Road Rags launch merino bike clothing

New London-based bike clothing company Road Rags are offering a range of men and women’s merino wool seamless garments all made in England.

The clothing is aimed at urban cyclists, the idea being that you can wear it on the bike and then keep it on in the office, out on the town or whatever – without looking like you’ve just stepped off the bike or smelling like a locker room.

We’re pretty sure that you’ll know about merino wool’s natural wicking properties that help keep you comfortable, and the fact that it’s naturally antibacterial so it doesn’t start to hum like many synthetic fabrics do as soon as you get the slightest bit sweaty.

The Hoxton is the simplest item in the range; it’s essentially a merino T-shirt/base layer with an extended tail and a double pocket back there. You get aerated underarm stitching and a ribbed crew neck. This one is £95.

The Smithfield, priced at £115, is long sleeved with a thumb hole retainer to make sure your wrists stay covered. The underarms are aerated and the rear is dropped, like they are on the Hoxton, and the neck is really high so you can cover up your chin and even your ears when it’s cold out. Obviously, you can roll it down out of the way when it's not.

The Shoreditch, worn in the main pic up top, is pretty similar to the Hoxton but for the off-centre neck zipper. It's priced at £130.

Road Rags offer women’s clothing too. These Holborn legging, for example, come with an integrated skirt for £90.

“In essence the clothing has been inspired by the needs of the commuter and the desire to look a little more stylish than many of the present offerings allow,” said Road Rags Director Vaughan Hobbs. “We cut and shape for the normal rather than the 'racing whippet'.”

Barely a week goes by these days without us hearing about a new line of clothing intended for use both on and off the bike. Hopefully that’s an indication of the growing popularity of cycling as a means of urban transport.

The postman should be delivering some of the products to road.cc shortly so we’ll let you know how we get on with them as soon as pos. In the meantime you can check out the full range at www.roadrags.cc.