Got this for the GF on S&C - she loves all her Icebreaker stuff, and we didn't even realize IB made a cycling-specific jersey until this came up as a deal.

In a word, it's perfect. Feminine cut, very comfortable, and it avoids the smell of synthetics that have been an issue for her. Plus it has a number of pockets in the back, including a credit card pocket inside the main pocket, plus the zippered pocket.

Just be forewarned, as with all items pictures on DoG, the photos are not true-to-color. The jersey is really more of a pale red, almost a pink. Definitely not the bold red that is used in most cycling clothes, but that may be related to this being natural wool.

Other than that, it's a must have - much, much better than any of the synthetics in this price range, for both function and style.

Got this for my GF in a two-tone purple. She loves the color and the design. She's 5'9", 135lb, and the medium wasn't quite form-fitting, which was ok for her purposes. In fact, I think it's both a bit roomier and a bit longer than you'd expect for a medium.

The only drawback, and we've seen this in other Marmot jackets and other brands as well - the armpits are just a bit too tight. I don't have this problem on my men's jackets, but it's something that's common in women's jackets. Maybe her shoulders are just a bit broad, but otherwise, she's a medium in every other dimension. Honestly, it wouldn't hurt to have a bit more space under the arms, especially for something that could in theory go over an insulating layer.

The GF loves these. At the huge discount, they are no-brainers. They are actually more like "winter" gloves than mountain bike gloves, and LG actually makes a pair that is basically identical and sold as road gloves. They'll be comfortable down to maybe 40 degrees and up to about 55 degrees. I use the men's version, and love them too.

After trying out over half a dozen different Luna items for my GF, Luna finally failed us. My GF has loved the cycling shorts, the merino tops and warmup jacket, the wind vest, and the merino/silk jerseys. Well, the knickers aren't nearly as well designed. The waist fit just like the shorts, but the length is where Luna designers didn't get this right. They are both too short and too loose, so they dangle oddly right below my GF's knees. You can see even from the picture that the legs are fairly short, and they'd really only work if you are both short and stocky. Perhaps someone under 5'5" with very thick calves could wear the large we ordered. Too bad - these would have been great otherwise.

I already had a Marmot Ama Dablam down jacket, which is great, but I wanted something simpler without a hood. Thought seriously about the Zeus, but ultimately it was just too similar to what I already had. Then I came upon the Cauldron. Much cheaper than even the relatively inexpensive Zeus, this jacket was just what I wanted for my purposes. It's simple but looks very good. Doesn't have that shiny look of the very popular down "sweaters", and frankly, I think it fits better due to being more form-fitting. The down jackets aren't just puffy, they kind of bag out too.

The only drawbacks on this jacket? The zippers are pretty low-budget - wide plastic teeth, definitely not water-resistant nor all that sleek looking. Also, it isn't as soft as the down alternatives (for instance my Ama Dablam) - the insulation is a bit stiffer, so it doesn't quite "disappear" like the comfy down jackets do. You feel it on you. But like I said, the tradeoff is that it's more streamlined in appearance, and in my opinion, just as warm (I think being closer to the body helps here too).

As an aside, I also have a Nano Puff by you-know-who, which fits like a plastic bag and isn't nearly as warm. But it's way more compressible - I can't see stuffing the Cauldron into a softball-sized stuff sack like the lighter synthetics or the equally-warm down jackets. Ultimately, every jacket has its niche, but not every jacket is a good value. The Cauldron is competitive even at its retail price.

This cage is a great addition to my bike. At first I tried the Serfas Cirque SL cage, but not only did it look a bit tacky, it wouldn't accomodate slightly wider bottles like the Camelbak Podium. This cage does a better job with that, as its arms can flex, although it's still a pretty tight fit. Also, the weight actually comes in right where it's advertised - two cages weigh 50g total without bolts, or 60g with bolts. At 25g a cage, these are pretty darn light.

Also, I like the design of these - just classic enough to look great on my Cervelo, which has a similar finish to the carbon (no weave). These cages also share a resemblance to the highly-regarded (and very expensive) Arundel Mandible, which makes me think this is a fundamentally stronger design (using tubular carbon that flexes), as opposed to the thin carbon sheets used in most carbon cages.

Bought this for a trip to Mexico, and it worked perfectly. I wasn't looking for a red hat, but it's perfect for traveling. Makes you very visible to traveling partners, and it's pretty stylish (maybe too flashy for backwoods hiking though). I even got a compliment from a Mexican woman who wanted to buy one and was sad to learn that I'd bought it in the U.S.

I wear a medium bicycle helmet and the medium sombrero fit pretty well - just a bit tight, but that was ok with me. I used it a few times on a boat and appreciated that it was pretty well stuck on my head. The strap helped a lot with that as well. I didn't have the waterproof shell when I got caught out in the rain, and wish I had...the hat took a long time to dry. The shell isn't quite as stowable as I'd like, although in a pinch you can jam it into the built-in pocket on the back brim of the hat.

After a week walking and boating in the Mexican sun, I didn't have a sunburn on my face/neck, so the hat performed its job and kept me cooler too...just what I needed for my trip.

By the way, the picture here on this website is pretty true to color - a dull red. The rainshell is actually slightly more orange, in case that matters to you.

Got two of these for my GF on BT, and she loves them. One is grey (no longer listed), and one is "violicious," which is basically a pinkish purple. She really loves the violicious, and finds both very comfortable and feminine. She particularly likes the subtle pattern on the lower left corner, to give it a bit more style.

As reference, she's 5'9", 140, and the medium is perfect for her - not skin-tight, but not baggy. Great for being active without looking like you're heading for a race. Being wool, they shed moisture and don't pick up a smell quickly (but she's learned that she does have to wash them eventually....). In some ways, she prefers the fit to the Icebreakers she has, which are either too tight or too loose.

As usual, something I picked up from BackCountry/Department of Goods is not as advertised or pictured, so I feel it's my duty to call this out. There's nothing wrong with these cages - they look fine and seem like they'll hold up. Plus, they're inexpensive for carbon cages. But two things strike me as false advertising:

(1) They are not glossy and do not have a silver interior. Instead, they are matte black all around.
(2) More importantly, they aren't even close to their advertised weight. 18g each? Totally false. They are 30g each with bolts, or 25g each without bolts.

Also, there are some imperfections on both of my cages near the top lip of the cage. Nothing huge, but another sign that these are not "premium" cages.

One last annoyance - because they don't have two separate arms (for instance like the Serfas Carbon Cage Arc), they do not flex, making them pretty bad for using with anything that is not a standard size bottle. I use Camelbak insulated Podium bottles, which are just slightly wider than standard - and they are a VERY tight fit. Hard to get in and out for sure.

Got this for my GF on SAC, and while it looks good, it just won't cut it. The armpits are way too tight - they completely bind up. I tried it on too and it was immediately bothersome. A shame - the fabric is nice, both inside and out, and the fit of the medium on my GF (5'9", 140lb) was otherwise fine (if anything a little roomy, especially in the hips).

I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest this might be a design defect - maybe that's why it's being cleared out at such a low price.

Got this for a steal on BT for my GF - I've been snapping up all the Luna gear I can since the clothing line is going out of business. A shame, really, because it's so darn good. She loves this piece, just as she did the Warmup Jacket - great fit in medium (5'9", 140lb), super soft and comfy, and doubles as an around-town sweater because of the discrete back pocket and the wonderful silk/merino feel. Try that with a synthetic bike jersey! Even at the regular sale price, this is a good value...perhaps the original retail price was a little high, and I'm afraid that may have been Luna's demise - it wasn't because of the quality of their products. I've personally spent much more on synthetic cycling tops that weren't nearly as versatile.

As a bike jersey, I'd guess this is good down to about 50 degrees. It's not thin, so I wouldn't wear it when it's warm out, but it's also not windproof, so there's only so much it can do while riding. Very similar thread weight to my 260g merino wool zip-neck from Icebreaker.

Got this for my GF on BT - looks like Luna's clothing line is shutting down, which is a shame. This is a really great piece. She loves the color (skye blue), and the fit is really nice (she's 5'9", 143, got a medium). It's a bit heavier than I thought it would be - the 400g rating is for the weight of wool, not the weight of the jacket. It's about 20 ounces on my scale. What's really nice about it is that it has both thumbholes and pockets - makes it quite versatile as a jacket or a midlayer. Definitely not a baselayer though - way too heavy, and some of the interior seams would be a bit uncomfortable against the skin, in my opinion.

Bought this jacket in TNF black when it was on sale, and I'm glad I did. Had purchased a Patagonia Guide and found it way too loose and not particularly functional in regard to wind/water-resistance. I had also tried on the Apex Bionic at a local store before purchasing the McKinley. The McKinley is definitely my favorite of the three. It's cut much narrower than the Guide, plus the fabric is much more water-resistant. Compared to the Bionic, the difference is mostly looks - the sealed pockets and upgraded zipper drawstrings look deluxe, and the TNF black with welded chest pocket look very sweet as well. The fit is fairly similar to the Bionic, and while I was hoping this one would be warmer, I don't think it is. I'd say it's good down to 45 degrees with a long-sleeve baselayer, but beyond that, it won't do much good without an insulation layer. The fabric is definitely much stiffer than the Guide and a bit stiffer than the Bionic. I'm sure this helps with water/wind, but it takes it one step closer to a hard-shell, without being a heck of a lot warmer. I bought this mostly for around town - my Patagonia hard shells serve hiking, boating, and skiing duties. One other thing - the wrist closures are pretty poorly designed - there is no "slack" built into the wrist itself, so when you cinch it closed, the wrist folds over on itself, which is pretty darn uncomfortable. I think this is similar on the Bionic...it's not a problem on the Guide, because the Guide doesn't have adjustable wrists! This was a selling point for me on trading the Guide for this, but in retrospect, TNF doesn't really have it right either.

Got this for my girlfriend, along with a number of other icebreaker tops, and unfortunately it's really hard to predict how each piece will fit, as icebreaker isn't very consistent. She's 5'9", 143lb, Got this in a medium and it's pretty loose in the torso and in the sleeves, while a medium tank top was absolutely fitted and worked perfectly, and a medium bodyfit 200 long sleeve was too tight. So that's three mediums, three completely different fits.

As for this one, because it's not fitted, it's actually really good for hiking or travel, although as a 200 weight, it might be a bit heavy for really warm weather.

Very functional backpack with nice padding, comfortable straps, good organizational pockets, etc.

BUT...the photo of the cumin color is clearly photoshopped. It bears almost no resemblance to the actual color, which is yellowish-brown bottom (like the color of baby poop) and a plaintain top. Not nearly as attractive.

This is the second time a SAC/BC product has clearly been photoshopped, and I'm going to be very careful to never buy a product from them again unless I can find a picture elsewhere.

Gave this shirt a try but didn't like it, so it went back. It's just too baggy, which is true of Patagonia's outdoor gear, but on a shirt like this, it just didn't make much sense. In yellow, it made this shirt look like a poncho. Sleeves were very long, and the collar didn't lay well because the snaps don't go down far enough. Looked like it was always hugging your neck. If you're a really big guy, it might work, but I'm a slim 155lb., and the medium was huge on me.

Got this on BT for a very good price, and while I haven't used it on the bike yet, I wanted to give my initial impressions on fit and finish. I can't say anything about the performance yet, but the fit is very slim. It's better "tailored" than other tight jerseys though. The arms don't bind, and the fabric doesn't bunch up in the stomach when you bend over. Perhaps it's the 77% wool content - as with high quality wool dress slacks, which are judged by the way they "drape," this jersey conforms to the body quite well.

I got the silver jersey, hoping it would be white based on the pictures, but in fact it's neither silver nor white. It's really grey. Not the most attractive color, but not terrible.

Bought this on SAC for next to nothing, and didn't intend to use it for winter sports, although I might try it during my next ski trip. What I have used it for is outdoor activities like cycling and boating, and I find it very useful. It sits comfortably on your shoulders/back, it has both a sternum strap and a waist strap (although it's small enough that the lower strap isn't of much use), and it has a handy bottle pass through on the lower right side, great for grabbing a bottle without taking the bag off. Of course, this can interfere with items placed in the bag (or they can fall into the void left by removing the bottle), so it's a mixed blessing. One word of warning - the colors are a little out there - pastel blue and yellow on black, Just make sure that's ok with you and you'll be happy.

The Xenon jersey is a steal at its MSRP. I got this and the Oxygen at the same time, and definitely prefer the Xenon, but it all depends on what you're looking for. While the Oxygen is comfortable and somewhat casual, the Xenon is all about high-performance function. The Xenon has mesh around the lower torso and through the spine. That makes it very airy, but it's also practically see-through, so some may think it's a little odd looking in mixed company. The fit is tight, just as it should be for a jersey meant to go fast, and the fabric is lightweight all around, not just in the mesh sections. I was a little suprised to see how high the neckline is, given that warmth is not exactly what I'm looking for in a jersey like this, but it's a small criticism and easy to forgive. Overall, definitely worth a try.

Gore makes great shorts, period. I own three models of their shorts, and all are very good at their respective prices. The Xenon is highly technical, with an advanced, thin chamois that doesn't get in the way. It's much thinner than the chamois in Gore's lower-end shorts, so that's something to consider for long rides - I use the Xenon for short, fast rides . The styling is excellent - I love the black and white, but consider that this short puts the white panel in the middle, where it is more easily stained by road spray or dirt on your saddle. Most black and white shorts have a black panel down the middle (and so do many black and white jerseys). Otherwise, these are highly recommended. Medium works well on my thin 6 foot frame.

This is a decent, fairly-priced jersey without too many fancy features. It's comfortable, with relatively thick, soft fabric. Not ideal for very hot days. It also fits bigger than most jerseys of the same size. I bought this and the Xenon jersey at the same time. While they are both the same size (medium), the Oxygen is baggier in the middle and also significantly longer, reaching further down the waist. As long as you're not looking for a tight fit or a super lightweight fabric, you'll be fine. Otherwise, try the Xenon.