How many miles did you run today?

[Fueco]

Feeling a little balloon-y with the advent of Thanksgiving and the holidays. What is the best running apparel company these days, especially if I want to lean toward breathable cold-weather gear? I'm a bit overwhelmed with the panoply of choices from Brooks and Adidas to Nike LuluLemon, etc. I feel as though I'm missing one that might stand above the others.

All of the long sleeve shirts I run in are Patagonia Capilene, except for one lightweight shirt from MyTrail (I wore it for the first time yesterday, and it seems really good. For tights, I like my Smartwool ones, but I also have compression tights from Sugoi and Linebreak that are good as well. I use an old cycling vest (Performance brand) that has reflective panels.

If it’s cold enough for a jacket, I have a running jacket from Craft that is very breathable.

 

[Texasmade]

View attachment 1709634

Nice shot of Houston. I live on the other side of I10.

 

[mmmargeologist]

Nice shot of Houston. I live on the other side of I10.

Nice! Rice military area? As you can probably tell im a heights-er

 

[Texasmade]

Nice! Rice military area? As you can probably tell im a heights-er

First Ward/Arts District

 

[beargonefishing]

0.00, all uphill.

 

[Fueco]

4.8 miles on the local trails. The temperature rose from 40 to 48 while I was out.

 

[mmmargeologist]

First Ward/Arts District

Great area. We’re not far ha! I need to swing by cafe brussels and get some mussels

 

[Piobaire]

Did full weights and a leisurely 20 miles on the steed today. First time since I broke my arm I was in zero pain. ****, finally!

 

[Dusty Heaters]

Feeling a little balloon-y with the advent of Thanksgiving and the holidays. What is the best running apparel company these days, especially if I want to lean toward breathable cold-weather gear? I'm a bit overwhelmed with the panoply of choices from Brooks and Adidas to Nike LuluLemon, etc. I feel as though I'm missing one that might stand above the others.

If you’re on this website, im assuming two things: 1. You’re an American. 2. You at least care about how you look.

If those hold true, look into Tracksmith. Their warm weather gear is average but their cold weather stuff is fantastic. Turnover tights, Brighton base layer, and Fells long sleeves (I love the turtle necks) are the highlights. They last, fit athletic body types well, and look somewhat professional.

They’re not giving it away. But if you’ve been here for awhile, you’re not broke.

 

[SirGrotius]

Thanks all. Got a whole panoply of gear which should at least inspire a few more cold-weather runs. There's something about the briskness that speaks to me and since I'm an experienced runner but one having taken a long hiatus (i.e., a couple years), I know to take it easy, short distances at first so won't overdo it.

 

[sugarbutch]

The combination of two race weekends and Thanksgiving away from home will have me off the bike for the better part of two weeks. I'm envious of all the turkey trots and Black Friday rides that people get to do. I have been at home for only two Thanksgivings in the past 20 years.

 

[Fueco]

Does Tracksmith’s stuff perform any better than anything else? All I’m seeing on their website is a bunch of stuff that looks like every other brand at a 50% markup.

 

[jbarwick]

My TS gear is a little looser than my Lulu run gear. Still gets soaked in the heat like everything else. Nothing is going to ace a heat test when it is 100* out so the other goal is not to chaffe.

For tights, I have some Asiscs tights and they have been great down into the 20s. I then sort of layer with a variety of items and brands I’ve pieces together.

 

[Michigan Planner]

Does Tracksmith’s stuff perform any better than anything else? All I’m seeing on their website is a bunch of stuff that looks like every other brand at a 50% markup.

Like @jbarwick said, nothing is going to stay 100% dry but I’ve tried tights from Reebok, Nike, Brooks, Saucony, and a few other brands who’s names escape me. The Tracksmith have been by far the best in terms of not chaffing my crotch. They are also much much warmer than a lot of the other brands I’ve tried and keep me comfortable running in temps down to about -15° F (below that and I need to add another layer). Of course, everyone has different levels of comfort in terms of temperature, so YMMV in that regard.

 

[Dusty Heaters]

Does Tracksmith’s stuff perform any better than anything else? All I’m seeing on their website is a bunch of stuff that looks like every other brand at a 50% markup.

Performance wise…Ehhh…Hard to say objectively, but my gut leans towards ‘no’. I mean, everyone makes a merino wool blend fabric these days. That’s really the primary performance element.

The fit, finishes, and overall aesthetic feel/look better than competitors though.

I have Patagonia capilene gear as well and think highly of it. But fit wise it’s always a little too loose here, too tight there, too long, etc. Its not the end of the world. Just something that became more prominent when I started picking up more TS pieces.

If that matters to you, maybe try a pair of the turnover tights or Brighton base layer. If you don’t care much about looking pretty with muted earth tones, save the cash.