Medellin and the cycling culture
I arrived in Medellín Colombia and the cab driver who was dropping me off to my hotel asked me why I came to Colombia. I told him I wanted to hike, cycle, and do alto de letras. The man knew about letras and asked me if I knew about Rigo’s store. I did not. He then began to explain who he was and that I should check out the store. He mentioned we would drive by it since it was by my hotel. We passed by it and he pointed it out and I told him if I could take a look before going to my hotel. He said yes. I was excited and worried about my bank account.
I go in and I am greeted by a sales woman. The cab driver then tells her I’m Canadian and I’m possibly looking at buying some apparel. She starts showing me the several pieces of clothing, how they’re produced, the collaborations with other brands (chocoramo x rigo), the effective fabrics used for riding, and lots of information that she was able to provide when I asked. I started grabbing everything and brought them to the fitting room to try it all on. It all felt glorious.
All I thought about was my bank account being drained but as soon as I touched the material, put on the clothing, and did the conversion from pesos to usd, it was over. The price and fabric made me justify the bank account drainage. I bought one skin suit which cost less than my Roka skin suit, still felt premium, had similar grippers, great arm sleeves, and made me look aero for half the price Roka charges.
The Fit
It was very hot in Medellín and it was difficult to put on because I was sweating but managed to put it on. I fell in love and bought it. I then purchased a collaborative cycling kit that they did with chocoramo.
Pros
- Great price for a Skinsuit
- Chamois is comfortable
- Great leg grippers
- Premium material feel
- Great fabrics on the arm sleeves
Cons
- Have not run with it or swam with it yet but castelli’s design is easier to take off (especially unzipping the front part). I will need to see I how I feel running with it
- Pockets are small but I am able to fit my phone
I purchased the Skinsuit and the only downside is when unzipping the front. Castelli has some extra piece around the jersey part that feels easier to unzip and zipper up whereas this one feels a bit difficult to put on and take off. I also have not swam or ran with it yet and this needs to be tested. I also purchased a bib and cycling jersey and they were AMAZING. Would I buy the Skinsuit again? The price is good but at the moment, castelli San Remo is my top choice and I would aim for Castelli’s tri suits. It feels nice to own a Colombian designed brand since I don’t see many Latino brands out there. The cycling bib and jerseys I would 100% buy again. Before I end this small write up, here is a small picture of one of long sleeves I bought.
