Just in: Kreis custom clothing

Zeitgemäße Bekleidung fürs Rennradvolk – contemporary clothing for racing folk – is the strapline of Kreis Cycling. It's designed by an Englishman from the South West, but heavily influenced by the time he spent living and working in Germany, and his day job working in the printing industry. So, plenty of German, and process colours, then.

We've got a bunch of the winter kit in at the moment, and it feels like quality gear. The designs, with angular typography and plenty of purple and grey, ape back to the late 80s but since we're all currently running around in fluorescent socks like it's 1983, that's probably a bit ahead of the curve. The most interesting item we've got is the Nachtschatten Regenshutz jersey (£125), which is a wind/waterproof short sleeve jersey along the same lines as Castelli's Gabba. You can pair it up with Kreis' own arm warmers (£20) but they're not showerproof (although a water-shedding set are coming) so for now a set of Castelli Nanoflex or Sportful NoRain ones might be a better bet.

There's two weights of winter jacket (£150), both of which feature zip-off arms and full pockets at the back, and a superlight wind vest (£70) for stuffing into your jersey on those brisk-but-not-cold rides for a bit of extra protection from the wind.

Kreis are currently working on a pre-order system as the clothing is short run. That means a longer wait for your gear but because it's custom-made you have a lot more choice in terms of fit: Kreis can do you a medium short with an extra-long bib section, for example, or add some length to a gilet if you're tall. Or take it off if you're not. They're happy to work with you to get it exactly right.

Kreis' range is made by Kalas, a custom kit manufacturer based in Taunton; the kit is made in the Czech Republic. They offer a full range of men's women's and kids' custom kit for clubs of all sizes, with a minimum run of only 5 garments in some cases. Production time is 5-6 weeks on all custom orders. So even if the Kreis gear isn't for you, you might want to check them out for your club.

http://kreiscycling.bigcartel.com
http://www.kalaswear.com