November 2015

November was an extension of summery October… the heavy clothes are still in the closets, but you can dare to wear a little something extra… With my usual enthusiasm, I’m getting ready to try out the “polpaccere”—the Italian equivalent of “calf sleeves”—model 1500 Bypass by Oxyburn, as clearly indicated on the beautiful packaging.

With the top in hand: aesthetically pleasing and well-defined to prevent incorrect wear, thanks to the distinct right/left and front/back sections designed to provide the best possible support for the body. They’re easy to put on, and I notice that they completely cover the entire shin—in fact, they’re longer than the part of the leg they’re meant to cover.

They feel great against the skin, and right away you can feel the well-balanced and structured graduated compression, especially around the ankle. I can’t wait to try them out while running.

Unfortunately, the time change means I have to use a headlamp, but I’m not giving up—I’ve decided to stick to my testing routine anyway, so I’m putting the helmet through its paces with two straight weeks of training on both road and dirt trails.
The muscle support is top-notch; the fabric provides support without being too tight, and I don’t feel any discomfort either at the start or end of a session. Pain and fatigue are now just a bad memory—goodbye, cramps. Temperature regulation is perfect, breathability is optimal as always, and it dries incredibly fast. Zero odors. These have all been standard features of Oxyburn products for quite some time now.

I wanted to try out the garment a couple of times after my long runs, partly for recovery purposes: excellent results here as well. At the end of the 8 sessions, I decided to wash them simply because they had gotten a little muddy after my last few runs; otherwise, I could have easily gone without washing them.
The right blend of high-quality fabrics, well-balanced with one another, makes all the difference in these situations. They’ll also be perfectly suitable for use during the cold season, given the excellent thermal insulation provided by the fibers.

And now, as always with great pleasure, I’ll give the long-term evaluation a try.

Rating: 8.5/10

SIMONE BAGNANO