What Brands Are You Loyal To?

[ORD_Buckeye]

@LordJeffBuck

Montopoli Custom Clothiers is the place that's been recommended to me.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

You are sooooooooo lazy

OK, I've been working with them for a bit. I went cheap and did just the 1/2 pound rope and a set of open-box handles. I've never used jump roping for cardio before, so I'm learning to get the rhythm down, and the heavy rope definitely makes that easier--you really do get some feedback to time the jumps that I don't think would be present with a thin, light, plastic rope.

Today was the first day that I actually tried to do something of an actual workout: one minute jumping (with multiple trip ups and restarts) followed by 15 seconds rest. I did this 10 times, and I was completely gassed (I'm in decent but not 25 year old great cardio shape) when it was all over. The weighted rope definitely gave me a muscle workout in the forearms, shoulders and back too. I'd imagine one of the heavier 1 or 2 pound ropes would really amp that up, but I'm pretty sure I couldn't do the 10 minutes of cardio with them--at least not now. After some time getting better at it, I probably will add a 1 pound rope (the handles I bought will take anything up to the 2 pound rope). So, for less than 60 bucks, I'm happy with the purchase. The ropes go up to 5 pounds by the way, which is just fucking crazy. Unless, somebody is really practiced with jump rope cardio (and in Tuf Borland shape), I'd definitely start with the 1/4 or 1/2 pound ropes, which you can buy as a set with handles.

Some beginner videos have cautioned not to go all out in the beginning; otherwise, shin splints will rear their ugly head. So, I'll probably do what I did today every third day for awhile and then increase the duration and frequency.

 

[AKAK]

OK, I've been working with them for a bit. I went cheap and did just the 1/2 pound rope and a set of open-box handles. I've never used jump roping for cardio before, so I'm learning to get the rhythm down, and the heavy rope definitely makes that easier--you really do get some feedback to time the jumps that I don't think would be present with a thin, light, plastic rope.

Today was the first day that I actually tried to do something of an actual workout: one minute jumping (with multiple trip ups and restarts) followed by 15 seconds rest. I did this 10 times, and I was completely gassed (I'm in decent but not 25 year old great cardio shape) when it was all over. The weighted rope definitely gave me a muscle workout in the forearms, shoulders and back too. I'd imagine one of the heavier 1 or 2 pound ropes would really amp that up, but I'm pretty sure I couldn't do the 10 minutes of cardio with them--at least not now. After some time getting better at it, I probably will add a 1 pound rope (the handles I bought will take anything up to the 2 pound rope). So, for less than 60 bucks, I'm happy with the purchase. The ropes go up to 5 pounds by the way, which is just fucking crazy. Unless, somebody is really practiced with jump rope cardio (and in Tuf Borland shape), I'd definitely start with the 1/4 or 1/2 pound ropes, which you can buy as a set with handles.

Some beginner videos have cautioned not to go all out in the beginning; otherwise, shin splints will rear their ugly head. So, I'll probably do what I did today every third day for awhile and then increase the duration and frequency.

This is exactly what I wanted to know. Thank you.

Just rode my bike 20 miles in 35 degree weather, which is fine in the sun. But the same ride yesterday in 30 and clouds and north wind just suuuuuucked.

Edit: was the impression you got on the upper body from the rope weight I was really curious about.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

This is exactly what I wanted to know. Thank you.

Just rode my bike 20 miles in 35 degree weather, which is fine in the sun. But the same ride yesterday in 30 and clouds and north wind just suuuuuucked.

Edit: was the impression you got on the upper body from the rope weight I was really curious about.

Yes, absolutely from the rope weight. I went straight into some dumbbells directly after, but that was all chest. The soreness and tension in my forearms, shoulders and back had to have come from the rope.

Here's a video of a guy who looks like he might work out a bit getting his ass kicked by the 2 pound rope. So, yeah, I think my step up will be to the 1 pound.

EDIT: One other very important thing is make sure you have enough room. My home gym is also the room I use for storage and home office (and a shoe shine studio lately), yet I had to completely rearrange things and move some of the storage stuff into the guest bedroom. Ceiling height is also going to be a consideration. Granted I live in a 100 year old non-loft Chicago building, so rooms aren't huge, but it's something to be considered.

 

[Merih]

Heavy traveler edition:

Bose for almost all audio (noise cancelling headphones, workout earphones, Bluetooth speakers)

United for all flights (trapped with miles and status), great connectivity domestic and international out of Chicago

Jack Black for men’s toiletries - stayed at a hotel that had them once and rocked with them ever since

Uniqlo for travel basics - no matter where you are you can get cheap and quality t shirts, underpants, comfy wear for flights, etc. have saved me more than once

 

[AKAK]

Yes, absolutely from the rope weight. I went straight into some dumbbells directly after, but that was all chest. The soreness and tension in my forearms, shoulders and back had to have come from the rope.

Here's a video of a guy who looks like he might work out a bit getting his ass kicked by the 2 pound rope. So, yeah, I think my step up will be to the 1 pound.

EDIT: One other very important thing is make sure you have enough room. My home gym is also the room I use for storage and home office (and a shoe shine studio lately), yet I had to completely rearrange things and move some of the storage stuff into the guest bedroom. Ceiling height is also going to be a consideration. Granted I live in a 100 year old non-loft Chicago building, so rooms aren't huge, but it's something to be considered.

Ok. So, the only thing I have the nuts to do at the gym is the pool. 8 people max, one person per lane in chlorinated water in a 80 degree 100% humidity environment. But you have to be logged in at 8:01 am on Thursday to get reservations. By 8:30, too fucking bad. And I am not going on the fitness floor. I trained myself out to a 10k last spring when this all went down, but I hate running. Just need some.cardio to add to a little home circuit training... And the upper body addition makes it much more attractive... Its gonna be till April before I can ride my bike consistently enough... So I appreciate the feedback.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

Ok. So, the only thing I have the nuts to do at the gym is the pool. 8 people max, one person per lane in chlorinated water in a 80 degree 100% humidity environment. But you have to be logged in at 8:01 am on Thursday to get reservations. By 8:30, too fucking bad. And I am not going on the fitness floor. I trained myself out to a 10k last spring when this all went down, but I hate running. Just need some.cardio to add to a little home circuit training... And the upper body addition makes it much more attractive... Its gonna be till April before I can ride my bike consistently enough... So I appreciate the feedback.

I'm totally all in on the weighted crossrope. Don't feel I overpaid at all. Hell, a decent elliptical machine would have cost me at least a grand, but as it turns out would have used up less space. Check out "jump rope dudes" on youtube. They'll get you up to speed on using the crossropes.

 

[sparcboxbuck]

I'm totally all in on the weighted crossrope. Don't feel I overpaid at all. Hell, a decent elliptical machine would have cost me at least a grand, but as it turns out would have used up less space. Check out "jump rope dudes" on youtube. They'll get you up to speed on using the crossropes.

A decent elliptical is well over a grad. Our Precor AMT was 4x that and 50% off retail. For limited space and saving a buck, the weighted jump rope is the way to go.

However, if you have room and are looking for really good equipment with minimal use, there’s a lot of very good deals out there. We got our equipment before C19 from a company that buys out gyms or buys equipment from gyms when they are replacing stuff. Both the Precor and our Matrix erg were barely used (< 50 hours on the elliptical and <15 hours on the erg) and we got them delivered and installed for basically nothing. The Precor was 50% of retail and the Matrix was 60% of retail. With all the gyms that have gone under, the market is flooded with high quality equipment.

@AKAK I rode my SIL’s Peloton over New Years. I liked it fine but I didn’t like that it’s basically a spinner bike. There’s little balance needed so not much core workout. I have a Bkool trainer for my bike. Very little space needed and frankly, I think better than the Peloton. It hooks up to your computer & monitor and the resistance varies with the terrain of the course. Way less expensive than the Peloton... aside for your ride, but you already have that.

 

[AKAK]

A decent elliptical is well over a grad. Our Precor AMT was 4x that and 50% off retail. For limited space and saving a buck, the weighted jump rope is the way to go.

However, if you have room and are looking for really good equipment with minimal use, there’s a lot of very good deals out there. We got our equipment before C19 from a company that buys out gyms or buys equipment from gyms when they are replacing stuff. Both the Precor and our Matrix erg were barely used (< 50 hours on the elliptical and <15 hours on the erg) and we got them delivered and installed for basically nothing. The Precor was 50% of retail and the Matrix was 60% of retail. With all the gyms that have gone under, the market is flooded with high quality equipment.

@AKAK I rode my SIL’s Peloton over New Years. I liked it fine but I didn’t like that it’s basically a spinner bike. There’s little balance needed so not much core workout. I have a Bkool trainer for my bike. Very little space needed and frankly, I think better than the Peloton. It hooks up to your computer & monitor and the resistance varies with the terrain of the course. Way less expensive than the Peloton... aside for your ride, but you already have that.

Oh, I've test ridden zwift on a wahoo, I know the tone of my last post probably gives the opposite impression, but I need to do stuff other than cycling too. But given the choice between getting ony bike and almost anything else with an hour plus, I will be on the bike.

My cycling goal in the winter is generally to spend just enough time on it that once April rolls around, I will be pretty up to speed by May 15 or so.

I was never a competitive swimmer or anything, cobbled a freestyle stroke together about 8 years ago.... But once you start that, you can't stop... I think until this year the longest I was out of the water was maybe 2 weeks (and that's uncommon). Came back and did 1500 in October after not swimming since March.... Holy fuck that sucked. But the reservations are 45 minutes, which basically gets you 35 mins in the actual water, so thats just maintenance right now.

 

[AKAK]

Oh, brands I trust: TYR

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

So, I knew that the Horween Tannery, which makes Chromexcel leather along with some of the best shell Cordovan in the world (think 900 dollar Aldens) was in Chicago, but I assumed it was in some industrial tract on the SW side of the city. It turns out, it's literally 12 blocks from my house on the river which divides Lincoln Park from Bucktown. Kind of cool having such an iconic factory and brand in the middle of residential neighborhoods. And I guess that it was on the river, so they could literally dump the waste out the back door in the old days. And in the old days, part of the combination of waxes and oils that's injected into Chromexcel leather included whale oil. They use beef tallow now.

 

[sparcboxbuck]

So, I knew that the Horween Tannery, which makes Chromexcel leather along with some of the best shell Cordovan in the world (think 900 dollar Aldens) was in Chicago, but I assumed it was in some industrial tract on the SW side of the city. It turns out, it's literally 12 blocks from my house on the river which divides Lincoln Park from Bucktown. Kind of cool having such an iconic factory and brand in the middle of residential neighborhoods. And I guess that it was on the river, so they could literally dump the waste out the back door in the old days. And in the old days, part of the combination of waxes and oils that's injected into Chromexcel leather included whale oil. They use beef tallow now.

Ahhh... and why we can walk on the Chicago River as opposed to needing to ski on it. I guess also why they reversed the flow. Can’t be letting that into the lake for fear of three-eyed fishes.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

Ahhh... and why we can walk on the Chicago River as opposed to needing to ski on it. I guess also why they reversed the flow. Can’t be letting that into the lake for fear of three-eyed fishes.

Yep. Just three eyed Polack and Mick kids on the South Side. There's a reason that, in this part of the country, the affluent neighborhoods are always on the North side of town while the poor/working class neighborhoods were all on the South side of town.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

The chromexcel is completely bitching. As I've been wearing it, the oils and waxes that are steam injected into the leather have begun to circulate and darkened it from the rather generic medium brown that came from the store into a rich mahoooohhhhgany with darker and redder tones coming out. Also, I've scuffed it a few times thinking "OK, this is either permanent or will require polishing," yet all I have to do is vigorously brush with a horsehair 'shine brush later that evening, and pretty soon it's as good as new as the friction of the brushing brings the oils into that area of the shoe that's scuffed and naturally recolors it.

And when I talk about these oils and waxes, there's no tactile greasy feeling to the leather. It's all internal, and the outside of the leather is completely dry and smooth. And as an added bonus, apparently chromexcel leather was used as gaskets on Sherman tanks in the deuce.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

Waxed my oldest Barbour today. Looks pretty good for being almost 20 years old. That being said, it did look like shit a couple of years ago when I sent it back for repairs. The repairs ended up costing almost exactly what a new coat would. But considering this one has been with me to four continents including boar hunting on a Tuscan estate, I decided to keep 'er.

EDIT: Just noticed that the photos actually highlight the new panels they put in in a way that the naked eye doesn't catch when wearing it.