Alé Klimatik Ladies Winter Bib Tights
by Larisa Chinces
Larisa wearing ALÉ Klimatik bib tights (click to enlarge image)
I love to look and feel good when riding it winter. Good quality cycling gear is important to me, both for performance and for style. Transylvania requires hard cycling, especially in winter and I like to challenge myself. I also like my bib tights to fit well and yes, to show off my athleticism – I want to be a stylist woman on the bike, because I’ve earned it. It’s good to see that Alé understand the needs of us ladies and they’ve designed these perfect bibs with us in mind. I don’t like those winter tights that have sagging around the knees and legs, where the material isn’t well thought out and doesn’t cling to you and fit well. I like kit that fits me perfectly and allows freedom of movement too – and it has to be warm 😉
The Klimatik winter bib tights from Alé are designed to be comfortable for pedaling and to protect us in drastic winter conditions. They are comfortable form “head to toe”. Alé have designed these well and spent time to make sure that each panel, made of several types of different fabrics of material, has a purpose, Each Alé garment is created to be a highly technical item of cycle clothing, designed to do a specific job and to do it well, producing a pair of cycling tights that fits superbly and feels great whilst also looking stylish too, making me feel good in them.
Finding good ladies winter bib tights isn’t easy, as the fit and strapping needs to take account of our specific form and needs. I have powerful cycling legs and a slim waist that tapers in, and I want the straps and the chest area to be designed around my body needs too. They’re really good quality, which I expect from this high end Italian brand. Everything is well thought out.
Larisa in ALÉ Cycling cold weather gear (click to enlarge image)
The extra wide and strong bib straps sit so comfortably on the shoulders, with a super light and stretchy polka dot style mesh material to the back, completing the bibs and again maximising the ventilation and breathability. The body mapping is of course designed to fit closely, with just the right compression where needed and it achieves this. For ultimate technicity, the laminated 3L fabric on the knees and the back increases the thermic insulation and protects from wind and cold temperatures.
There are lots of well-designed and quality cut panels that make up these bib tights. The lower back area panel is windproof and thicker too, meaning that I found this really good for winter riding, because often you feel cold on lower back and this wind proof helps keep the warmth inside and wind out. For ultimate technicity, the 3 layer Windtex softshell construction fabric has a soft and insulated inner, making them supremely comfortable, with a waterproofing membrane sandwiched between the inner and the water-resistant outer. The hydrophilic inner works superbly at retaining the body heat, whilst wicking away the sweat efficiently and providing the ultimate in temperature regulation and ride comfort. For instance, behind the knees the panelling is round, and because of this they fit more perfectly and its 4 way stretch qualities which keep it close to the body without restricting necessary movement in this key area. They are not saggy behind the knees like others can often be. Usually, other bib tights have too much wind proofing and warmth and are not so elasticated and it makes them saggy and simply not fit well.
Nobody wants to look and feel baggy and saggy due to poor fitting or poorly designed winter gear, and Italian brand Alé know the importance of matching performance with style. Tightly elasticated waterproof and thermos-taped cuffs to prevent rain and road spray from entering, whit a light thermal fabric lining on the inside. Heavier fabrics are used for strength and warmth in upper leg and lower waist areas, then combined with lighter and super stretchy fabrics above the waist.
Larisa in ALÉ Cycling cold weather gear (click to enlarge images)
Ale’s highly regarded Shammy 4wh F chamois is chosen to ensure your ride comfort. with elastic micro-fiber, specifically shaped for women, with padding strategically positioned in the contact points. The lateral shaped wings are flexible and follow the movements of a woman’s body while pedaling to ensure utmost protection against shocks and stresses of the road. The honeycomb design has a Bi-component surface in the front and lateral parts in the groin, ensuring that the high-density 120 kg foam covers the necessary contact point on the saddle, whilst breathability is optimized. It’s then significantly lighter and slimmer at the edges, adapting to the cyclist’s anatomy for high comfort designed to keep you comfortable but not feel over bulky. Stitching and finishing on all the internal panels and the pad is excellent, certainly keeping me comfortable on long and chilly winter rides with a few steep climbs thrown in.
I want to concentrate on my riding and the beautiful countryside when I’m out on winter roads, and these bibs have a superb balance of style and performance, allowing me the freedom of comfortable movement, whilst making me look and feel chic and stylish too. The cold Transylvania winters means that I need gear that will look after me in extreme cold and with a biting wind. Italian brand Alé have chosen their technical fabrics well and designed these bibs to do their job whilst looking awesome too. They’re not the cheapest, but they’ll perform well for many years, and you’ll feel like a real cyclist as you tackle the winter climbs. Yes, they’re really comfortable to wear, they fit where they should and don’t feel uncomfortable where we don’t want them too as ladies. Together with the great protection that they offer in the winter chills, they’re a great choice for cold weather cycling ladies.Remember, winter miles bring summer smiles, and you’ll be a chic and stylish lady too in these Alé ladies Klimatik winter bib tights.
