Showing posts with label pro viz gloves. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pro viz gloves. Show all posts

Friday 25 November 2011

Cometh December, Cometh The Dayglow








Drifting through to December brings with it the joys of day-glow. Prime examples to land at my door are these Proviz gloves and Altura night vision socks. At a whisker below £25, the former boast a windproof and water repellent laminated polyester exterior and micro fibre palm proliferated with silicone dots for a superlative, all conditions grip. The ubiquitous gel/foam ulnar padding is relatively low density, which works better for me, since the pronounced types are prone to inducing precisely the discomfort they were intended to alleviate. Thinner, wind blocking fabric makes for nimble fingers, enabling photo opportunities and less glamorous roadside puncture purges without necessitating removal. Speaking of which, they’ll resist heavy rain to the tune of thirty, maybe forty minutes-depending on how we’re defining cloudburst but mercifully, things stay toasty inside and there’s no danger of extracting a limp, soggy liner come the ed of an inclement training run. For the feet, Altura have taken their night vision concept to the logical, if slightly quirky conclusion. Available in warm orange (my preference) or the acid trip neon yellow, they’re made of common or garden Coolmax and do most things very well, albeit not on the same terms as Merino wool. However, the safety aspect works best with 3/4lengths which might not be everyone’s first choice in the depths of winter-although again, this is highly dependant on where you are in the world…
Those two frames have emerged from the curing ovens with new red and blue liveries. I’m still none the wiser as to their heritage but the suspected Holdsworth was badly nibbled, especially along the chain and seat stays, disguised by a thicker coat of powder since the customer was reluctant to foot the bill for more extensive filler-based preparation. Graham noticed some imperfections in the final colour coat induced by the seepage of residual oils languishing within the tubes. Fearing another trip through the blast cabinet would induce structural damage (even left softening in the stripping tank overnight) he addressed this by rubbing flat and introducing further, light coats, passing through the oven once more. John Doe’s chrome plate rear triangle and forks were of the lick and promise variety, vanishing with the introduction of gentle aluminium oxide particles. This was a moot point since the customer wasn’t looking to replicate the original effect and the parent metal gives a much better key for the colour coats.

A quick look around their holding bay gives an insight into the country’s wider mood. More and more people are having basic children’s frames refinished and passed to younger siblings. This is indicative of a very different mood that has replaced the buy new ethos for may working families frightened for their futures, economic and otherwise.

Elsewhere, I’ve been revisiting my series of children’s stories penned some years ago and aside from strengthening the characterisation, I’m hoping to generate sufficient publisher interest. Having seen my late father successfully publish several academic titles during the 1980s I am acutely aware of publisher resistance to “unproven” or previously unpublished authors but this is just a phenomenon I will have accept and ultimately overcome.