Pearl Izumi has done it again. They have produced a line of gear that is high quality, comfortable and very well thought out.

On a clear, crisp morning our team of reviewers set out for a tour on the North Shore of Long Island. The temperature hovered around 42 degrees or so and there was a slight breeze blowing. Hardly winter conditions but chilly none the less.

Since we were driving to C.W. Post to start our ride I got dressed at home and noted to myself how well designed the Women's Gavia tights were. To begin with I loved the fact that there was a chamois built right into the tight. All my other tights are sans chamois so I wind up throwing cycling shorts on over them for the added comfort of riding with a pad. I liked the fact that the Gavia's have an ankle zipper. It makes getting the tights on a breeze. The zipper was also complimented with a reflective strip, which is so important when riding at night. Some other features worth mentioning are the drawstring around the waist (which i did not use) and the slightly thinner and more pliable material used in the

knee section of the tight. The back of the pant is cut to come up high so there is plenty of warmth protection for your lower back. The wind blocking ability of the tight was impressive as well. I like to test this by putting my hand in the garment and seeing how much of my breath comes through when I raise it to my mouth and exhale.

So the first thing I said as I got out of the car to actually start riding was... "it's cold". And it was. We had just experienced a week of mid 60's weather so to be plunged into low 40's felt cold. As we prepped the bikes for the ride I did a few stretches and some warm up exercises and got that initial chill to go. From that point forward the Gavia tight did its job.

The Gavia is a very comfortable tight. I didn't experience any pinching or chaffing. The chamois is appropriately generous in both padding and size so serious miles in these tights will be no problem. With the combination of the ThermaFleece and AmFIB material my legs were certainly warm. The wind blocking quality to the material was truly impressive. I also liked the fact that I never felt like I was fighting the material as I was pedaling as can often happen with thicker tights. Since we were out on a clear day I couldn't vouch for the water resistant ability that the tight is supposed to possess. As for the fit, I would say they run true to size, while cutting the length a bit long. I am 5'4" and the tights were a good 2-3 inches long on me.

At $174.00 these tights are a bit on the pricey side but, based on their performance worth the ticket price. From past experience, Pearl Izumi consistently builds a quality product that is meant to last.