Endurance kit uses technical fabrics and a gravel seat pad for comfort
Australian brand MAAP has launched the 'Aeon' collection, consisting of a long and short sleeved jersey and bib shorts for men and women, which it says are aimed at long distance comfort for endurance riders, claiming that it has a ‘ghost-like’ feel and fit.
MAAP’s Aeon jerseys are made of Polartec Delta fabric, with a cut that’s less compressive, but still form fitting.
Polartec claims its patented Delta fabric helps to promote active cooling in hot conditions (Image credit: MAAP)
Polartec specialises in technical fabrics. Its patented Delta fabric is designed for hot conditions and claimed to offer advanced evaporative cooling, thanks to a mix of hydrophobic and hydrophilic yarns to help lift and disperse sweat and a 3D knit that clams to boost airflow. The fabric structure is also claimed by Polartec to reduce damp cling and odour build-up.
Polartec Delta is also used by Castelli in its Active Cooling summer base layer, which it reckons can be worn under its lightest jerseys in temperatures between 25ºC and 35ºC, while MAAP uses Polartec Power Grid fabric in its Thermal winter base layer, which we've reviewed.
MAAP says that the cut of its Aeon jerseys is designed to ensure comfort, with a low, semi-bonded collar that’s similar to that found in many speedsuits. There’s a wide front hem to keep the bottom of the jersey in place.
MAAP says that, while still close, the fit of its Aeon kit is less compressive (Image credit: MAAP)
We loved the fit, comfort and thermal management offered by the MAAP Alt_Road half zip jersey when we reviewed it a couple of years ago, although the pockets didn't feel secure.
There’s a short sleeve Aeon jersey on offer priced at £170 / €185 / $230 and a long sleeved option priced at £190 / €210 / $260. There are three colours on offer: Asphalt, Chalk and Prizm, which translate to black, white and blue for the uninitiated.
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Road shorts with MAAP’s gravel seat pad
MAAP has aimed to reduce the number of seams in its Aeon shorts (Image credit: MAAP)
For the bottom half, the seat pad in the Aeon shorts has been ported over from MAAP’s Alt_Road gravel range. The pad uses a higher density foam to increase shock absorption and support, while retaining the same thickness as MAAP’s road pads.
We've sat on the seat pad in MAAP's Alt_Road 2.0 bib shorts and enjoyed its firmer feel, although we reckon it may not be everyone's cup of tea.
The silicone threads for the leg grippers are woven into the fabric (Image credit: MAAP)
MAAP claims that the Spanish fabric used for the shorts is durable and has an ultra-soft touch as well as offering four-way compression. It says that it’s aimed to reduce seams, with a single flatlocked seam in each leg and a seamlessly integrated leg gripper, which uses silicone threads woven directly into the fabric.
The price for the Aeon bib shorts is £240 / €265 / $315.
Sizing of all the Aeon kit is from XS to XXL for men and XXS to Xl for women.
Paul has been on two wheels since he was in his teens and he's spent much of the time since writing about bikes and the associated tech. He's a road cyclist at heart but his adventurous curiosity means Paul has been riding gravel since well before it was cool, adapting his cyclo-cross bike to ride all-day off-road epics and putting road kit to the ultimate test along the way. Paul has contributed to Cyclingnews' tech coverage for a few years, helping to maintain the freshness of our buying guides and deals content, as well as writing a number of our voucher code pages.
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