Life In The Saddle

It's not very often that I weigh a piece of clothing. In fact, I don't remember ever doing it before... It was the first thing that I did with the new adidas adizero jersey though; because to be blunt, it's ludicrously light. Adidas claim that the jersey weighs in at a minuscule 65 grams; my medium sample actually came in at 62 grams on my scales, so it is indeed a serious featherweight! The thinking behind this record breaking design, is simple: lighter is faster, thinner materials are more comfortable in the heat, and a lower profile style is more aero. In recent years, we've seen Grand Tour contenders such as Chris Froome wear skimpy (and see-through) jerseys and skin-suits on Alpine stages; the adizero jersey comes from the same school of thought, and pushes the boundaries in terms of ventilation and minimalism. Shrouded in tissue paper, the jersey arrives like a precious piece of art. When you unwrap it, you can see why; this is a piece of apparel made of ...

Aero is the 'new black'. White is still the 'new black'. Black is still up there too. White, black and aero; well... The new adidas CD.Zero3 bib shorts and short sleeve jersey have got to be up there on the 'cycling fashion' scale, and they're also up there for design features, quality and fit. Whilst it has only recently been getting warm enough to test these lightweight products in the UK, I feel I've done enough miles in them now, to cast my vote on this latest edition to the adistar range... The adidas CD.Zero3 Bib Shorts Bib shorts are perhaps the most difficult piece of cycling apparel to get right. The material needs to be light and flexible enough to breath and not restrict movement; yet weighty enough to cover your muscles and provide decent durability. The bibs themselves, need to be tough enough they won't stretch over time; yet not so heavy-duty they leave red indents on your shoulders from their tightness. The pad needs to be...

Many people obsess about making their bike lighter (the weight weenies), but what about the kit that you wear? Adidas today announced that they're releasing a complete set of summer cycling kit; including socks, bib shorts and a jersey, which will weight in at just 200 grams for the lot! That's incredibly light, and follows on from the ludicrously light adizero jersey that won awards at Eurobike. Light doesn't always mean better, but I'll be very interested to test this kit out in the coming (hopefully warm!) summer months. Here's some great photos to get you warmed up in the meantime...

adidas today released their new Supernova Climachill jersey; an innovative product that promises a lot of comfort for hotter days. The short sleeved jersey uses some clever technology; such as aluminium cooling spheres that provide a cooling sensation on back 'hot spots', as well as Subzero flat yarns, which contain titanium and apparently liberate heat far better than traditional round yarns. I'm looking forward to testing the jersey, and will report back on my experiences here. For now though, here's a few rather nice promo photos...

I've reviewed a number of  adidas  pieces on the blog before, and they have some impressive design features. Yesterday adidas released their new adiStar kit, which has a great aero look and feel to it. I'm set to test it on the blog soon, but here's a taster of what's to come from the three stripe brand.

Last week I reviewed the new adidas Supernova Winter Bib Tights and Supernova Winter Jersey (Link) ; this week I'm looking at two of their other cold weather specials - the Warm Wind Walter Turtleneck base layer and Cocona neck tube. adidas Warm Wind Walter Turtleneck Base layers play a vital part in keeping you comfortable in the winter months, wicking away uncomfortable perspiration and leaving you warm and dry. With fabric development, we're seeing new designs that have the ability to keep you warmer by also providing a wind-shielding layer. The new Cocona fabric from adidas does exactly that, and it's what makes the Warm Wind Walter Turtleneck a technical and particularly effective base layer option in cold conditions. The 'Warm Wind' element of this garment's design relates to the Cocona fabric panel that is used on the front of the torso. This fabric, combined with the high cut mock turtleneck, means that your core benefits from an additional wi...

Wintertime is without doubt a period when kit testing becomes a 'sink or swim' style judgement; the torrential rain, gusting winds and freezing temperatures mean that if kit isn't up to scratch, then you'll soon find out! I've been putting in the miles in the new adidas AW14 range over the last month, and I'm pleased to say it has been keeping me comfortable and productive on the bike. There are some interesting new technologies in this kit: there's the Cocona carbon fleece fabric with its windproof and insulating properties, the Thermodream fabric with its micro-pocket insulation, and there's the strong close fitting cuts that feature in the adidas kit with their large drop-tail hems to keep out unpleasant winter drafts. In this review feature I look at two of the signature pieces, the Supernova Tights and Winter Jersey. adidas Supernova Winter Tights For all weather cyclists, winter tights are definitely one the most valued pieces of kit ...

Adidas doesn't need a whole lot of introduction, the 'three stripes' have been featuring on sports kit since 1920, and in that period they've kitted out millions of runners, footballers and swimmers (amongst many other sports-people) in great kit. Their foray into cycling kit has been relatively recent though, and they first started to really get noticed with their sponsorship of Team Sky for their inaugural year in 2010. Since then, their range of products has expanded significantly, and it's well worth a look, so in this review I trial their mid-range Supernova jersey and adiStar bib shorts. adidas Supernova Jersey Straight out of the box, the Supernova jersey looks interesting and unique; the climalite fabric instantly speaks of breathability, and the mesh underarms, wide sleeve grippers and four rear pockets promise to make riding comfortable and easy in the summer months. Adidas have clearly spoken to cyclists about how they would like their jerseys...