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On test: Capoforma custom clothing, April 30, 2007
Bright future for Capoforma
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A new name is emerging among the variety of clothing options: Upland Sports Group, with its new clothing line called Capoforma. Cyclingnews' Mark Zalewski puts a collection of its new custom and in-line name products to the test.
We reviewed Bergamo's line of winter clothing last year and were not surprised to find it to be a top-notch kit, as one should expect from a company with its storied history. Beginning in 2007 the US distributor of Bergamo, Upland Sports Group, is transitioning all of its clothing to a new name, since it will design all of the pieces sold in the American market — beginning with a line of custom clothing. "Everything is being transitioned from Bergamo to Capoforma," said Gary Vasconi, president of Upland Sports Group. "We are still shipping Bergamo this year but making the switch in the custom [line] was easy first."
As noted above the decision by Vasconi and his company partner, Robert Carbone, to change the name to Capoforma here in the US is to reflect the company's large role in producing the products it sells. "As we got a better understanding of the business environment, especially in Italy, we decided it was best if we have our own brand, Capoforma, so that we can better protect our investment and build specifically to our demands," said Vasconi.
Vasconi said that while all of the design is done here in the US with the North American market in mind, the products are still Italian. "We have always designed all of the products ourselves and chose the materials for our needs in the North American market; but almost all of our products are sourced from and made in Italy - we only do two pieces, a jacket and rain cape, in Asia at this time."
The Capoforma line seems to have been created with the racing cyclist in mind, with stylish looks and fast colours along with the slim cut and fit that racers prefer. Our Capoforma care package was well stocked and covered a range of weather conditions. Included were a short and long-sleeve jersey, thermal vest, arm warmers and wool base layer on top; and bib short, leg warmers and a host of sock varieties for the bottom. Topping it off was a unique cool-to-cold weather hat.
Well woven
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Whatever the name may be, Upland Sports Group has clearly retained the excellent materials and construction from the Bergamo line. The short-sleeve jersey and shorts were constructed of a lightweight, but densely-knit, material that is said to effectively wick moisture while also providing a measure of wind resistance. The upper portion of the shorts use a more open mesh material, and flat-lock seams are used all around.
The cooler weather pieces used similar materials but with a little more oomph behind them, as expected. The long-sleeve jersey in particular boasted a nice medium-weight fabric that would work best for cooler weather, and the quintessentially Italian 50/50 wool/acrylic base layer was clearly intended for environments where the standard mesh top wouldn't cut it. The thermal vest's material was clearly intended to stop chilly air from penetrating with an additional layer of material to keep warm air close to the body.
Like a glove
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Both jerseys provided a superior racing-style fit with little to no unneeded material. Even better, while the fit was tight it was not constricting. The thermal vest sizing was a bit off, though, and apparently does not take into account the layering that most of us do, especially in climates that seem to rotate through all four seasons on one ride. The vest could be zipped up to my neck, but with mild discomfort.
The fit of the shorts was spot on for me, and the high-quality material offered up a nearly-naked feel. Bergamo augments the leg openings with soft silicone grippers that provided a taut (but not tight) grip, and the pleasantly non-supersized chamois was a distinct high point.
Fit of the leg and arm warmers was very good as well, with the silicone grippers working their magic here too. The wool base layer was quite fitted, and could probably double as post-race evening wear at your favourite European discotheque.
Performance
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For the most part, all of the pieces performed as expected given the heralded pedigree, with just a few minor exceptions. The flat-lock seams in the six-panel shorts held up well over time, but I did experience a little bit of fraying at the bottom of one leg which used traditional stitching. While it did not affect the short-term performance it did occur only after a handful of uses which was rather disappointing given the cost.
Another drawback of the shorts was quite unique and a little more annoying. As mentioned earlier, the material delivers a barely-there feel that is wonderfully comfortable but turned out to be rather slippery on the bike. In certain situations, the shorts had a tendency to make it such that a bump would jettison me off of the bike - similar to 007's ejection seat. After some adjustment, though, it became just a slight nuisance that only occasionally affected my riding. I did confirm this problem with multiple saddles, with it occurring to varying degrees on all of them.
The jerseys and vest all had ample pockets for storage, and the vest also provided good wind-stopping ability coupled with equally good ventilation in the rear. The zippers were also durable enough to survive the numerous ups and downs that come with kilometers of riding. While a seemingly small detail, skimpy zippers can cancel out any positive aspects of a piece of clothing and Capoforma thankfully did not cut corners here.
Heads and toes
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Capoforma's socks are perhaps best-known for their long Euro-style cuff length which has recently made a come back. All are well constructed with ribbing on the cuffs to provide a taught and comfortable closure. Additional ribbing around the instep offers up a little extra support, especially for people with high arches like me. The socks proved comfortable both on the bike and off, and the quality of construction showed through as no unwarranted wearing presented itself in any of them.
Finally, a very distinctive cool weather cap topped off the test wardrobe. The snug-fitting wool and Lycra blend tucks in well under a helmet, and the drawstring top allows excess heat to be vented. Naturally, though, typical Italian styling says this hat looks best when on its own. Its design is such that even if someone were not to like the looks of it on you, they would be tentative to say anything for fear of seeming 'behind the times.' Regardless of the fashion aspect, the hat simply works great.
Conclusion
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All in all, I would say this is a strong start to what I see as being a bright future for Upland with Capoforma. While I did find drawbacks to the bib shorts, they were generally slight. My recommendation would be to use different material on the chamois pad region to make it more non-slip. The sizing on the vest is the only other criticism, but that could be filed under personal fit and sizing differences.
Other than that, the line is top-quality, as is to be expected from this company. Of course, the price reflects this as it is slightly higher than other in the category but not without reason, and Capoforma also offers fully custom kits for teams and clubs.
*An earlier version of this review incorrectly implied that Bergamo would no longer make cycling clothing. That is not the case as Bergamo continues to manufacture cycling clothing for Europe, Australia and many other countries. Cyclingnews regrets any misunderstanding.
Price: US$89.95 (Short Sleeve Jersey); US$99.95 (Long Sleeve Jersey);
US$150.00 (Bib Short); US$119.95 (Thermal Vest); US$99.95 (Wool Base Layer);
US$29.95 (Arm Warmer); US$44.95 (Leg Warmer); US$39.95 (Milano Hat)
Pros: Great material, good fit overall, nice design
Cons: Bib shorts material causes slipping in saddle, a little premature
fraying, tight fit of vest
Cyclingnews Rating: 
overall (
jerseys for the shorts)
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Mark Zalewski/Cyclingnews
- The Capoforma short-sleeved jersey is lightweight and fits well.
- The vest is good at stopping wind, and when combined with the arm warmers, is perfect for cooler weather.
- The rear of the Capoforma vest also has rear pockets.
- The long-sleeved is good on its own or over the short sleeve jersey.
- All of the jerseys and the vest have rear storage.
- Ample storage in the rear.
- The long sleeves are a nice option for cool to cold weather riders.
- The bib shorts are made from a nice lightweight material.
- The mesh bib straps keep things cool upstairs.
- The lightweight material made it feel as if the shorts were not even there!
- A good chamois pad is the foundation of any great short.
- The extra lightweight wool baselayer was the perfect combination of warmth and breathability.
- Nice Italian-style touches make it wearable for a night out.
- The unique hat was great under the helmet or sans helmet.
- The adjustable rear kept the temperature just right.
- White arm warmers made the arms warm and stylish.
- For when knee warmers just aren't enough.
- Lots of socks, enough socks for a stage race!
