Adventurous thinking and design from Castelli's sister brand
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Sportful's R&D pushes the envelope on road clothing. For 2016 the R&D bib short features an integrated base layer in place of bib straps(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
The Grupetto jersey is simlar to the race jerseys you see Tinkoff-Saxo use, but in a women's cut(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
Sportful has a deep women's line(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
Taped seams are nothing new – but taping the outside of the seam is remarkable (Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
Polartec's NeoShell fabric is employed in Sportful's Extreme NeoShell jacket(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
Sportful designers found that rain soaks through on garments where it is allowed to sit. The tail flap is designed to keep rain moving(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
The NoRain Bib Short uses silicone-impregnated fabric and a unique tail flap (at bottom right) to keep rain rolling off the rider(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
Sportful's No Rain line is similar to sister brand Castelli's NanoFlex rain-resistant clothing(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
A zippered valuables pocket(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
The center pocket of the R&D jersey expands to easily take a jacket(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
A closer look at the sternum snap(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
The R&D jersey has a sternum snap for situations where you want a little chest protection but can't be bothered to zip up, such as cresting a hill (Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
And the short itself has a front zip for nature breaks (Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
The R&D bib short's integrated base layer unzips (Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
The R&D jersey has slight wind protection on the chest with high-capacity pockets – both aimed at big days on the bike (Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
The women's pieces are available in custom designs, too(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
Adventure appears to be the buzzword for road cycling in 2016, and Sportful has a few new pieces designed for big rides and foul-weather conditions. Here we look at two pieces in the R&D concept line — where an integrated baselayer replaces shoulder straps on a bib short — and the new Fiandre wet-weather gear.
R&D bib short and jersey
The $179 / £120 jersey has a snap about three quarters up the zipper. The idea is that upon cresting a hill after a long slog, you might want to quickly cover your sweaty chest before the descent, but don't have time or the agility to zip up the jersey. Here, you've got some wind-protection in a snap.
The most interesting piece though is the R&D UltraSkin Short $249 / £120, which ditches the traditional shoulder straps for an integrated baselayer, which zips up like a skinsuit. That's not the only zipper on the short, either: a small one is placed on the shorts as you'd find on a pair of jeans for nature breaks. The thinking here is that a baselayer is a necessity for long days, and that a baselayer alone is more comfortable than a baselayer with bib straps over the top of it.
Fiandre foul-weather clothing
Thus, the $129 / £85 Fiandre Light NoRain Bibshort and the $179 / £125 Fiandre NoRain Bibtight feature a fabric flap that, like the rest of the short and tight, is treated with the NoRain silicone treatment. Sportful and Castelli are sister companies, but NoRain is not the same as Castelli's NanoFlex, Loots said. "NoRain is part of the fabric, not a spray-on treatment," he said.
Both NoRain pieces are fleece-lined for warmth.
Sportful will also have a NoRain Light short sleeve jersey (shown below) of similar construction for $129 / £85.
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