A few days ago we received the first production samples of the Nzo Dusters, a pair of pants we created for 24/7 activity.
They fit like they are supposed to, and I can see this sample pair getting an everyday workout as soon as they are dry from their first laundering. The special finish we gave the Dusters so they can be used more times between washes doesn’t cover the treatment I gave this pair on Monday - a lap of the local trails and their associated dirt and sprayed-on mud.
The Dusters were designed to be a do-everything product, but we didn’t really expect them to be primarily for bike riding. We were thinking light commuting, coffee runs, that sort of thing.
So we hit the trails, to see what would happen.
Teamed up with a pair of Cruiseliners to take the edge off, the Dusters were the perfect get-up for a ride in the woods. Flexible, stay where they need to, honestly as comfy as shorts to pedal in. The ride was splendid, and pretty comprehensive. Most of the wiggly red line on the header image on this newsletter is singletrack, and the lumpy grey thing at the bottom corresponds to the landscape, which is also lumpy. Up, down, all around comfort and surprising functionality.
If you didn't order Dusters on our recent Kickstarter project, no worries, we will have them in stock later in the year.
Check out this strange story set in Nzo’s home town of Rotorua. We recommend Who Killed Lucy The Poodle, available on TVNZ On Demand.
The series investigates events surrounding the 1986 death of a performing poodle, followed by the escape of three full grown lions into the centre of Rotorua. It features a star turn by local mountain biking legend and Deputy Mayor Dave Donaldson, and that is not the only bike-related aspect of the story. What intrigued us most were several mentions, including one in a clip from prime time news of the day, about a couple of kids on BMX bikes. These kids, armed only with a stick, chased a lion down a Rotorua street. That’s right. Kids. On BMXes. Chasing a lion. With a stick.
While we are talking stuff to watch, check out Parallel, a new film with Brandon Semenuk and Ryan Howard.
Read Mike Ferrentino’s appraisal, and then have a look at the result of the hard yards put in by the team. We think it resets the bar for this kind of stuff.