RH+ ELITE EVO W Ladies Jersey and Pista Shorts

rh+ Elite Evo W Ladies Jersey & Pista Shorts

by Larisa Chinces, Executive Editor (Reviews & European)

Spring is here and it’s the perfect opportunity to take time and prepare for hot summer, by choosing new stylish cycling clothing. What we all look for in summer clothing is to be comfortable and to sweat less while wearing them. Luckily, now we have advanced technical fabrics to make it happen. Many of the top cycling brands, with the best fabrics are from Italy, like rh+, which is why I’ve been testing out their kit for spring and summer.

Here are some perfect hot summer cycling outfit suggestions…

ELITE EVO W JERSEY

Feminine and perfect for hot summer heat, the white zebra Elite Evo jersey goes so well in combination with white Pista CM18 shorts! Both in chic and stylish white color for a perfect match and low sun attraction, perfect for the hot summer sessions on bike. It’s made of Biomorphic Micro Fresh Adaptive Stretch fabric (polystyrene and elastin), for fast drying due to sweat and with excellent thermoregulation. The fabric is high quality 4 way stretch and fits where it touches, allowing good movement.

The Elite Evo jersey is at the top of their range of women’s collections and you can see this in the fabrics and finish. rh+ say that the key word that defines this jersey is elegance and I agree. We all know style is crucial and important – especially for women. Simple is classy, but what about simple and a dash of wildness? If you see zebra/leopard print clothing or accessory, then it definitely belongs to a woman’s style! The animal print gives it an unique and bold look, but also keeps it simple and classy, and yes – it’s kind of chic.

The design details and style combine perfectly to the super stretch and soft fabrics, to fit the woman’s body perfectly without any discomfort. The hem is finished in stretch fabric, holding this slim fit jersey well at the waist. The sides and left shoulder are made with Micro Mesh fabrics, which allow good airflow (for breathability), with a Zebra print to the edges of the jersey – a detail that makes the difference and sets the style. Due to the black color of this Zebra print design on the sides, it works to make the waist look thinner, which is always good! The distinction of women’s clothes and men’s is obviously the style and design. We women like style and look at clothing in more detail – even sportswear. Three back pockets, plus one zipped making this jersey technical and safe for cycling at the same time, with ample room for storage of gels, bars, tools and keys safely tucked away.

Key features:

• Riding position SLIM Fit construction

• 3 rear Cargo pockets

• Rear zipped mini pocket for values

• Soft edge bottom hem in soft stretch fabric

• Full zip with custom self-locking camlock

• Soft fabric zip garage for neck protection

• Reflective application on back for enhanced visibility

rh+ are a modern brand, producing clothing for a range of sports. This Elite Evo jersey is a great example of their style, blending performance with design, as you’d expect from an Italian brand. It’s lightweight but strong and stretchy, and has great style. On the road, the fabrics really do work to keep you cool too. Do I like it – yes, and I like how it looks too 😉 .

PISTA W SHORT CM18

Now that we’ve looked at the jersey, it’s time to match it with these stylish shorts from rh+.

The Pista shorts are technical with contrasting leg inserts in soft elastic fabric and anti-slip silicone on the bottom of the shorts for keeping the material in place giving it a great freedom of movement. We’re really big fans of this modern use of soft elastic fabrics for hemming cycling shorts. It sits more comfortably on the leg.

The shorts have no straps, but the waistband is of course elastic and thick enough with a frontal crossover stitch for excellent hold and comfort, plus a touch of style. Often, straps on cycling shorts can be uncomfortable for women, so it’s good to see brands thinking about fabric technology to look at other options, and the wide elastic band does the job well on the Pista shorts. They’re supportive and have a medium compression construction, for a push-up effect which helps with stability and comfort on the bike. I like the length of the short, as it’s long enough to be comfortable and to stay put, and short enough to look good too. The finish touch is the black thin strap, which goes from up to bottom in a curve shape. The logo is placed on bottom left, and it’s made of reflective material. The shorts are also made with UV protection too, like the jersey.

The pad chosen by rh+ is their new Ergonomic Motion and has two different density zones (65 and 85 Kg/m3) for the best volume comfort ratio, so it’s thick enough for long rides in the heat but also great sweat absorption. It gives very good protection for intensive rides, providing you with top support and comfort, which I found myself when riding here in the hills. It’s a pad designed for the female special anatomy, and has three different zones with different thickness: 3 mm in the front side, for a reduced volume, 11 mm in the middle and 12 mm in the rear side, where it’s really necessary – and yes, it does work really well.

Key features:

• Fast drying fabric

• Elastic webbing

• Grip Fit Xlight with silicon print anti-slip on bottom leg

• Reflective application on back for enhanced visibility

• Push-up constructionp

• Ergo Motion pad: up to 6 riding hours.

So far so good until here, but the outfit is not completed yet, we still need more pieces to put together and this is my favorite part. I’m talking of course about matching accessories.

Here are some ideas…

1. Helmet. Safety first!!

HELMET BIKE ZY

To match with the summerish white outfit, I added the white helmet rh+ ZY in white color with shiny silver combination. The adjustment of the helmet’s fastening system is easy and rapid by only moving it up and down and then closing the buckle. It has reflective stickers applied to the most visible surfaces of the helmet in order to guarantee maximum visibility and safety even in poor light. Removable and washable non-allergic padding made of 3D open mesh rh+ Fire Dry fabric that ensures maximum comfort and wicks away sweat fast. You can use the code EHS6102 02 for spare padding. Adjustable system that combines the Power FIT 1 with the opportunity to select three different occipital height positions. It even has a space for the ponytail

2. Glasses: Protect your eyes!

CHANGE XTRM

The model of the glasses which I chose is the Change Xtrm in shiny white frame with a bit of red. The glasses come with installed lenses: filter 3: 9% > 18% light transmission, universal for intense solar radiation. Included spare lenses: Orange Clear filter 1: 44% > 80% light transmission. Light for low solar radiation + Grey filter 3: 9% > 18% light transmission. Universal for intense solar radiation. They also include a case and a pouch.

They sit well on the face as on the nose they have non-allergic silicone pads which can be widened or tightened so they adapt perfectly to fit the unique shape of your nose. The innovative pivoted mechanism enables you to position the frame closer to or further away from your face to ensure the ideal level of ventilation and/or protection. Exceptional grip on the side ends and on the nose-pads.

3. Gloves: Final touch

LOGO GLOVE

The Logo gloves have a simple classy design due to the color black. The palm is designed with anatomic non-slip with variable thickness made from 100% polyester with mesh inserts for ventilation. The things about the gloves which I like the most and I consider to be mandatory are the pullers, so you can easily remove your gloves after a long sweaty summer ride. The cuffs are easily adjustable too and the strap is with silicon print. They are comfortable on long rides and stay in place.

Summary

I appreciate the softness and elasticity of the materials that rh+ have used on both the Elite Evo jersey and the Pista shorts. They’re stylish and comfortable performance products that feel good when riding – which is what we want. It’s this aspect of a technical blend with the modern style that I like most about this collection. I strongly recommend it to anyone who wants to stand out while cycling and appreciate good quality and Italian styling – because style isn’t an option 😉