Esther Yu Sumner's Blog

 Here's a highlight of some bike kits I was able to test recently.

These aren't a perfect 1:1 comparison but I DID test all of these kits in the last 8 months. 

Pactimo kit

Pactimo MTB baggies

Top 3 Pros:

1. Most flattering and comfortable fit on the baggies I usually wear for mountain biking.
A lot of baggy brands, even when I size up, pull tight on my slim but muscular thighs. These fit just right.

2. The baggies have deep pockets.
They are the only ones where I felt my cell phone would stay in the pocket. 

3. Best waist cinching design.
I have a small waist and muscular thighs so I size up from my usual XS that I normally wear in street clothing to S in baggies. Then, I use the waist cinch that comes with any decent baggy, to keep the shorts on my waist. The cinch on most baggies are velcro hidden inside the band. This one is a stretch elastic with button holes. I love that I can just pull it to the button that sits where I want it to on my waist!

Top Con:

1. I'd love a zipper in one of the front pockets. There's a zipper on the back pocket but if I had one in front, I could keep my phone in there and be extra confident that it wasn't going to fall out.

Recommendation:
Overall, when it comes to baggies and a tee for mountain biking, this is my favorite kit.

 
Eliel jacket, jersey, and shorts

Eliel Sierra Gibraltar Jacket, Eliel Diablo jersey, Eliel Endurance Cargo Bib Shorts

Top 3 Pros:

1. This kit is BUTTER soft. In 20+ years of cycling I have never worn a jersey or shorts that was so soft and so comfortable, despite it being very tight because this fabric stretches in all the right places (note, I sized up because I could tell their target audience was racers, i.e., skin tight. So if in doubt, go with the larger size).

2. The Cargo Bib shorts have perfectly designed pockets. I put my cell phone in the pocket in my right leg (you can see the bump by my hand in the photo) and it fit inside perfectly. 

3. Excellent wicking. I took this kit road and mountain biking (just like it is, no baggies on top) and it was the perfect summer weight kit. 

Top Con:

1. I still love this beautiful jacket but as is the case with most waterproof jackets, it just doesn't breath all that well. I'd still choose it for a rainy day but this would not be my go-to emergency light-weight jacket because of its lack of breathability. Also, consider sizing up! Like with the rest of their line, they clothing is designed for race fit. I'm wearing a medium here, where I usually wear an XS or sometimes a S. This is my ONLY jacket in a M and I feel like I got the right size for my preference - but not if I planned to wear it while racing.

Recommendation:
If price is no object, and you are primarily a road cyclist, then this is the kit for you. However, because of their focus on race fit, although the size recommendations are spot on, you can still size up and have a snug fit. I sized up on the jersey and it was still snug!

 
Hyperthreads Venture bib and race jersey (left), Hyperthreads MTB/Loose fit baggy (right)

Hyperthreads Venture bib, race jersey, and MTB Loose fit baggy

Top 3 Pros:

1. This kit does the job of making you forget you are wearing a tight kit.

2. Versatile. This kit caters to taller people but I still felt like I could comfortably wear it for long distances on road and bike.

3. They use models of different shapes and sizes on their website to really help you dial in the right size.

Top Con:

They have the longest torsos and legs. As a petite person, this is a con for me, but I know others who have a problem with torsos and legs being too short.

Recommendation:

Their kits are designed for every size and body type, as evidenced by their size guides that show photos of real "every day" people in various shapes and sizes and what a kit looks like on them. However, even though I enjoyed very comfortable rides in their kit, everything was a tad longer than I prefer. For that reason, if you are looking for affordable, comfortable kits, I would recommend this, but especially for taller individuals.

DNA Gravel Bib Short, Women's Tour Jersey, and Peacock Duo Jacket

Top 3 Pros:

1. I love the deep pocket on the bib shorts. It made it the most versatile short for taking from road to mountain comfortably. 

2. The tour jersey has become my most worn jersey (even thought you can't see it in this picture). I wear it for both mountain and wear.

3. This packable jacket has zip-off sleeves that makes it perfect to pack in case of a chill in the day.

Top Con:

I found some of their bib shorts to run a little large for my preference. 

Recommendation:

This is a great kit if you enjoy both mountain biking and road cycling.

 As a Content Strategist at Adobe, I worked with writers to build a series of content that would enable and inform our customers how we could relate to them and why what we do matters. This included short form content, long form content, and videos. 

This is an example of a piece of long form content that I did not write, but that I envisioned, and worked with a writer, editor, product marketing manager, and UI designers to develop:

Experience Counts: Exceptional experiences happen at the intersection of data and design

 I wrote this piece about the Women's Executive Shadow Program for the Adobe.com blog:

https://blog.adobe.com/en/publish/2021/03/24/adobe-wesp-helps-motivated-women-reach-new-levels.html#gs.7oeoud
Published March 2021

(Click to enlarge.)

I have a new website for my published books.

I needed something a little more professional than free blogs, though I of course still love Blogger.

You can visit my website at www.estheryusumner.com.

I will try to post somewhat regularly to my new blog there: https://www.estheryusumner.com/blog-1

I have a new children's book coming out in February 2020. I don't know if the pandemic has impacted the timing of the book so I have been hesitant to announce a date. My fingers are crossed but at the same time my priority is the safety of our fellow human beings - safety from Covid-19, safety for our Black brothers and sisters that are peacefully looking for ways to protect their loved ones, and safety during economic uncertainty. I hope you are all well and losing yourself in books to give you an escape from some heavy topics in between efforts to serve and strengthen one another.

I will announce the title of my next release when I have a book cover to reveal. I have been very excited about this book because the setting is the forest at night, something that is near and dear to me because I spend a lot of time in the forest under the moonlight. I love the peace and quiet of the night, and even though a child should go to bed and be tucked in where it's safe and warm at night, I still want them to be able to escape to this exciting, beautiful place in books.

More to come -

- Esther

I have a new children's book out this Christmas!


I will be hosting a storytime and activity at Barnes & Noble in Orem, Utah at 1 p.m. this Saturday, followed by a book signing from 2-4 p.m.!

A couple of weeks ago, I drove down to Southern Utah with my brother, my sister, and their families. My brother's youngest daughter and my sister's youngest son both insisted on driving to Zion with me in my car, from the BNB in which we were staying.

My sister said, "You sure you want to take both of them?" However, it ended up being the cutest drive in the world. My niece immediately found a copy of my book, "My Nativity ABCs," that I keep in the magazine holder behind the seat.



Fortunately, I had a second copy in the trunk of my car for my nephew to read, too. It was soooo cute listening to her sound out the words to the story, with my nephew following along. She could read most of the words, though there were a few that were very big for her. (He let her take the lead.)

I fell in love with reading when I was very young. I knew by the time I was around seven that I wanted to grow up and write children's books so I could give to other children what other authors had given to me. I still love to browse and find new children's books to this day. Seeing my second youngest niece and youngest nephew avidly reading my books was very special to me.

I was interviewed for an article called "Hummingbird."