some wicking shirts (Target has some affordable ones made by Champion) that will wick away moisture from your skin. That will keep you cooler and more comfortable on your rides.

Also, invest in some wicking socks. Plain old cotton socks are okay, but when you sweat you'll feel wet. I opted for some socks made by Under Armour. They're black so they match better with my black shoes and they don't feel like my feet are soaked. They dry out quickly, but like all good wicking materials, retain the stink in a potent form. Wash thoroughly...

You'll also want to pick up a patch kit and a replacement tube. If you ride often enough it won't be long before you get stranded on the trail needing to replace a tube. You'll need a pack on your bike to put it in - and to hold keys, wallet, etc.

Lastly, buy a Camelback. It so much better to have a lot of water on your back than to run out of water in your water bottle. It's essential to replace your liquids on even short rides (anything over an hour) or you'll reduce your performance due to water loss.

You'll find good trails in pretty much every area of the country. Local parks usually have trails or you can "mountain" bike on a bike path in a pinch. When it's late and the parks are closed, I'll bike along the bike path, through parking lots, just to get out.

For my new mountain biking adventure, I've got some cold weather gear now. My new Pearl Izumi balaclava, Trek cold weather tights and Trek full-finger gloves. I went out once at about 20 degrees before I had my balaclava and learned my lesson. Since receiving my balaclava we've had too much snow to go out.

For a real adventure, there's great riding out in Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, and even on the east coast. Here in Illinois there's not much variation in terrain. I'm looking forward to going out. In the coming weeks I'll be posting a comprehensive list of biking trips and links to get your wheels turning.

What about you? Have you already gone biking? Looking to start? What do you consider some basic gear?