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Tech review - April 3, 2004
Hincapie Sportswear SuperRoubaix bib shorts and Quadro Hot long sleeve jersey
Big boys' clothing
If you name's George Hincapie and you're six feet three inches tall, it's never easy to find cycling clothing that fits you. Jonathan Devich - one inch taller at six feet four - was pleasantly surprised to come across George's eponynomous line of clothing.
For the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to ride with a set of bib shorts and long sleeve jersey from the 2004 Hincapie clothing line. At first thought I couldn't imagine what would be so different about this kit and that the Hincapies must be importing some other manufacturer's clothing, only to slap their name on it. I'm happy to say that I was wrong.
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Quadro Hot long sleeve jersey
To begin with, the long sleeve jersey just looks different. I received one of the blue ones out of the color range that includes blue, red and white. Fabric on this jersey is listed as "Quadro Hot", which is similar to their warm weather "Quadretto" material. Both of these fabrics are claimed to have great wicking qualities to keep you dry and cool, or dry and warm in the case of the "Quadro Hot" material, which adds a "brushed inner layer of fast-drying, hollow core fibers".
Although it's not all that cold here in the Valley of the Sun, I did manage to get out on a few mornings where the temperatures at the start of the ride were in the high 40s to low 50s range... brrr. With a thin base layer and a light vest, the Hincapie jersey proved to be just right for the day. The full zip access made it easy to slip on and to my amazement, the sleeves were actually a good length. For a lot of people this probably wouldn't be an issue, but being that I'm 6'4", a lot of times things just don't fit right. Maybe George had a little input in this being that he's a big guy (6'3") too.
Out on the bike, the jersey felt very good. The pockets are well positioned well provides easy access. I usually find that pockets are too high when you're bent over on the bike and you have to wrestle with the jersey to try and get your hand in. Once your hand is in and you find what you want, you're stuck and have to maneuver your hand back out while holding what your trying to get in the first place, all while trying to stay on the road. With the Hincapie jersey, I didn't experience these problems.
One thing I wasn't sure about with the jersey was the seam. It has some big beefy seams that I was worried would cause irritation or at least some rubbing annoyance. However, where the material is sewn together, it's a pretty wide area and it makes the seam lay flat because I didn't feel a thing. They also incorporated an industrial size gripper strip at the bottom of the jersey that stopped it from riding up in the back.
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SuperRoubaix bib shorts
Well, so far, so good. Now on to the shorts.
These are a cooler weather bib short that is made out of the Hincapie "Super Roubaix" material. In the Hincapie catalog, it states that it "is a fast drying, super-stretchy, air permeable textile that couples a fine, soft polyester fleece to a hardy Lycra/nylon outer surface for the ultimate cold weather covering."
What this means in layman's terms is that it is a little thicker than your average Lycra shorts and therefore a bit warmer. When I headed it out in these, it was a cool enough morning to wear knee warmers. A lot of times when you go out in knee warmers you can feel the cold in the areas where you are covered by regular shorts because the wind gets through easily, not quite so with these beauties. They cut out just enough wind to keep your nether regions warm and then when the outside temperature rose I stripped the knee warmers and stayed comfortable.
Of high importance to me (and probably most of us), is the chamois. This is definitely a personal preference item, so I can't guarantee any results, but I found the Hincapie chamois very comfortable. Product designer Roberto Di Giovine, an ex-pro himself, must have spent many uncomfortable miles in the saddle to perfect the shape. Normally I'm a thin chamois kind of guy, so when I took these shorts out of the box you can imagine the horror on my face as I turned them inside out and saw the thick wide chamois. I had to give them a try anyway, and upon my first placing of chamois to seat I was pleasantly surprised. The fit is great and the padding doesn't feel thick at all. After two hours in the saddle I was just as comfortable as when I first got on the bike.
Another nice feature of these shorts is the leg gripper. Just like the jersey, it's a wide solid strip of some type of rubbery material that keeps the legs in place. Slide these shorts on, get the legs where you want them and they don't move.
One problem I did find is that the bibs are a bit short for me. As I've mentioned, I'm 6'4" so this might not be trouble for some, but it was uncomfortable for me. Once on the bike, you really don't notice it because you're bent over, but when you sit up they start to tug again. This tug on the shoulder created a tug in the crotch area too. It took some, er, re-adjustment, to get things in place and comfortable. It wouldn't stop me getting them because of this, but I do think they could lengthen these parts a little for us bigger guys.
Summary
All in all, this was a great kit. Each piece is a comfortable, well thought out and attractive piece of clothing. The Hincapie brothers' cycling experience, as well as product designer Di Givones' time in the pro ranks, have definitely played a positive role into this new and up and coming company.
Photography
Images by Jon Devich/www.epicimages.us
- Hincapie Sportswear's Super Roubaix Arenberg bib shorts.
- The very comfortable chamois.
- A solid rubber strip helps keep the shorts in place.
- The Quadro Hot full-zip long sleeve jersey.
- The fuzzy inside of the full-zip jersey contrasts with the smooth exterior.
- Wide seams make the jersey comfortable with or without a base layer.
Recommended retail price:
Quadro Hot long sleeve jersey: US$89.99
SuperRoubaix bib shorts: US$$109.99
Pro: Excellent quality, nice styling and good fit
Con: Bib shorts were a little tight over the shoulders
More information: Hincapie
Sportswear website
Cyclingnews Rating:
Quadro Hot long sleeve jersey: 
SuperRoubaix bib shorts: 
