Giro launch new clothing range at Eurobike

Some of the most interesting clothing we’ve seen at this year’s Eurobike comes from Giro – yes, them that make the helmets and, in recent years, shoes.

To sum up the range in brief, it combines performance clothing technology with lifestyle looks. Lifestyle? You can wear it off the bike without looking like you’ve just fallen off the back of the chain gang. It’s bike clothing that in many cases doesn’t look particularly like bike clothing, so you won’t look out of place if you wear it to ride into town to go shopping, have a coffee, um, return your library books… stuff like that

Take this Short Sleeve Merino Polo, for example. Being made from merino wool, it should wick sweat to a decent degree and remain non-smelly after a ride because it’s naturally antibacterial. It’s cut pretty slim with vented seams at the front of the shoulders and it comes with a zipped pocket at the back, so it’s cycle-specific… but subtly cycle-specific. It’s available in four different colours; nearly all the products in the range are available in more than one.

The Mobility Polo is a vaguely similar shape but it’s made from a polyester/merino wool mix and comes with a zip and popper closure.

We really like the look of the Mechanic Jacket. Although it has a cotton face, it’s actually a three-layer waterproof fabric with taped seams to keep the rain out and a DWR (durable water repellent) treatment. It’s a neat design.

The Insulated Vest comes with a rip-stop nylon shell and 25g Primaloft Sport Insulation to keep you warm. Again, it doesn’t look especially bikey but it’s cut a bit longer at the back to avoid draughts when you’re stretched out on the bike.

The polyester Base Mesh Pockets is interesting in that – you guessed it – it has pockets around the back.

What’s the point in pockets in a base layer? Well, they’re just in case you don’t have any pockets in the top you’re wearing over it. The same base layer is available without the pockets too.

Tony liked the Mobility Shorts. They’re mostly cotton but with a bit of Lycra in there to allow you to bend forward on the bike and pedal in comfort. Unusually, as well as being available in various waist sizes, they’re available in two different cuts – tailored and classic.

The Mobility Trousers are made of the same fabric and they come with reflective tape inside the seam for extra visibility when you roll them up. It’s a feature we’ve seen in other trousers previously and it works well. Again, these come in two different fits.

The New Road range also includes, socks, gloves, windproof and waterproof jackets, and a complete women’s line-up, which we can’t really show you here because neither Tony nor Mat were up for modelling it (we’ll get more info on the women's stuff soon).

Here are the women’s Civila Shoes, though, featuring microfibre uppers, a nylon sole with a two-bolt cleat mount, and replaceable walking pads. The men’s version is the Republic. It has the same features but it’s built around a different last.

Unfortunately, we don’t have any prices yet. Go to www.giro.com for more info (all of these designs are already up there) or go to www.zyro.co.uk/giro – that’s the UK distributor.