Contributions by Alex W (10)

I tend to go for the tanks when it comes to trail runners, always looking for extra support. I tried these out for speed workouts and racing and they far-exceeded my expectations. They felt comfortable the first couple of runs, so I thought I'd try them on some of the rougher terrain and they held their own compared to my North Face Ultra 102's, North Face Endurance Boa's, Vasque Velocity's and others. I think that apart from winter snow runs, these will be my shoes of choice from now on. The grip is fine (not exceptional, but better than "good"), the support is amazing for the weight, the weight is hard to compare to other trail shoes (these are in a different league): they are the kind of shoes you put on and really, really believe that you are a faster runner than before you had them on. Excellent product. Caveat: I'm not sure how they would fare in overly muddy conditions. The tread isn't overly deep. Still, as mentioned above, it's more than adequate. cheers

While I do believe that these shorts are better than other lycra/compression type shorts, they do not seem to give me the extra muscle support that the full- or 3/4-length CW-X's do, making them an overpriced item IMHO. I like them, they feel great, but I don't think they are necessarily worth the $$.

This is an awesome jacket. It breathes, moves and wicks like a piece of technical gear should. I'm a bit broad in the chest/shoulders, and it's a bit snug there, but it still feels really nice. Excellent wind protection, in a light shower it kept me dry, though I suspect if the sprinkles had kept up, it would not have. All in all, great piece of gear. A little expensive, but really good.

These are the best shorts I've ever owned. Well, these and the Pearl Izumi X's (can't remember their name: the fly short?). They dry fast, don't chafe, the liner is cut perfectly...there's nothing negative I can say about these. It's been a long time since I bought a clothing item that made me think, "Gee, I feel faster in this." And I do with these. It's in my head to be sure, but they feel great. cheers, Alex

Not great shorts, but good. They fit fine, wicked and dried fine, nothing special, but definitely good. The one negative I have to say is the snug fit of the liner. Wow! Holds you in really tight! Otherwise nothing wrong with the short. The Sugoi 42K are better overall running shorts.

These are the best shorts I've ever owned. Well, these and the Pearl Izumi X's (can't remember their name: the fly short?). They dry fast, don't chafe, the liner is cut perfectly...there's nothing negative I can say about these. It's been a long time since I bought a clothing item that made me think, "Gee, I feel faster in this." And I do with these. It's in my head to be sure, but they feel great. cheers, Alex

Although they took their time breaking in, once I had 50 or so miles in them, they were (and are) great. I buy 6-8 pairs of running shoes/year replacing road and trail shoes either after 4 months or 400 miles: after over a year of running, the Velocity Trail Runners are still in my regular rotation! I've run in almost everything and these are my default, go-to shoes when I'm heading to the rougher trails. As mentioned, I noticed a longer break-in period than with other shoes, but these things are made to protect your feet: uneven, sharp, pointy, jagged off-camber, rocky, muddy, rooty trails are not a problem with these. I wouldn't wear them for a 5k footrace, but they're not made for that: these are Sherman tanks, not nitrous burning funny cars. They don't get too hot, I never got a blister from them and they look really, really cool. ¡Oh! The tread pattern is unbeatable. Except for perhaps the inov-8 line of fell shoes, you won't find a better shoe for traction in the mud (and even that is a debatable point.

I'd give it a higher rating (perfect 5), but I honestly haven't tried too many systems out there, so don't want to say it's the best. I like it better than belt systems because I don't like the sloshing at my hips. I take one of these with water/sports drink on any run I do and take two on anything longer than 8 miles. I love the comfort of the straps and the zip-pocket is great for key, gel, small (very small) snack. The only problem that I've experienced is due to a shoulder impingement caused by an inflamed biceps tendon: when more than 1/2 way full, the weight of it in my right hand causes that biceps to do a little extra work, which inflames the tendon which makes my hand go numb. That said, it's not the fault of the bottle, just something to think about for anyone with shoulder issues. Overall, excellent, excellent product. Simple to use and very effective. cheers, Alex

This windshirt/jacket weighs next to nothing, yet protects from the wind and keeps you warm and dry. I don't mean its waterproof; I mean it wicks really nicely. I've used it as a windshell and as a layer and on its own. Apart from a little abrasion under my chin when the zipper's all the way up, I've got nothing negative to say about it: even its styling is great! cheers, Alex W.

Great base, layer, on its own: I've been running, biking, kayaking with it and it breathes and wicks as well as advertised. I'll probably end up with more! alex

I've yet to really test them out, but the short runs I've done (5k-8mi) have been great in these shoes. My Salomon XA comps are much lighter and seem to have more return on each footfall, but these are a solid shoe that I think will take me out and back on runs I wouldn't trust the Salomons on. I noted some of the other user comments and want to comment that: a) I agree, right out of the box, these shoes are great, I didn't feel the need to "break them in" so-to-speak, and b) unlike one user who commented about the "ridiculous double tiered lacing system", or something like that, I find it tremendously helpful and use the wider plastic nubs at either end of the lacing system, while the forward arch (so the middle lacing area) prefers the standard lacing. Very happy. Will probably use these for "Rugged-man" triathlons. Alex