Tina McCarthy
I cycle a lot. And I cycle in Japan, a lot! But I’m a little lazy, so that means I need kit..a lot!
I like to have choices when it comes to kit. Over the last few years as my cycling time in Japan increased, I decided last year to make a conscious decision about what I was wearing. There are so many fabulous brands out there offering a plethora of choice: size, colour, cut, technical attributes and fit. But what my heart really wanted was a little slice of Aussie style when I was in Japan.
I wanted ‘close to home’ if I could. With some well-established ‘Melbourne- born’ brands on my back doorstep (MAAP and Pedla), I was keen to support local products when in Japan. So when I had the opportunity to test some new Pedla product I jumped at the chance.
Women’s SuperSYSTEM Bib Short
I’ll admit I was a little non-plussed about these bib shorts when I saw them advertised. Why would I want a large pocket in the back of the bib braces? I’m a recreational rider and some of the fancy ‘race’ attributes and ‘gimmicks’ in cycling gear leave me for dead…pay more, get less right!
But I must admit after the first outing in these bibs I was sold. Available in a grey ‘pumice’ colour as well as ‘Melbourne black’, I decided that ultimately I really want these bibs in every colour, yes, one pair for every day…PLEASE Pedla! With a pocket on each leg suitable for the phone, camera, snacks or tissues (think runny nose on cold Melbourne mornings), they seemed far too practical not to have been done before.
Chamois, of course, is a personal choice. I tested these on a short 30km ride first up, then decided on an 80km jaunt with gravel for the second ride. I had extreme comfort all day in that department, and what I liked most is that these really felt like a second skin (as the Pedla website claims)…they simply didn’t move all day. The wide silicone grip band on the inner leg cuff holds everything in place nicely, and the laser-cut hem means no sausage legs, and that’s a big win in my view! Though if you are sensitive to silicone, then these could cause some irritation.
The rear pocket in the bib brace is designed to hold a 1.5-litre hydration pack for longer adventure rides. I didn’t use it, but as someone with a small-framed bike, storage options can be limited. I could see myself using the hydration pack instead of bidons…on a small frame bike, it’s almost impossible to have frame bags that don’t interfere with your bidons, so this seemed like a great solution to me.
But what I love most about these bibs is the cut. There seems to have been a trend in the last few years of a lower cut front area on women’s bibs, sometimes barely covering the belly button. But these are generous and come up nice and high (higher than other Pedla bibs I tried) creating a very flattering silhouette. It also feels comfy if you have a bit of a belly like me…there’s no bulging ‘overhang’ so to speak!
If only these bibs came in magenta, purple, forest green then I’d be wearing them every ride!
Learn more here.
Women’s Thermal Long Sleeve Jersey
I’m not a cool temps kind of girl…I love the warmth and a sunny day for a ride. But in my madness, I do try to ride every day if I can…and that means braving cold Melbourne winter mornings. Finding a breathable jersey that keeps me warm without being chilled by sweat has proven to be tricky.
The Pedla Thermal Long Sleeve jersey ticks a lot of boxes for me. It’s light enough to wear under a jacket, warm enough to be totally toasty, and the added bonus is the four pockets on the back plus a zippered section for valuables. So often fleece-lined jerseys just feel like a wet rag at the end of a ride. After working hard on some hills, I found this one breathes and wicked the moisture away, but kept me seriously cosy, true to what the website description says.
There’s a two-way zipper, though I never feel the need to use these; I know it’s a win for some. But what I do like is the backing to the zipper. The wider fabric strip means I don’t catch the zip on the internal fabric backing or on my jersey, a feature also incorporated into the new Classic Lite Gilet (also supplied for testing).
Like lots of Pedla gear, the logo has a reflective feature for added road visibility. Though the reflective elements really only work when headlights hit the design, it is a little peace of mind for those riding at night. It’s also a nice feature to ‘brand’ the gear without actually using the word ‘Pedla’…the dots are very distinctive.
But what really stole my heart was the added little ‘party dress’ feature. I call it that because there is something about Pedla gear that makes me feel like I’m wearing a party dress. Fun little features that look feminine but actually serve a purpose! The sleeve cuffs and hemline of the Thermal Jersey feature a nice silky, stretch ‘ribbon-like’ band backed with silicone gripper. It reminds me of those silky ribbons Mum used to sew to all my party dresses when I was a child. I love that little touch…frivolous as it might seem to some, feeling like a kid again when you ride your bike is important!
Learn more here.
Classic Lite Gilet
I love a good gilet, but what I don’t love is the lack of pockets in so many gilets. When Pedla handed over the three rear pocket Classic Gilet for testing I was so excited to think I no longer have to fight for the buried gear hiding underneath the gilet in my jersey pockets. What is it with the trend for no pockets on gilets…I have never understood that!
The windstop fabric on the front of the gilet is silky smooth and really does its job. I wore the gilet over the Thermal Long Sleeve Jersey on a cold windy day and it worked a treat. Apparently made with some recycled content the fabric certainly doesn’t feel cheap, in fact it feels quite luxurious and looks very ‘silky’ when on.
The mesh back is great for the warmer days when you just need some wind protection at the front. However, the website states the front fabric is showerproof…that’s great, but what about how wet I’m going to be on my back? It seems a little counter-intuitive to me to have showerproof on the front but mesh on the back! But I guess if you want the breathability then this is key.
The hemline comes with a wide silky look (party ribbon!) silicone gripper band so it doesn’t tend to ride up which is again, great for people like me who have to deal with that middle age tummy! So many gilets and jerseys ride up, but the slightly longer cut on this works for me. Coupled with the two-way zip, the zipper backing is a nice wide stiff fabric strip that means catching the jersey, or the gilet fabric, in the zip is almost impossible…yeah, we’ve all been there, struggling to become ‘unstuck’ from the gear when we jam the fabric in the zipper!
The colour Pedla supplied was a heavenly ‘mint’, pale green that looks fresh and clean like so much of Pedla’s colour palette. I really fell in love with it, and it looked gorgeous with the pale pumice grey bibs. The iconic dots logo isn’t reflective on this one, but there is the addition of a small reflective strip on the rear. It’s also very packable and I was able to easily stuff it into my jersey pocket when I tested its ‘scrunchability’! Pedla has been around since 2013, born and bred in Melbourne. They have a philosophy of involving riders in the ‘brand’ with weekly rides and activities from their clubhouse. The gear doesn’t come cheap, but if you want quality and a bit of innovation, then I think it’s worth the investment for some seriously great gear.
Learn more here.
