Ride in style – with Alé
Alé Pragma Cycling Jersey, Color Block
Bibshort Master 2.0
by Alex Sabin
Images by Andrei Dina & Teodora Sabina
All Alé apparel are born in Verona, the land of Romeo and Juliet’s love. So, that’s probably the reason why they put love into their continual search for innovative materials, and into the care of every little detail. The Alé cycling clothing is made with a passion and with high-performance cycling in mind, from the finest available fabrics and high-quality materials. It’s incorrect to think that Lycra is Lycra. Ultimately, it comes in a whole spectrum of qualities. Over the years, in continuous tests and trials to keep improving, this leading Italian brand have sought to keep their cycle clothing relevant, and their latest Pragma cycle jersey and Master 2.0 bib shorts are an excellent example of their adherence to excellence. The result is Alé garments that are a true expression of tailoring and Italian quality.
Thanks to Pedalnorth.com, I’ve recently had the chance to test out these new items from the latest Alé range, and I have to say, they’ve been impressive. As a pro elite mountain bike rider, my clothing has to perform, and both the Pragma Color Block jersey, and the Master 2.0 bibs didn’t let me down.
Quality materials & style in perfect harmony
The most important thing about cycling jersey, and bib shorts is the quality of the materials used, and how they’re cut. The clothing has to fit well, move with you, be hard-wearing and relate to the conditions of a long and hard bike ride. Detail is important, and Alé know this when they design a cycling jersey. The Pragma Color Block jersey is a close fitting, race-ready jersey, with high breathability, especially under the arms and on the back; and, this lightweight jersey also has great UV protection, meaning that’s it’s ready to ride in the sun.
Whilst the jersey is close fitting, the material is multi-directional, with strong stretch properties, meaning that you maintain free and unrestricted movement. On the bike, I can simply concentrate on riding, whilst the jersey does its job as a second skin. In terms of all-important styling too; what did Teodora say when she saw me dressed like this?
“That’s it—you finally look like a cool cyclist!”
So yeah, besides the fact that the fabric, fit, and attention to detail make the outfit super comfortable, it definitely doesn’t hurt that it makes you look good on the bike too.
The short answer is that bibs are important
What’s the first thing I care about as a cyclist? The quality of the chamois in the bib shorts. It’s as important to a cyclist as tuna is to a cat – and that’s critical! If there’s one secret to surviving long training sessions and full days in the saddle, it’s this: happy rides start with a happy backside. Thankfully, Alé knows this, and support – literally- many of the world’s leading teams, and use only the finest chamois pads. They describe these high-performance shorts as ‘The go-to shorts for comfort, […] engineered to deliver the ultimate fit and functionality for every rider, whatever the occasion,’ and I have to agree. They’re close fitting, stable and have the necessary compression – alongside that all-important, high-quality chamois. In this case, Alé have used their in-house 4H chamois.
The 4H chamois offers luxurious comfort for medium distance rides. Many riders don’t check the chamois and what it is actually designed for – you should do so. In this case, the pad was ideal for fun rides and mixed training for me. The 4H pad is constructed from elastic micro-fibre with padding strategically positioned in the contact points and features a central relief channel to avoid pressure on the nerve endings. High density 90 kg/cm2 padding is used in the ischiatic and perineal areas where it is needed most. This pad combines comfort, flexibility, wicking and breathability to ensure the utmost protection against the stresses of the road.
Alongside the wide, soft and strong, high-quality straps, and the laser cut legs, these shorts have been comfortable and easy to wear on my training rides – and that’s an important issue, as well as a thumbs up!
Testing time on the bike can be comfortable
I’m always happy to try out and test high-quality gear—and Alé definitely proves to be a reliable partner when it comes to that. The color and styling on both of these products have been well thought out and are modern and stylish. Thankfully, they each go with several other items from the current Alé range – or within your wider cycling wardrobe. That’s a key point these days, when cost might be an issue. Thankfully though, the quality of both the jersey and bibs means that if you decide to wrap yourself in the Alé Pragma Cycling Jersey, Color Block jersey and Master 2.0 bibs shorts this summer, you’ll ride away in comfort, looking stylish as… well, a cyclist should look!
