My Review of Urban Cycling apparel.

 

My review of Urban Cycling Apparel.

(Spoiler alert: you get a ton of kit for the money)

I did a post recently talking about 3 items I've bought for under $100 that I'm really pleased with. And in it I mentioned Urban Cycling apparel. I got a lot of messages about the kit asking about it so I thought I'd just do a post devoted entirely to the kit that I have. 

The URBAN CYCLING TEAM ELITE SERIES, LIMITED EDITION kit. 

I got served ads for this kit for quite some time before I finally pulled the trigger on it. I thought it was attractive from the offset but, honestly, I was skeptical about the price point. I've been riding and racing bikes for a long time. And in that time I've ridden on some teams that gave me some pretty nice kit (Castelli, Garneau, Voler, etc). So I know good kit when I see it. 

(Riding gravel in Patagonia, AZ)

It turns out, my misgivings were misplaced. I finally ordered the kit after doing in some team kit and needing more clothes for training and racing. It arrived quickly and only cost me $79. Visually it's fantastic. Very eye catching and it looks fast!

The Shorts.

In my opinion bibs make or break a kit. I feel like the requirements for bibs are greater than that of a jersey. It comes down to the chamois, the grippers on the legs, and the fit. I'm a tall guy at 6'3" and wear a large in most kits. These shorts fit great! The length is perfect and the material is just tight enough without being too tight. The chamois is soft and more than adequately padded. 

The grippers on the legs are unique. Shorts these days no longer use a rubberized elastic band around the leg. Most use an elastic band around the leg with silicone in it. These shorts, however use little silicone gripper dots. The cuff fits comfortably and the grippers are much better than I thought they'd be. 

Overall, they're a terrific pair of bibs. And after over a year of use now they're holding up really well! 

The Jersey

They jersey is what really makes this kit for me (I know, I know. I said the shorts make the kit - trust me here). It's so attractive, and has so many thoughtful features, that it's the part that really stands out for me. 

It's been my experience with lower priced jerseys that the material is lower quality and that the jerseys fit more loosely. Not so with this kit. It fits more like a "race-fit." I like the thoughtful touches like the zippered pocket for keys, wallet, phone etc and the reflective tab. The blue cuff at the waist and the arms is a sharp looking touch too. It wicks moisture perfectly doesn't stick to you when you get sweaty. The cuffs at the arms do not have any grippers yet somehow stay in place very well. 

All together this is a great kit for the money. It's made in the US and can be found on Amazon. They run true to size so if you're a large like me in other kits, you'll be a large here too. 

If you liked this review, let me know in the comments!