A Grand Time for Cycling
The season is in full swing, and the weather is already putting a dampener on things
We’re already well into the cycling season, with one grand tour already completed – Giro D’ Italia 2024. The weather on the Giro is famously fickle, with days of high heat under the blazing sun, interspersed with mountain storms that lash down on the riders, and with hail stones dancing on the tarmac as riders try to stay warm and upright on the tight, twisting mountain roads. Images abound of riders crossing cols with snow laying deep beside the road edges. Yes, the Giro is the toughest of all challenges for the peloton, both mentally and physically – which is why it’s such a beautiful race to watch. This year was no exception, and the Stelvio day had to be amended, due to severe cracks in the famous tarmac. Even the alternative route had the peloton refusing to race. Hopefully, the TdF will bring better weather; however, just in case, we wanted to give you a few wet-ride kit tips, with some of our own favourite high-performance options.
There’s no bad weather – just poor kit choices
There’s a saying in cycling, that ‘there’s no such thing as bad weather, just poor kit!’ However, the Stelvio day did remind us that, now and again the weather can be atrocious. With the riding seeming to get tougher as each year passes, the technicity of the kit continues to be critical for the peloton. And, there’s a synergy here with the average cyclist and those who ride in clubs and groups everywhere, as the weather becomes more and more unpredictable. Back in the U.K., the recent Cicle Classic one day UCI race – the largest in the U.K. for 2024 – was cancelled on the day, due to a freak rain storm that lefts the route lying dangerously under water. Pro riders are being protected now against hyperthermia, meaning that clothing designers and fabric technicians have become more aware of the need to keep driving forward with innovation, protecting cyclists with the most technical and weather resistant fabrics in the world of cycling.
Technical kit to keep you covered in all weathers
Working closely with the best cyclists in the world, brands such as Alé are able to develop products that can then be cascaded down and passed on to club riders everywhere. Whether you and your friends ride the roads of Italy, or head into the hills and dales of the U.K., clothing such as the latest Klimatik Guscio Racing Jacket, are specifically designed to keep you dry and able to ride with freedom of movement in all conditions. This advanced, high stretch, slim-fitting shell is constructed with a 2L fabric that boasts exceptional technical features, including a highly breathable, impermeable inner Klima membrane that teams with the outer layer’s additional DWR treatment to protect against moisture and road spray. The seams are sealed and kept to a minimum, while the coated waterproof zipper prevents water from seeping in. With every detail so thought-out, this is precisely what you want in your back pocket should unpredictable conditions catch up with you.
Whilst it’s a jacket that uses the highest quality fabric, with windproof and rainproof membrane; we understand that when you’re cycling into the hills or mountains, the weather can change at any moment. It fits easily into your pocket, and is the reassurance that you require.
Getting to the bottom of the best cycling shorts
Having the right cycling shorts is critical for long days in the saddle. Just ask the pro riders, who’ll spend the greater part of this spring and summer on the saddle and riding. Once again, Alé produce high-quality, high-performance cycling bib shorts that are designed to keep you comfortable all day long. The latest Velocity bib shorts are technical, ergonomic, and primed for performance: the Velocity HD2 rely on their most high-tech, wind-tunnel approved AERO 3D, which does exactly as its name suggests. The key fabric with its soft, barely-there feel on the skin provides comfort and targeted compression to assist with venous return, whether you’re in or out of the saddle, while the innovative bib construction with raw-cut straps is engineered for the ultimate stability and positioning on the bike.
Born from Alé’s work with the finest riders in the world, this a lightweight, breathable microfibre fabric, with multi-directional elasticity, characterized by an ultra-slim fit and raw-cut leg. Without elastic or silicone, with invisible and minimal seams, the shorts sit softly against the skin, with just the right level of compression, fitting like a second skin and allowing freedom of movement in all conditions.
The multi-density pad also has differentiated thicknesses, developed by the world’s leading experts at Elastic Interface Technologies, here in Italy, to guarantee comfort over long distances.
Good foundations need dry feet!
Your feet are often left to last when choosing kit, and that’s a huge mistake. Along with your hands and bottom, your feet are the most connected part of your body to the bike, and the part of you that creates forward momentum. Besides keeping them dry, we recommend all riders to get properly measured and to ensure that your shoes fit your own unique feet in length, width and volume. Anyway, back to keeping those all-important feet dry. Thankfully, Alé make a great selection of cycling shoe covers, including their aptly named ‘Rain 2.0 covers. These technical waterproof shoe cover, has sealed seams, anti-abrasive reinforcement on toe and heel, reflective logos and a very good and waterproof zipper at the back. Being a user of Lake cycling shoes, I like to ride in all-day comfort, and my lightweight Alé covers are a useful addition to many wet summer rides.
Wrap yourself in Italian excellence for a potentially wet summer
Yes, the cycling season is now in full swing and our activity on the bike will ultimately be determined by how comfortable we feel, and how free we feel to keep on turning the cranks, especially when the weather is cool, wet or simply not ideal. It’s comforting that know that you and your team of friends can at least wrap yourself in the world’s best custom cycle clothing, from Alé.
