Details
Reviews
UnderGround - Dec 07
I've been thrashing my short-sleeved Slingshot - also made of Intercool - for a couple of years now, so know the material to be comfy, durable and cool on hot days. Still, as I climbed away from Waihi Beach on a sunny spring day, I expected to get a tad warm in the Rock Lobster's long sleeves. Not one bit. It was more like riding in the shade - which I guess I was, after a fashion. The Intercool fabric kept the sun off (the silver sleeves felt like they were reflecting the heat) and let the breeze cool me. Sometimes too much - I was a bit chilled at times so there was no need to use the extra long front zip for venting. I like not having to slop sunblock on my arms, especially on big trips when you can't be sure of a shower at the end of the day. The central pocket zips up my wallet and keys securely, while the deep side pockets keep a firm grip on bananas, pump and mini-tools. The bright colour gives me a little extra confidence when sharing the highway with holiday traffic. I like it.
Simon Kennett
Mtb and cycling-as-transport advocate, co-author of Classic NZ Mtb Rides and formidable hill climber
UnderGround - Dec 07
Keeping Your Cool...
Dressing down in the heat of summer is riddled with contradiction. You want to stay cool and dry but also need to avoid being fried through the hole in the ozone layer. The core fabric of Ground Effect's summer range is Intercool - a clever bi-component honeycomb knit coupling an inner layer of quick-drying polyester with an outer layer of cotton. The polyester pushes sweat away from your body while the cotton draws the moisture to the outside. Hot weather combined with the wind generated as you ride along fuels evaporation, keeping you cooler and drier. The weave is sufficiently porous to let the wind cool you, but rates a SPF of 30 plus - plenty for the longest day in the harshest sun.
Our first Intercool top back in 1995 was the short sleeved Slingshot. The fabric was an instant favourite - although sadly the Jade Green is yet to make a comeback. While the Slingshot and its siblings are vastly different today, the Intercool fabric, long front zip for venting, less-than skin tight fit and stand up collar for UV protection still feature on most of our summer tops. The imaginatively named Long Sleeved Slingshot followed a year later in the summer of 1996. Long sleeves negate the need for sun block on your forearms. They also add warmth when tearing downhill, or at the crispy start of a long day. Yet you can still yank them up when you overheat. Jade Green was sidelined in favour of Agent Orange, and the promptly renamed Rock Lobster has anchored our range of summer riding tops ever since.
Frase,
Ground Effect Product Designer.
Cycling Plus (UK) - Mar 02
Coming from the other side of the world. Ground Effect's Rock Lobster jersey is perfectly matched for the climate of these shores. It's intended as a long-sleeved summer jersey but with a good layering system you soon extend the useable seasons. It's a performance wicking top and the fit is loose rather than tight like a standard Lyrca jersey. The meshed fabric feels very natural and with the relaxed fit the overall feel is laid back and easy going. The long zips helps to cool things down and the high neck both blocks out the chill and protects from the sun's rays. There's a zipped rear pocket (with a sewn-in emergency patch) and two elasticised pockets for on-the-go storage. A good top for spring, summer and autumn.
Verdict: 8/10
Light and airy. Perfect for those hotter, relaxed rides.
UnderGround - Dec 00
Thank you so much for the new Rock Lobsters. They caught up with us at the designated Poste Restante in Ireland. It's great to find these little Red Cross packages as we do our trans-global thing. We were in this little town only 30km away from Belfast, the day before the big "Orange Parade" which incites much violence and disruption in Northern Ireland. We left the Post Office and grabbed a curb in the main street to sit down and unwrap the parcel. Excitedly, we pulled the Agent Orange tops out of the packet and marvelled at their new-ness. It took our travel-dulled brains a couple of ticks to realise our stupidity and rapidly shoved them away - hoping we hadn't attracted the attention of any hard-line locals.
Kate Bowes and Phil Clerke
Flying high in the Highland Fling. NSW.
Photo: Rob Scott
A bi-component fabric coupling an inner layer of polyester with a honeycomb knit outer layer of cotton. The polyester wicks sweat away from your body and the cotton draws it through to the outside, ensuring super-efficient evaporation to keep you cooler and drier. Magic.
> Composition: 51% Polyester; 49% Cotton
Sizing
This chart is a guide only – if you fall in-between sizes, the right size for you will depend on your body shape and how loose or tight you like to wear your clothes. It's no hassle to swap it, if your first choice is not the best fit.
| Unisex | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
XS |
S |
M |
L |
XL |
|
|
Height |
154 -
164 cm |
163 -
172 cm |
169 - 178 cm |
175 - 185 cm |
183 - 191 cm |
|
Chest |
84 - 90 cm |
91 -
97 cm |
98 - 104 cm |
105 - 111 cm |
112 - 118 cm |
|
Waist |
66 - 72 cm |
73 - 79 cm |
80 - 86 cm |
87 - 93 cm |
94 - 100 cm |
|
Hips |
78 - 86 cm |
87 - 95 cm |
96 - 103 cm |
104 - 111 cm |
112 - 120 cm |
Unisex vs Women's Sizes
Most Ground Effect designs are unisex. The jackets, tights
and baggy tops generally fit both men and women equally well.
Fitted garments like cycle shorts and some tops are more gender
specific so there is generally a women's version in the Outskirts
range.
Avoid being boiled alive when the sun turns up the volume. The Rock Lobster boasts its own theme song for company, plus a stand up collar and long sleeves for shade on those long exposed days on the road. If the heat gets too stifling, just yank up the sleeves. Ground Effect's Intercool fabric wicks sweat away from your body and it dries at the speed of light - dead handy when you're on tour and reduced to hand washing.
> Stand up collar for UV protection.
> UPF 50+
> Long front zip for maximum venting.
> Long sleeves protect your forearms from both the sun and the cold (how does it know?).
> Limelight option for maximum visibility on the open road.
> No-elastic hem for warm weather comfort.
> Rear security pocket coupled with elasticised pockets for on-the-go access.
> Sewn in emergency tube repair patch, because you can never be too well prepared.
> Made by us in New Zealand.
> Depending on the colour, the SPF for Intercool varies between 25 and 30 (lighter colours have a better/higher SPF). The rating changes with dampness and use (it actually increases slightly the first time the garment is washed).
> In practical terms, Intercool provides all day protection from the sun. 15 minutes burn-time is extended to between 6 and 7 hours using Intercool. Of course the burn-time tapers off before and after the mid-afternoon peak so you are easily covered from dawn to dusk.
Washing Instructions?
> InterCool tops enjoy a warm machine wash. Try to avoid cold-water detergents and those with bleach. The cold-water varieties have little enzymes that are super-charged to brave the cold but can damage technical fabrics and cause skin irritation. And bleach rots natural fibres like cotton, strips the dye and may also cause irritation. As a rule of thumb, product that is easy on the planet is also easy on your body. Plant based soaps like 'Ecover' or specific sport wash formula are recommended.
> Hand washing is sometimes the only option on tour, but a washing machine rinses more thoroughly and is preferable if you have the choice.
> This Intercool top will be almost dry out after the spin cycle of your washing machine so using a dryer is unnecessary - if you must then choose a warm (not hot) cycle.