2 February 2008
Encouraging development in the saga of the O2 3Flow Performance Series pants
Posted by todd under: Raingear; Reviews .
Last month I wrote a glowing review of the O2 3Flow Performance Series rain pants, only to have them leak — somewhere around the right knee, getting the bottom of my right leg wet — on a few rides days later.
Willing to give the manufacturer, Rainshield, a chance to stand by its product, I sent an e-mail to company president Adam Ziskin, which you can read here.
Since I don’t have Ziskin’s permission to reprint his e-mail verbatim, I will not quote from it directly. He asked for more information about the leak, and asked whether I had tried waterproofing the area in question myself.
He also said he did not want to make a customer unhappy over a small issue, and assured me that he supports the shop where I bought the pants, as well as its customers.
Here is what I sent in reply yesterday:
Mr. Ziskin, thanks for the gracious response. I did some checking after receiving your e-mail, and here is what I found out:
It turns out I overestimated how long I have owned the pants. I checked with Pedal the Planet, and the purchase date is May 1, 2006.
The only information I could find on the tag that might help you says “LT 07-05.” These are the black pants with the O2 logo on the left leg; a back zipper pocket and a smaller velcroed front pocket; and articulated legs with zippers at the bottoms.
There are no tears of any kind visible on the pants. They have never been through the washing machine, and they have spent no extended time in sunlight. In fact, the only time I wear them is during a half-hour bike commute, from home to work, and then from work to home.
As I prefer to wear your lighter-weight pants when it is warm or hot, the 3Flow pants have seen relatively little use and show virtually no sign of wear.
I offer this information in the spirit of continuing the dialogue about what might be done to rectify the situation. As I own your 3Flow jacket and the Cycling Series jacket and matching pants, all of which are excellent products that I recommend heartily, I know that my pants’ leaking after fairly light use does not meet your company’s standards.
Thanks again for your consideration!
To Mr. Ziskin’s credit, he responded yesterday with an offer to replace the pants, asking me the size and writing that he would send some right away.
So far, I am impressed. I will let you know the end of the story.
In fact, I almost ALWAYS wear one (while riding a bike anyway). (On the other hand, if YOU don't want to wear a helmet, I have no problem with it.) I don't remember what happened on this particular day. Fortunately for all of us it makes for a less-nerdly picture. My exceptionally talented professional photographer friend Charles Bertram took this photo.
I asked my 6-year-old son, Caleb, an avid bicyclist and artist, to draw a bike for me. I think he did a great job!
