It’s only this year I’ve really taken note of Adidas as a company that produces top quality cycling kit. The big folks are wearing it all but that doesn’t stop me being speculative of the pro’s wearing sponsorship kit, you never really know how much the pro’s rate the kit or if they’re just wearing it for the sponsorship deal.
So when the chance came up to review some of the new cycling kit I was intrigued & excited to see how the kit fit and performed whilst on the bike – It’s safe to say from the minute I got the gear out the bag I knew a lot of time and attention had gone into this kit.
First impressions
I’ve had a lot kit over the last 6/7 years, whether it be custom or reputable brands, you can almost immediately tell the quality of the kit pendant on how the it feels. Even the little details like silicone strips on the cuffs of the sleeves or the bottom of the back can mean the difference between a kit that works or a kit that doesn’t. Although miner details these make a huge impression whilst on the bike and it’s only when you get kit without that you realise how important these details are.
Adidas covered all these bases, the material felt great, the silicone strips were all there (with some additional smart features which I’ll touch on later) and the pad felt robust and adequate.
Supernova Climachill Jersey
The first issue I tend to have with cycling kit is the fit against the sizing. Generally speaking the majority of cycling kit always tends to be Italian sizing which for me doesn’t work. In the past I end up getting kit to my normal clothing size to only realise the usual large or medium is now XXL or XL particularly for the bibs. Now I know sizing is different for all manufacturers and it’s not something easy to get right nor is there necessarily a right or wrong. Adidas nailed the sizing, Large in the bibs and Medium in the jersey, as a Gent with a 34″ waste and a height of 6 foot the kit fit as it should, tight without pulling on my shoulders or without being too tight on the sleeves/waste.
The Supernova Climachill Jersey has three pockets at the back with a small zip pocket at the back of the middle pocket. In the past I’ve struggled with pocket size or where the pocket starts on the back of the kit, too high and it’s a pain to get anything in or out of. The Supernova Climachill jersey has none of the above issues, the pocket placement is exactly right.
Silicone strip on the inside preventing the jersey from sliding further up your back.
One the key things I love about this kit is the subtlety of it. The branding is low and the design plays almost on the quality of the kit rather then an elaborate design, this means fitting the kit design to any bike, sock, shoes combination is pretty easy given the choice of blue, red, grey or black.
One particular feature I love that I’ve not seen before on any cycling kit is the half elasticated cuffs of the sleeves of the Jersey. In the past I’ve had Race fit kit where both the legs and arms have a fully banded thick elasticated sleeve which can some times be a little too tight and create discomfort. Because the Supernova Climachill Jersey has a small section that’s not elasticated it means you still get the comfort of having a race fit but without it pulling too tight on your arms – a really nice touch that shows how much thought has gone behind this kit!
The silver dots in the collar are there to conduct heat away from the body, I feel this might be a slight gimmick but aside from that I like it as a nice design detail regardless of scientifically if does conduct heat etc!
I guess this next feature is something many might not pick up on, zips. Cycling jerseys tend to come with small zip’s that I suppose are choosen to be small and subtle but in reality they’re often too small and make it difficult to unzip or zip up whilst on the bike.
“climachill™ keeps you cool with a meshlike fabric and aluminium-silver dots that conduct heat away from the body”
Adidas choose a slightly larger zip which I wouldn’t say it’s anything you’d notice but the functionality of it is so much better. The fabric doesn’t get caught on itself and it’s easy to zip up whilst in motion on the bike. Just having it that bit bigger means I don’t have to stop at the side of the road to fully zip to the neck before descending.
Whilst out on the bike the kit lives up to it’s first impressions, particularly from the perspective of a kit that adapts to the conditions you’re riding in. Whilst climbing I didn’t find myself over heating nor having to fully unzip (yes I was trying hard enough!).
Supernova Proficio Bib Shorts
The Adidas Supernova Proficio Bib Shorts carry the same subtle design as the Supernova Climachill Jersey. When I first got the bibs I wasn’t aware of the reflective detail on the race fit sleeves, a really nice feature for all year round riding making sure other road users see you.
I’m always speculative when I first get cycling bibs, the pad plays a huge part in the comfort of the kit and if the pad doesn’t work out then the other qualities are rendered useless. The Adidas Supernova Proficio Bib’s didn’t disappointed.
The bib’s feature a Men’s-specific Elastic Interface® X-Tract microfibre dual-density endurance 2 seat pad which states it provides up to six hours of comfortable riding. I tested this feature on a 7 hour ride, I had no problems at all. I’d say the pad is a little smaller on the front and rear but this didn’t effect the over all comfort in any way. The pad feels slightly thinner compared with other bibs I’ve got but again I didn’t notice the difference baring the actual size of the pad.
Conclusions
Over all I’m blown away by the quality and attention to detail of this kit – especially when looking at the pricing. The Supernova Climachill Jersey comes in at £55 and the Supernova Proficio bib’s at £75 which makes this kit an absolute bargain!
Generally speaking, for a kit of this quality I’d expect to pay over £100 for bibs and £ 70/80 for a Jersey if not more. Adidas have done an incredible job of not only producing a great quality kit at an affordable price but also reeling in the generic kit features which are usually undeveloped. Most kit comes with the same features, the same selling points, just different qualities of fabric, often little thought in innovating & improving what’s already out there.
Kudos to Adidas, I was sceptical at first but this kit is phenomenal!
Interested in the Adidas Cycling range? Click here to view the whole range!