| REVIEW: Bike storage Endo...

Today I have decided to finish installing the vertical bike storage we received a few months ago, our little living room is a mess and it needed serious decluttering. I have ordered the Cycloc Endo after researching online for a while about the most minimalist and efficient bike rack solutions, and ended up choosing this one; it's a simple yet very smart Award-winning design.

The installation is pretty straight forward and does not require too many tools, there are only 4 screws/anchors and you can use the packaging as a drilling template, which is very practical. Drill, screw and tadaaa it's done. I really like the discreet hollow hinge in which you could slide your bike lock, clever! There is also a rear pad included that you can stick to the wall.

It works really well and we are happy with the result, the blue color contrasts nicely with our orange wall and having the bikes stored vertically definitely helps declutter our entrance.

• CONS:

- Not a lot of problems so far, it's a great product but it comes at a nice price too, there is a weight limit of 13kg to hang your bikes freely and a maximum payload limit of 20kg. You can certainly find other solutions at a lower price depending on what you are looking for and your storage space.

• PROS:

- 7 different bright colors to choose from. Stylish, convenient and smart design with a solid and light composite construction. It works great for us!

| REVIEW: Rip Curl Flashbomb...

Yesterday i have finally decided to get a serious wetsuit after some very interesting discussions with our local surfer guru Igor Goni. I already own an Ocean Rodeo Soul drysuit but it is not the most practical piece of equipment for surfing, especially when you need to swim a lot after your board.  I had narrowed down my search on three 2016 winter specific models; the Rip Curl Flashbomb,  the O'Neill Heat and the Patagonia R4. Although the only one i could find around here and try was the 1st one, a big thank to the guys at La Boutique Sharks for their patience and help.

Also, i needed a good break from my intense weekend workload, the temperature was perfect today at about 4ºC (39.2 F) and the sun was definitely screaming for a test ride! My neighbour and surf partner Patrick was available for some camera work (and safety). We walked to the closest shore on the St-Laurent river. That's the beauty of living 2mn from the water in Verdun :)

Now about the infamous Rip Curl Flash Bomb Hooded Chest Zip 5.5/4, it is one of the warmest, lightest winter wetsuit designed for frigid waters and it has won many Awards (3x SIMA). Guess that's exactly what i need around here.
The exterior is made out of their E4 neoprene, a very stretchy material, especially considering this thickness, they use different panels to allow for better movement (4 way back stretch, contour legs, mesh skin...etc.) and reliable stitch-less seams everywhere but the arms (Aquaban plus liquid tape, E4 + tape). This all sound like good marketing terms to say that they know how to make a good wetsuit, and the result is quite impressive.
The greatest thing must be their E4 Flash Dry Lining, it is extremely warm and insulates all the vital areas of your body, this also explains why at only 5.5mm it does the same job as a classic 7mm neoprene. They advertise it as being the fastest drying wetsuit on the market and even though i can not prove it, there are a lot of reviews/posts online to support that statement.

I live in a small semi-basement apartment with poor lighting and small windows, my other suits take a long time to dry and this one was definitely the 1st one to be ready for the next session. My Xcel Drylock 7mm booties were still soaked the day after in comparison. 

The water was pretty cold but i really did not feel it, in fact, when i took off the wetsuit, which demands some effort (more of that later), it was damp from all my sweat.

• CONS:

- It's difficult to see any major problems with this suit to be honest but one of the main inconvenience comes from its Chestzip Entry system. There is a very tight front closure system and the very first time to try to get in, it will take ALL of your energy, no kidding. Fortunately it gets better with time and i find it easier to put it on/off now. When you're used to a back or front zip then this is going to be a big change :) the positive thing though, is that once you're inside, it's very comfy and feels like there are no zip parts at all.

- It allows you to surf in difficult conditions but unlike the summer suits, you wouldn't want to let yourself "leak" in this one, which means going back to shore for a little break or make sure you've done it before your session, this is where my drysuit and its relief zipper get an advantage :) Rip curl please add a pipi-zip!

- Like any of the high end and heavier wetsuits it is also a bit more expensive (~ $500 CAD), still it's cheap in comparison to an equivalent drysuit in terms of quality, and when it comes to protecting your life in the river i'd say they are worth the investment.

• PROS:

- Efficiency; it does what it says by keeping you warm, allow you to move quite well, seems durable and dries very rapidly. 

- Design; it looks great, the panels are well placed to allow for your arms and legs to move well, it doesn't feel too bulky. It's definitely designed for surfing.

- I wish i had tried the 3 brand models aforementioned but hey, shit happens and i don't regret this buy. Apparently Rip Curl fits most body types when O'Neill favors thinner silhouettes, at 1.78m and about 83kgs this one fits me like a second skin but you should always try one on before buying, we all have different curves right!

#RipCurl #RiverSUP #winterSUP #astralfootwear

| JuMana protos...

After yesterday's unprecedented terrorist attacks on Paris, i wasn't in a good mood, i stayed awake quite late trying to get more information about this horrible event and making sure my friends were safe. Anyways, this afternoon felt better as i drove to Mille-Isles to meet with the JuMana ladies. Martine and Julie have recently received a few interesting packages from a Chinese manufacturer, because you know... we've actually been working hard on their forthcoming inflatable SUP line in the last few months ;) the 3 boards you see below are the early prototypes with temporary colors, shapes and equipment.

After thoroughly inspecting the boards, bags and paddles for a while, we already have a long list of useful information and ideas concerning the final products. We had a good time debating the pros and cons but the goal of the day was to paddle and that's what we did despite the unfriendly weather (outside temp around -4°C). However no flurries would stop us from our mission: to test-ride those brand new paddle-boards at Lake Noel!!!

Shit it was cold and windy to be honest, of course i forgot to bring some warmer underlayers, the drysuit is great but not so well insulated (it's only a shell). The girls were wearing their new mere 3mm wetsuits, how risky is that? Mind that we did not plan to risk bailing into the dark waters, we just wanted to paddle for fun.

The green all-around board is super stable and fast, i think it'll certainly be their best-seller with minor adjustments and the final graphics, the blue one is a whitewater oriented stick, it works well as it is but we'll have to tune it a lot more before it becomes operational (especially the rocker line). The red is a race board and it is fast, fast indeed but not stable at only 25" (63.5cm) wide! It takes some time getting used to it as we soon realized, Martine fell directly as she was trying to stand up. I did too later on, but that's fine it's part of the mission right :) it took me a few minutes to adjust but it was worth the sweat, with its needle design the board glides effortlessly on the surface in comparison to the other ones, a good sensation of speed indeed.

We eventually got tired of our frozen fingers and decided to head back for a little apero with a good bottle of Muscat de Rivesaltes in front of their fireplace, and surrounded by needy dogs. Quite a privileged day really, far from the violences of this sick world!

I also received my package from Aquabatics which contains some removable fins from NRS. One set of 2" (5.08cm) flexible fins and a set of four 5" (12.7cm), i plan to resize and cut some of them to a more classic fin shape like an FCS M-5 ITF. #SUP #JuManaBoards 

Peace & love...

T.

| Astroboy #2...

Just coming back from Vermont again where i spent a quiet afternoon alone in Burlington, this little town is soon becoming my favorite city south of the border. On the way i stopped at my Kinek point in Champlain and grabbed this package from CKS... oOoo yeah check this out it's the new Starboard Astro Stream!

The weather was perfect today and it finally felt like spring, great for a fast photoshoot session near the lake. I'm selling the previous Astro model to Sybro so we can start the season asap. Then, i went to go check the Winooski falls where i remembered seeing a cool spot last time (scouting for this summer already).

Unfortunately this area is a NO-GO, there are private property signs everywhere near the mill and it's such a shame, it looks like an amazing natural waterpark, what an incredible spot with so many short drops and shallow rapids, can't wait to come back this summer and see if the rules are enforced or not :)
Our new habit is to stop by Beverage Warehouse and pick up some local drinks if possible, this time i only brought 2 hard cider bottles knowing that you don't pay taxes for them. 2 delicious house tacos later and some good cider, it was time to drive home and get some well deserved rest!

Our House Bistro comfort food...