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review

Northwave Sunday Monday Sock

8
£11.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Very comfortable stink-free socks that should raise a smile among your riding mates
Weight: 
40g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The Northwave Sunday Monday socks are very comfortable thanks to a soft material that also seems to be hardwearing. Plus, you'll be able to give your following riders a little chuckle thanks to the design.

  • Pros: Soft but hardwearing fabric; don't smell
  • Cons: Nothing really

Using what Northwave calls Soft Air yarn, these socks are indeed very soft against the skin, and so thin that you don't really realise you are wearing them.

> Find your nearest dealer here

The fabric is a stretchy multi-filament structure that wicks moisture through the air pockets created between the filaments apparently, and it certainly keeps your feet dry. Also, even when wearing these socks for about 10 hours of riding throughout the week, there was no sign of any odour at all.

The compact weave used for the front half of the sock makes them durable and has also done away with the need for any seams around the toe area, so there's little chance of any irritation when pedalling.

Northwave Sunday Monday Sock.jpg

Going by the how thin the overall structure is, I was expecting them to wear quite quickly at the front and underneath the ball of the foot, but after six weeks of near continuous use they still look as good as they did when they came out of the packet.

To keep your feet cool once out of the high resistance areas, Northwave has switched to a more mesh-like construction to allow even more heat to escape – which will no doubt come in handy more in the summer months than it has during the November and December test period.

> How to keep your feet warm while cycling in winter

People's views on sock height fluctuates a lot in road cycling, but I like the 18cm you get here. It strikes a good balance between the too high/too low brigade. The double cuff keeps them sitting where they should be, too.

Northwave Sunday Monday Sock - detail 1.jpg

Priced at £12, the Northwaves are decent value for money as well, considering the overall quality. You can get much cheaper socks, like the FLR Elites for just £4.99, but I'd pitch the Northwaves a little closer to the quality and performance of the DeFeet Levitator Lite 6s, and they're £16.99.

Overall, the Northwave socks perform really well, offer decent quality and have the bonus of a cheeky message to your fellow riders.

Verdict

Very comfortable stink-free socks that should raise a smile among your riding mates

road.cc test report

Make and model: Northwave Sunday Monday Sock

Size tested: Large

Tell us what the product is for

"The breathable SUNDAY-MONDAY socks by NORTHWAVE stand out for breathability and a funny print. Perfect for your next sunday ride!"

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Super soft to the touch, Soft Air yarn features a stretchy multi-filament structure that wicks away moisture through the air pockets created between the filaments to ensure outstanding breathability.

Dual structure: the compact weave on the front ensures greater wear resistance, while open mesh on the back increases breathability

Double cuff

18 cm height

Yellow or black colour options

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for fit:
 
8/10
Rate the product for sizing:
 
8/10

Sizing is spot on.

Rate the product for weight:
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort:
 
9/10
Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

No issues with washing them at all, not that you need to very often.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

You don't notice you are wearing them.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Very comfortable and lightweight.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing to really dislike.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

Socks vary in price by a huge amount, from the likes of the FLRs mentioned in the review for a fiver, up to 20 quid for a pair of Lusso Active Aero socks. The Northwaves sit a sensible price for their performance vs quality.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

They offer a very good performance for not a bad price.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 41  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

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