Planet-X have got a nutty reduction on the very euro-styled Fizik R3 shoe model in the red colourway. At a ridiculous £59.99 these shoes are a steal! scoop over at the planet-x webstore.
Showing posts with label clothing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label clothing. Show all posts
Cap-pow!
Those dudes & dudettes down at Condor Cycles have released some natty new cap designs ready for an autumn of riding. The LDN and Houndstooth hi-vis models shown below are two of their line up. The caps are handmade in Italy, and I can vouch that the cotton is nice and stiff, ensuring maximum euro cap-luft for those seeking to adhere to the rules. Head on over to the Condor Cycles website to check out their range, all very reasonably priced as usual.
MFS T-Shirt
Over here at Bianchista HQ we are HUGE fans of the very awesome Emiliano Granado. One of his projects thats been universally loved by all is the photographic journal getting under the grimy nails of professional bike racing "A Manual For Speed". Taking an intimate and often humorous look inside the nitty gritty background of a pro cycling team.
Anyway, MFS fans can now pre-order a neato neon enhanced t-shirt to show their support for the MFS project. We like our cycling t shirts and we like a healthy dollop of neon-fades so what better than copping this little beauty for $30. Designed by stateside neon-afficianado Mr Hsuper the shirts are on pre-order, looking to ship mid April. Order from the shop here.
Jersey Style
So, Alberto is back with fire in is belly in the Vuelta. Loved his 7 or so attacks on the Arrate, whilst he perhaps struggled to maintain the veracity of each dig, its clear the is a man on a mission, and it made for a very exciting finale indeed. Anyway! can anyone reveal the interesting scallops on the bottom of his jersey? I know the kit is manufactured by Sportful but I was unable to find any info on this pattern... and wondered what it might be in aid of. If you can shed any light, feel free to comment!
Capo Cipressa Jacket
Now, it might not seem the most appropriate time of year to bring to you ladies attention a super bit of kit i had on test this early springtime. Forgive me for that, in part I have not gotten round to penning my thought on the item for a good month or two due to being busy and well, just out riding, and secondly, admittedly I only wore the garment from March-late April, so its not been at the front of my mind, however I have finally found time to share my thoughts on a top-tech jacket that most wardrobes will have space to accommodate.
Admittedly Capo is a brand I didn't have a massive amount of awareness of until last year or so. Known widely state-side and down under, their kit is minimally and stylishly designed, you wont find cluttered logos or hideous colour-schemes in their line-up, just a well executed understated style. Capo produce a host of club and team kits in the states, and unbeknownst to me I was actually already in possession of a very comfy pair of armwarmers from their via the excellent Elcyclista.
The jacket is an incredibly svelte number, crafted in a fabric Capo has termed 'Shark'. Consisting of a thin but closely yarned fleece lining, backed by the exterior layer of a matted wetsuit-like windproofed lycra, the jacket is definitely on the 'race-fit' side of the fence, offering a really flattering profile when zipped up. Bonus points already! Think of it as the women-friendly equivalent of Rapha's Pro-team jacket; a race-cut insulating outer layer designed simultaneously to afford a breathable and windproof front panel.
Reflective piping flocks the rear panel joints, but don't make the mistake of thinking this is a high-vis piece, its stealthy and ninja-like with its completely black colour. Stylish attire indeed for the day, but this wont be ideal for commuting on darkened streets come evening time. Team with a high-vis gilet or such should this be the case would be my advice.
Two large pockets provide ample storage for ride food and phones/camera etc. No internal pump pocket or such, but they do keep their shape under load extremely well, and don't sag in that unsightly way that other jerseys can be prone to.
The jersey is an ideal 3 season outer layer, teamed with either 3/4 or tights and a thick baselayer in the winter. Retailing at around £150 (although I have seen these floating about in online sales recently) the jacket is a minimally-stylish staple thats manufacturing quality means it should last quite a few seasons. I teamed it happily with the rapha 3/4 bibs during an extensive test throughout late March/early April and it performed admirably giving ample protection from wind and drizzle. Id say look to employ the jacket ideally at temperatures below 12 degrees or so.
Capo will also be involved the the really cool Rêve grand tour project, which sees a group of 6 US based ladies take part in a punishing 3479KM ride shadowing the 2012 Tour de France route. Hopefully the weather will stay nice enough for the gang they wont be needing the Cipressa jacket ;)
Capo is available in the following places
Condor Race Socks
Condor Cycles have released a new model of sock just in time for summer, this time tipping a nod to the cool euro styling seen on PRO racers within today's peloton. Their lightweight-tech white sock features a simple striped contrasting rear logo (available in both black and red, perfect to pick the coordinating colour to your S-Works heel cup!). In a longer incarnation of their previous sock, the race model boasts a 7cm long cuff section, perfect for those looking to enhance their bronzed pins for uber-euro points.
Priced at £8.99, I can confirm from the featured pictures that even after a decent 40 wash cycle, the socks came out like new. A welcome piece of information for those prone to heavy washing of their kit. The midfoot section is crafted from a meshed version of the microfibre yarn, improving ventilation to this part of the foot, along with ease of moisture transfer - bound to a nice bit of respite on those hot summer days in the saddle. The toe and heel area offers a thicker blend of fabric, resulting in a comfortable and secure fit.
The socks are available in-store now, in two sizes, a S/M & M/L. Alternatively, those non-London residents can ping the good folks at Grays Inn Road an email or phonecall and take advantage of friendly mail order option. Another nice sock staple to add to the summer riding wardrobe.
Tenspeed Hero Wool
Check out these nice charcoal Defeet socks over at Tenspeed Hero, in thin 65% merino wool, perfect for spring riding. Natty hosiery indeed...
Giro Trans Shoe Bargain
CRC have the lush looking Giro Trans road shoes for a whopping %45 off rrp, with the shoes on current offer for a snip, at a modest £88. Both colours and most sizes are available, so head on over if you find yourself in the market for some very nice disco slippers for the season ahead. They have reductions on all their 2011 Giro footwear currently.
Pro Team Noir
Rapha Pro-Team socks, a fave of mine, are now available in a hot new black colourway. Controversial I know...but im going to throw it out there > I LOVE black socks! I think white socks look great on lean, bronzed , vascular legs of those world tour hero's of ours.... but for those of us blessed with none of these aforementioned qualities, trust me, black socks looks AWESOME!
Black sock haters - deal with it!
Festa Della Donna
Ladies, its that time again. Prime your bank account for a scrumptious sale on all ladies riding gear from Rapha... Gents, time for the perfect gift for your riding companions. Also handy as a sure-fire green card out of the doghouse
Rapha Lookbook
Rapha have launched their AW11 lookbook online for all to enjoy. Featuring luscious photo and video craftings from Ben Ingham, each of their ranges is presented in the stunning backdrop of the Alps, managing the impossible and further glamourising their products and eking out every last bit of desirability. Think of it as a kind of online carharrt brand book, something I used to absolutely love picking up a copy of. Head on over to http://lookbook.rapha.cc/ to watch the films and see their newly launched products. Lots of new colourways too (a rather cute berry seems to feature this year, complimenting their nice blue teal-coloured material from last year.
I particularly love the new womens range film featuring their new ladies rider Julie Krasniak. A name to watch for this cross season!
I particularly love the new womens range film featuring their new ladies rider Julie Krasniak. A name to watch for this cross season!
Rapha Festa della Donna
For one day only, this coming Monday the 28th February, Rapha are holding a special flash sale for all their women's clothing range. With a massive 50% off the range, they will also be announcing two new female contributors to their fabulous blog, as well as giving a little peek to the forthcoming S/S11 range and also running a competition. The ladies range is amongst the finest cycling gear iv had the pleasure to test out, read up on the range here and here and be sure to set a reminder to visit rapha.cc on this special 'Ladies Day'. Il be swinging by to add to the wardrobe for sure!
Pro Team Kit
Rapha have dropped their new 'Pro Team' line - garments designed for the specifics of racing. Think aero, streamlined, paired down styling with performance the key factor. Designed by two Rapha Condor stalwarts, Olympian Chris Newton and ex National Champion Kristian House, the kit resembles those garments of the Pro Tour peloton - highly technical and lightweight fabrics that cling to the skin in an uber PRO fashion.The jersey is made from an extremely high-wicking, stretch fabric from Switzerland that is exclusive to Rapha and incorporates Coldblack® technology, so the black material stays cool against the skin in hot weather and provides UV protection.
Whilst its quite an unforgiving cut - its nice to see someone produce a jersey akin to that worn in professional racing. I have had my fingers burnt once before buying 'Pro Team' replica kit, only to find it arrives and its a cheap loose cut made with budget fabrics and pretty much nothing like the quality of the kit I saw in a race and wanted to purchase! Most teams in the pro tour now employ some kind of aerodynamic design element to their kit. Castelli seemed to set a precedent with this in producing the Cervelo Test Team aero range. I believe Garmin also had special climbers and aero jerseys available as team issue by their kit supplier Pearl Izumi. So its nice to see a brand other than Castelli throw its hat into producing race specific clothing for the discerning weekend racers amongst us.
a fine aero example via flickr
via Cycling Weekly
Another worthwhile mention here if discussing race fit clothing is to Le Col. Iv been admiring of their clothing for sometime, and with its racy aggressive cut and simple colour styling, its another great option for those seeking that tight aero fit minus the plastering of distasteful euro sponsor logos all over it.
Leon Harris Flickr
