Campagnolo Sportwear launch 2011 range in UK

Campagnolo Sportswear’s spring/summer 2011 clothing is now available, with UK importers i-ride.co.uk bringing in items mostly from the classic-styled Heritage range. The Italian brand goes for the low-key and sophisticated approach here… or you could say unadventurous, depending on your point of view. Either way, colour is out and black, white and grey are definitely in. Take a look at a few of the key products…

The Heritage Long Zip Jersey (£86.80), for example, is pretty much monochrome although you get reflective inserts on the front, back and sides to improve visibility.

The jersey is made from a fabric called Biophil which is similar to polyester, although rather than using petroleum by-products in the manufacturing process it uses corn syrup and so has a lower environmental impact. Yup, corn syrup! It’s also very elastic and soft, but not at all syrupy.

The Heritage Half Zip Jersey (we don’t have a price yet), which does have a splash of colour, is a polyester fabric with a lattice structure for extra breathability, and the side panels are mesh – so it’s definitely one for the warm rides. The fabric also features a sanitising treatment; Campag reckon that salts used in the dyeing process completely eliminate bacteria and bad odours. We’d be interested to see how it performs – or, more to the point, smell how it performs.

You get reflective inserts on all sides, a silicone gripper on the hem, and three rear pockets.

At £102.12, the Heritage Bib Shorts aren’t cheap but they come with the Pro version of Campag’s Tri-ProPad, which is multi-thickness with high-density inserts under your sit bones. The Revolutional Energy fabric is designed to support your muscles and shift sweat fast. Silicone grippers stop the legs riding up and reflective inserts on the sides increase your visibility in poor light.

Finally, the Heritage Waterproof Jacket (we don’t have a price yet) is made from Campag’s Light Textran fabric which is waterproof to 12,000mm (if that doesn’t mean much to you, it’s pretty high but not the highest) thanks to its polyurethane membrane. It has heat-sealed seams to stop the rain getting in there, and the zips are water-resistant too.

We’ve used this fabric before and it’s really stretchy so you don’t feel trapped if you go for a close fit, and it’s reasonably breathable too.

You get a pocket on the chest and another round the back, and quite a bit of reflectivity courtesy of inserts on the sides and sleeves and shiny logos. Velcro wrist closures allow you to seal yourself in or let the air flow, and a silicone gripper holds the hem in place.

For info on the whole Campag Sportswear range that’s available in the UK go to www.i-ride.co.uk