Tag: cycling jerseys

Categories
Apparel Reviews

Peloton Jersey

Peloton Jersey

Peloton JerseyWe love it when people take matters into their own hands and that’s exactly what the founders of Peloton did when they couldn’t find anything on the market that fitted their desired cycling jersey criteria of ‘practical and classically stylish.’

 

Creating their own range – currently with four colour-way designs for men and one for women – using 100% BioActive Polyester Coolmax fabric, which works hard at wicking away the sweat of the ride, the results are highly pleasing.

 

The fit is slim and snug but the fabric moves freely and doesn’t restrict movement in the least, and the flat-lock seams add to the overall comfort. The high collar is an unusual design feature, more at home on a casual tee but actually, it could be argued, adding to protection from the sun and certainly helping with the general aesthetics that set this range apart from the pack.

 

The zip runs full length, so plenty of bare-chested (for the men?) opportunities if the weather really demands but if we were being picky a ‘zipper garage’ at the top would really improve comfort, especially as these jerseys zip all the way to the top of the tall collar and there’s a tendency to feel it dig in here. Cuffs and waist are elasticated, with the latter featuring rubberised hem to stop the jersey from sliding up.

 

The standout feature for us – beyond the rather natty design/colours – is the pocket configuration at the back. There are two really generous volume mesh pockets for gels, bars and the like, plus a further two large zipped pockets sitting over the back of those for keys, phones and other valuables. It’s a lot of storage and we were pleased to find that, even when packed to the max, the Peloton jersey remained exceptionally comfortable.

 

Despite the zip quality not being quite there yet, Peloton have done a really credible job of bringing to market a product that combines style with substance.

 

The Peloton jerseys retail at £64.99 just about the mark we would expect for the more bespoke look and feel of apparel of this quality. Further details and online purchase at pelotoncycleclothing.co.uk

Categories
News

adidas launch Supernova Climachill

adidas Supernova Climachill

adidas Supernova ClimachillWith a strong tradition of developing industry-first innovations, adidas has today launched the Supernova Climachill jersey calling it ‘the next generation of active cooling wear for cyclists.’

 

The new Supernova Climachill jersey is set to feature aluminium cooling spheres on the main ‘heat zone’ in the upper back; in contact with the body these metal spheres produce a cooling sensation even in extreme temperatures. To further aid temperature control the jersey uses ‘subzero yarns’ that are flat with a much larger surface area than traditional round yarns to better transfer heat away from the body, this is further enhanced with the addition of titanium woven through the inside of the Supernova Climachill jersey. Finally the jerseys will employ polar fibres, which are both light and exceptionally breathable.

 

The adidas Supernova Climachill jersey is available in a range of colours in both men’s and women’s cuts, retailing at £55. Further details and online purchase at adidascycling.co.uk

Categories
News

Adidas Unveil the Latest Adistar Range

Adidas Adistar

Adidas AdistarAdidas have unleashed the latest adistar range combining the sleek, classic 3 stripes designs with leading tech, to produce a kit which they say ‘embodies the brand’s rich heritage in the sport – performance, innovation and style.’ Available in men’s and women’s specific design the range, which includes long and short sleeve jerseys, gloves, bibshorts and jackets, incorporates the aerodynamic race fit that adistar has become known for.

 

Adidas say the new kit features the most advanced cycling technologies available in the world, including wind tunnel tested DragZero fabric, jet fighter wing-inspired TrailingEdge hems and strategically-placed SlipStreamSeams for less wind resistance.

 

The adidas adistar range is available on adidascycling.com

Categories
Apparel Featured Reviews

Adidas adiZero Jersey

Adidas adiZero Jersey

Adidas adiZero JerseyLaunched with a storm of publicity and a nifty viral ad campaign the Adidas adiZero Jersey is promoted as the lightest cycling jersey on the market. Whilst it’s unbelievably light, does it really stack up and can they honestly justify £120 price tag for it?

 

Okay, so it’s all about the weight and at just 65g the Adidas adiZero Jersey is around half the weight of a traditional cycling top – that’s impressive to say the least and the adverts made much of this by floating it from a helium balloon. In fact even that visually striking image doesn’t prepare you for the first time you pick it up – it’s like Tolkien’s Mithril. Adidas are understandably coy about what the lightweight mesh material actually is but if you can imagine a cross between nanotechnology Lycra and tissue paper you’re pretty much there.

 

The back and underarm sides are even thinner mesh for added ventilation whilst rigidity and form comes from the tri-stripe print down either side and the single heaviest feature is the zip. Comfort, it probably goes without saying, is outstanding – mostly because it’s like wearing nothing at all.

 

Despite the gossamer construction the Adidas adiZero Jersey provides adequate wind protection and arguably enough coverage for a summer ride, although it’s unlikely to make an appearance from the kit cupboard beyond say the end of August. One downside of the material (apart from it’s eye-watering cost) is that it’s ability to wick sweat falls short; there’s just not enough material between skin and air to drawn moisture away and have it blow dry in good time.

 

Of course cyclists are obsessed with weight (and probably to a greater degree cake) so the Adidas adiZero Jersey will undoubtedly find its market amongst the carbon fetishists. In the weight department it is impressive in every way imaginable and style-wise it ticks the boxes in an equally minimalist, stripped back fashion but beyond height of summer use and perhaps velodrome training and racing the price tag feels tough to defend.

 

That said, we’re still glad to own one…

 

The Adidas adiZero Jersey retails at £120

Categories
Apparel

Tribesports Performance Cycling Jersey

Tribesports

tribesports_comp_mainIt’s no surprise to hear that Cyclo gets to look at a huge amount of apparel, but when we take delivery of anything from Tribesports we always know we’re in for a treat, because Tribesports is a company that likes to do things just that little bit differently.

 

Now in full production and shipping to over 180 countries, Tribesports was kick-started by, well, Kickstarter with 400% of the original funding goal bringing in almost £120,000 for the fledgling design company. And from the start the company has used ‘community-power’ for far more than mere fund raising, empowering their ‘tribe’ to encourage feedback that both influences product and helps cut costs that can be passed back in savings to their customers.

 

All of this would count for little if their apparel wasn’t up to scratch, but it certainly is and the Tribesports Performance Cycling Jersey – available in both men’s and women’s– is an excellent case in point. It balances aesthetics and performance exceptionally well with a longer cut to the back, secured by a rear hem silicon grip strip to stop it riding up, and zoned ventilation under-arm to the sides for good temperature control.

 

Attention to detail comes in the form of a ‘zip locker’ at the upper end of the generous 22cm front zip so there’s no neck-snagging (technical term?) or discomfort, and also from the excellent flatlock seams. There’s reflective detailing too and two lumbar pockets for gels, bars and other necessities, plus an additional, zipped pocket for keys and essentials.

 

Comfort is really noticeable with the Tribesports Jersey; the 12% Spandex, 88% Polyester fabric mix moves well on the bike, wicks and breathes admirably and also features an antibacterial treatment to help minimise ‘bike stink’ (another technical term?) and prolong the apparel shelf life. In all, it hasn’t taken long for this to become one of Cyclo’s favourite cycling jerseys.

 

The Tribesports Performance Cycling Jersey is available for men in black/yellow in sizes S-XXL and women charcoal/yellow in sizes XS-XL, both at £48.00. Full details and online purchase at Tribesports.com

 

You can follow Tribesports on Twitter and facebook.

Categories
News

adidas to Launch the adiZero

adidas adizero

adidas adizeroadidas has announced the upcoming launch of the new adiZero cycling jersey, the lightest top ever to be released to market. Weighing in at a mere 65g the adiZero is made from lightweight mesh materials (in ‘solar blue’), which both reduces weight and allows for rapid moisture transfer, whilst a more open mesh is employed in panels for added breathability. ‘Ultra-stretchable’ material has been integrated around the arms and shoulders for comfort, fit and flex on the ride and a windproof chest panel is used to hold back the cold on those rapid downhills.

 

Noted for its ‘aerodynamic genius’ by judges, the adiZero jersey was Winner of the prestigious Gold Eurobike award in 2013 for Apparel and the British Cycling version has been used extensively by the team during elite competition, and will be worn in upcoming international road competitions. In part this pro-cycling feedback has been used to fine-tune the adiZero.

 

The adidas adiZero cycling jersey will be available from June 1 and will retail at £120.

 

For more information on the adiZero and all adidas cycling products see adidas.co.uk

 

Categories
Apparel Featured Reviews

Columbia Total Zero T-Shirt

Columbia Total Zero T-Shirt

Columbia Total Zero T-ShirtAlthough not a dedicated cycling jersey – you won’t find lumber pockets here for stashing those gels and bars – the new Columbia Total Zero T-Shirt had Cyclo intrigued enough to want to put it to the test. With more than 70 year’s of experience in production of sportswear and outdoor apparel, Columbia’s latest range features ‘Omni-Freeze ZERO’ technology, a system of almost invisible blue rings in the fabric, which react with sweat to actually lower the temperature of the material and, consequently, the wearer.

 

The Women’s Total Zero Short Sleeve V-Neck Top which Cyclo put to the ride is available in black, white, light blue and lilac (the latter two more poetically called ‘Riptide and Velvet Morning); it’s quietly stylish with relatively little branding aside from a discreet Columbia logo on one sleeve. The fit is snug, a necessity for ensuring that the sweat-activated tech actually comes into contact with sweat, and despite not featuring any rubberised banding to the hem (we didn’t really expect any – again: this is not a dedicated cycling top) it stayed perfectly put during test and didn’t ride up at the back.

 

And the cooling technology? On a relatively warm ride of three hours (circa 22degrees and bright) there was certainly a distinct feeling of cooling – not the artificial sense created by some garments that use menthol impregnation, but actual temperature control. Add to this the fact that it wicked sweat incredibly well away from the skin, which naturally adds to the cooling effect via wind and evaporation, and has UPF 50 sun protection and this T begins to look like a credible top for the bike.

 

Okay, so we missed having a jersey pocket and some of the swish branding from a ‘real’ cycling top, but as an option for a summer ride – particularly a more relaxed, non-competitive ride – the Columbia Total Zero makes perfect sense to us.

 

The Columbia Total Zero retails at £35 and is available in sizes XS-XL, along with more from the Columbia range, at blacks.co.uk

 

For more information on Columbia see columbiasportswear.co.uk

 

Categories
Apparel Reviews

Spiro Full Zip Performance Top

Spiro Full Zip Performance Top

Spiro Full Zip Performance TopCycling, we’re sure we don’t need to tell you, is not necessarily the cheapest of pursuits; bike aside, it’s not difficult to find money all-but physically leaking from your pocket once you start to kit up. But can the budget end of the market fulfil anything other than the most basic of requirements? With this question in mind Cyclo took a look at the new Spiro Full Zip Performance Top, a promising looking jersey with a price tag that made for a full-on double-take…

 

Made from 100% polyester the Spiro Full Zip Performance Top wicks reasonable well in warmer weather but lacking any elastane/Spandex in the mix lacks the closer fit and dynamic movement of more expensive jerseys and as the fabric doesn’t incorporate any antibacterial properties it becomes prone to a degree of stink if left to its own devises.

 

However, the fit – despite the absence of elastic stretch – is surprisingly good; available in S to XXL for men (chest size 37-49inch) and XS to XL for women (UK 8-16) the jersey isn’t especially long in the back, but sits well and pretty much stays put thanks to an effective rubberised ridge system at the hem. Despite being reassuringly lightweight, the biggest issue with comfort is the seam quality – you don’t need to look inside to judge the bulkiness of stitching, spend a couple of hours on the bike and you’ll feel it. We found, even without a substantial sweat factor, and particularly under the arms, that the seam size and quality resulted in mild irritation – bordering on chafing – in the kind of time frame we would barely consider a leg-stretcher. It’s probably unreasonable to expect flatlock seams at an entry-level price, but this remained the one area where we felt a case of ‘you get what you pay for’ came into play.

 

Two open lumber pocket – not the biggest we’ve seen, but ample for a gel or two – are complimented by a mid-back zipped pocket for keys/cash and a commendable amount of reflective detailing, particularly in the back, an area sadly lacking in many jerseys we’ve ridden in. Another welcome addition is UV protection, which never goes amiss. In terms of looks the Spiro Full Zip Performance Top delivers either a black/white or much higher viability green/black combo and complimentary jackets and legwear are available if you fancy building yourself a team kit vibe.

 

Yes, pros and cons – but the price? Drumroll… £15 for the men’s, £13.50 for the women’s. That alone almost (almost) nullifies the seam criticism. At this price you could build yourself a near complete kit (shorts £16.50, base layer £5.90) for the cost of most jerseys alone. The Spiro Full Zip Performance Top certainly isn’t the most technical or robust jersey available – nor did we expect it to be – but it far outperforms its exceptionally modest price tag

 

Further information at spiroactivewear.com and online purchase at shop.resultclothing.com