I picked up one of these, and I'm disappointed to find its not what is pictured on the BC.com website. The zipper is cheap, so instead of using a waterproof zipper with draft guard there is a cumbersome flap over the zipper with lots of velcro. The main pockets are small. The hood is barely helmet compatible. The goretex softshell fabric feels like an excellent fabric for a resort skiing shell, but the brushed liner fabric is difficult to layer against as it will catch on anything made of wool or fleece.

Overall its not a bad peice but its not what i expected and I'm not sure I'm going to keep it. Why does the picture on the website show a different jacket than what I recieved?

I just picked up a pair of these and they're probably the best fit I've had out of the box. I have a narrow, low volume foot and I barely have to tie these things for a perfect fit without pressure points. They feel light on my feet, but I think that may be a function of the perfect fit and relatively low profile, for they certainly aren't super lightweight compared to shoes like the New Balance MT100. In fact, my only complaint about the shoe is that there are some unnecessary cosmetic features, such as the lace guard.

Furthermore, the tread on these soles is totally excessive. I've never had a problem with traction in any shoes, in the mud of the New England woods, the singletrack trails of the Colorado Front Range, or the loose gravel of the Utah desert; I find that careful balance and a more conservative stride in potentially slippery situations can provide similar benefits.

When will BC.com stock the SkyLite?

I put a pair of these on out of the box for a 15 mile run today and I'm psyched on the fit and cushion of these Montrails. Though I used hardrocks for years as a general purpose shoe, I've never found a Montrail that feels narrow enough for my B width feet as a dedicated running shoe. These things felt locked down without being overtight from the beginning of the run until I was drinking a recovery Pabst. Compared to my other two shoes--the racing flat-like New Balance MT100 and the middle of the road LaSportiva Crosslite--these Montrails felt almost over cushioned at first. However by the end of the run I was glad for a soft midsole.

One aspect of the mechanics of the shoe about which I'm uncertain is the posting in the heel of the shoe. I have a medium arch and a pretty neutral stride, and although these felt quite natural out of the box, the posting felt designed to push me into more of a supinating stride, and this made my feet a bit tired by the end of the run. Of course, I'm coming from a bunch of running in super light shoes with no support, and a few days in Crosslites, which are truly neutral as well, so I was a bit disoriented in my footwork and I think it may have made my feet a bit sore. Of course, one should expect those things on one's first run over ten miles all year...

These shoes are an excellent way to force yourself into proper running form. They are designed to provide thin underfoot protection for runners who strike the ground in the mid- or forefoot range, without altering the natural mechanics of a runners foot, the way some "motion control" shoes are. Often, when I find myself "in the zone" on a long run, I space out, my stride elongates and I start to pound my feet a little harder. In these circumstances I pronate slightly, but over time, this leads to tight shins and calves, sore arches, and knee pain. With these shoes, I've learned to keep my strides shorter and to maintain a consistent midfoot strike. Although they hardly seem to have enough cushion for pavement running, I've found that, with extra attention to good form, I can enjoy running on asphalt more than I do with traditional road shoes, which some people suggest contribute to elements of bad running form such as a heavy heel strike.

Unfortunately, at 160 lbs, and with a propensity to find "the zone" for a period on most runs where my conscious efforts at good form start to deteriorate, I find that I'm on the upper end of the weight range for shoes this light. Perhaps someday I'll be disciplined enough to run in them all the time, but until then I'll use shoes with slightly more cushion most of the time.

Also, why no widths, New Balance? These things are much wider than most superlight shoes, which is tough for a guy with B width feet...on that note, it is absolutely critical that shoes as minimal as these fit perfectly. Whereas in cushier shoes there is more padding in the upper to take up little bits of space around the heel and forefoot, if there's extra room in these shoes of any kind, your feet will be swimming.

Well it felt like a nice shirt, btu I couldn't find one that fit. The large was positively tent like for a thin 6'2" dude, and although the medium felt like it would work, the armpits were abrasive. bummer, i like the colors.

I like the shirt a lot; its nice and long, so it won't come untucked if thats how you like it. Plus, the sleeves are long, which is nice for a lanky fellow. HOwever, the thumb holes are useless; they're a) too small, and b) misplaced. in order to get my thumbs into the holes, I have to twist the sleeves around, which constricts my forearms. Its not comfortable to wear the thumbholes.

I can't decide whether to return the shirt or not, because I really do like it as a layer, but I bought it to have another shirt with thumbholes...

I'll second the last reviewer's comments about the sizing. I'm used to wearing a medium in bib shorts, in several different brands, and I am built like Andy Hampsten, at 6'2" 160#. I ordered the Wicked bib shorts in a medium and thought they were super comfy, with excellent chamois and a lighter feeling fabric. But after riding in them about five times, the stitching along one of the hips started to pop (birthing hips), as well as the stitch between the mesh bib fabric and the short itself(I'm tall). I returned the bib shorts and got a large, and they've been fine so far.

So yeah, great bibs, but be sure to check the sizing chart for castelli stuff. The waist measurements are about two inches smaller per size between Castelli and Pearl Izumi.

blah, I've worn a size 12 in a bagillion different running shoes, and my six pairs of hardrocks have all worked just fine for me in 12's.

Hardrocks have set a standard for what is expected in a beefy, durable shoe for trail running, hiking, and general trail use. I really have had six pair, and although at the moment I'm trying to use lighter shoes, I miss the motion control and the protective hard plastic midsole plate in the hardrocks. My one gripe is that the flap of sole rubber on the toe of the shoes delaminates reliably.

Sweet jacket. I got one in March, and wore it in a variety of conditions in Utah's Wasatch Mountains. It's the only Gore-Tex piece I've ever had that breathes properly, although I still wouldn't wear it while running or biking in warm weather. It fits my thin frame quite well, with room for as much layering as I'll ever need. I thought they got the single cinch hood just right, and I appreciate the total lack of features: it's what makes this the lightest, most packable waterproof jacket around. Five stars for sheeze.