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TECH NEWS
rapha gravel.pngGravel clothing is a thing now... Rapha release Explore apparel collection
Rapha have just released their Explore apparel range, which includes bib shorts with pockets, a technical t-shirt and a base layer. With this collection following the launch of the new Aussie Grit apparel brand, it appears that gravel clothing may be becoming a thing.
The Explore Cargo bib shorts are Rapha's first with pockets. There is storage on both legs and at the rear, meaning they will carry as much as a regular jersey. They're made with a lightweight water resistant material, and went through over a year of testing in various weather conditions before the finished product landed.
The collection also includes a technical t-shirt and polo, which has a looser fit than a jersey but is made with breathable fabrics - "a whole new option for long and short days in the saddle and out of it" say Rapha. The Explore Brevet base layer has a permanent super-antibacterial finish to the fabric to keep it fresh and prevent ponginess for longer, and was tested at ultra-distance races before its release.
You won't be surprised to hear the handsome gear also has some pretty handsome price tags: the shorts are priced at £195, the tee is £55, the polo is £70 and the base layer £60.
We've also caught wind of the new Aussie Grit Apparel brand, launched from scratch by Formula One driver and outdoor sports enthusiast Mark Webber. The Flint shorts (£149, pictured above) are described as an off-road garment but have features of both road and MTB shorts. The 'Anchor' waistband offers a close fit ans holds the inner and baggier outer section together, providing road comfort and off-road protection. Aussie Grit also have a jersey, gilet, shell jacket and beanie in their cycling collection.
Neither of these two brands are actually the first to market crossover clothing. Pedal ED claimed "the first specific gravel pant" back in 2016 with their Kyoto shorts, that have a bib short inner section and baggier exterior to give the best of both worlds: "the perfect match between aerodynamic needs and comfort during long rides", so say Pedal ED.
We'll be looking out to see if other brands follow suit with some sort of road and sort of off-road clothing - but after these latest releases, it appears that gravel clothing has arrived...
*UPDATE* We didn't have to wait long for our predictions to come true... Vulpine have just launched their Gravel short (see below), available to pre-order now for £70! "Our toughest and most versatile shorts yet, perfect for cruising down city streets or grabbing a beer at the pub", say Vulpine. Not exactly what we'd describe as gravel riding, but the name's there all the same...
Jack has been writing about cycling and multisport for over a decade, arriving at road.cc via 220 Triathlon Magazine in 2017. He worked across all areas of the website including tech, news and video, and also contributed to eBikeTips before being named Editor of road.cc in 2021 (much to his surprise). Jack has been hooked on cycling since his student days, and currently has a Trek 1.2 for winter riding, a beloved Bickerton folding bike for getting around town and an extra beloved custom Ridley Helium SLX for fantasising about going fast in his stable. Jack has never won a bike race, but does have a master's degree in print journalism and two Guinness World Records for pogo sticking (it's a long story).
Latest Comments
- Zazz53 24 min 20 sec ago
TBF there are plenty of mountain, gravel, Lime bikes and e-bikes using the Tamsin Trail. Have never seen a collision but have thought a number of...
- chrisonabike 31 min 43 sec ago
Or ... we could just fix it so people have their own spaces, and it's really clear where there's a cycle path and it's easy to cross it....
- Rendel Harris 1 hour 57 min ago
Far be it from me to tell you your business, but if you want to promote your product sneakily on a website without paying for advertising then...
- JMcL_Ireland 4 hours 1 min ago
I absolutely stand by my criticism of Elite (note: I'm not criticising the volunteer marshals). They charge an arm and a leg for these events but...
- Destroyer666 4 hours 14 min ago
There's a lot of good stuff here, but shoe reviews are still lagging on average when comparing to for example bike or tire reviews. Specs relating...
- galibiervelo 4 hours 47 min ago
Loved the Bastion in the flesh but Lemond's bike has the soul. Nice event and met some friends and contacts but like the magazine, it does promote...
- chrisonabike 5 hours 40 min ago
Awaiting the next feckless driver asking the judge to delay the start of the sentence because "they owe a few more cyclists a proper goodbye"....
- Hirsute 6 hours 57 min ago
All in the article - road tax.
- chrisonabike 8 hours 11 min ago
Ah, but: in UK, if a motorist drives into you (or simply parks in a cycle lane, forcing you out into the path of another motorist) then the council...
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25 comments
Wot tickles my tee-hee is........a lot of 'gravel bikes' have geometry & clearances that isn't so very different from a lot of [light touring/sporting] bikes of the late 70's early eighties. <Rayleigh Gran Sport, Claud Butler Dalesman, Dawes Elite.....e.t.c>.
The 'only' (and I do use the word advisedly) updates being; disc brakes*, more sprockets, comfortable brake leavers & possibly carbon forks.... and I suppose knobbly tyres which where pretty rare back then.
1 X set ups & small chain rings where very do-able with the likes of TA.
It's only taken most of my adult life for the design wheel to turn full circle.
* My initial thought when first trying disc brakes was....wow! This famous modulation feels just how I remember a desent set of well set up centre pulls.
Eerie how this whole gravel bike thing is paralelling the 90s mountain bike craze... or maybe I'm getting old.
"Vulpine have just launched their Gravel short (see below), available to pre-order now(link is external) for £70! "Our toughest and most versatile shorts yet, perfect for cruising down city streets or grabbing a beer at the pub", say Vulpine."
for people who bought the same shorts when they were merely 'Urban' or, poor deluded fools, 'Touring', and can't afford a new pair because they live a long way from London, should have the option to re-register their old ones as 'Gravel' for a modest fee, not exceeding 25% of the current RRP.
I must admit the jerseys are ridiculous but I do quite like the pocket idea. I have them in my running shorts and its never rubbed badly. Saves me sticking them up the end of my bib shorts as well
sounds like The Rules needs some sort of addendum on what you can and cannot do with bananas
.
.
Rapha have finally solved a problem literally nobody had.
Dude already has frame bags, get one more for the banana ffs.
Feckin Eejits Unite!
Very good point. Why on earth would they remove the storage from the back of the shirt, then put it on the legs. The back is more or less stationary whilst cycling and perfect for storage the legs? Not so.
Also, as someone who dislikes tight bands around the chest (I have never gotten on with chest mounted hrms) that bungie chord looks like bloody torture, Rapha or not.
More robust fabrics make sense for gravel riding.
Chamois position can be a little further back.
Pockets for cargo capacity also make sense.
Harder wearing farbics on the shoulders will help if carrying a bag.
The demands on clothing is different in different disciplines. If you aren't interested, move on.
The majority of cyclist I see on the road are wearing sub-par cycling clothing, which is ill fitting (as people buy product which is too large), and is only adequate at best, in contrast to their 'way better than they will ever need' bikes.
For some people it is a priority. Others it isn't. And some need to make it a priority, as it will enhance their enjoyment of cycling (less discomfort, less fatigue etc).
Contrary to what most think, the majority of people in the cycling industry are here trying to make cycling better for everyone.
Nicely concending.
If only some pockets in the rear of that tee shirt could replace the lung compressing elastic rope and bag......perhaps a middle zip on the front of the tee shirt to regulate core temperature and make it easy to take on an off.
But then it would look like what is already in your cupboard
bike related trendy clothing lines always make me chuckle
i ride with 30USD adidas shorts and they're comfier and more durable... top it with a 50USD 100% merino shirt... and i consider both of these items to be expensive/high-end lol.
I cycle wearing nothing but a pair of edible underpants from the 1970s. They cost tuppence three farthings.
i hate to think what would happen if I accidentally rode on gravel whilst in Rapha road kit..
FFS!
Slightly looser MTB kit and because it is Rapha, it will cost you your first born and maybe a kidney.
Ah great I have just finished buying everything for the road and was at a loss as to what to waste my money on next.
Surely no one in their right mind would want to ride in Thin Lycra shorts with things constantly rubbing the side of their legs. I like some of the Rapha kit but I think they have lost the plot on this one.
Totally agree: apart from the occasional folded paper map / thin and flat things (like the "emergency £10 note", shed key or credit card) I'm sure it would aggravate the life out of me. Even in my MTB baggies - which incidentally are pretty much perfect for "gravel riding" I would suggest - I wouldn't carry a banana in the leg pocket like the photo!!
Also, in the photo he has a perfectly good Musette for his snacks, and what looks like an bungie cord round his chest...?
The bungee cord is to hold the musette in place and prevent it "falling round" the front of the rider. Old courier trick. For ultra-endurance stuff, a bungee cord is a handy thing to have for pitching a tarp so it sort of does double duty (or you can use it to strap a sleeping mat onto a rack for example).
Shorts - actually not bad, I've used old army combat trousers cut down to long (just-over-knee length) for MTBing and the thigh pockets are superb for stuff that you want easy access to. Maps especially.
That said, you really want to avoid having anything sharp, hard, pointy etc next to your body, any fall will push it right into you.
How much does a Rapha Bungee Cord cost, or can I use a cheap one off Amazon?
I wanted to say ‘that’s not a banana
‘, but then I looked at the photo. That’d better be a banana.
it's a gravel banana.
Wow looks just like the Polaris Nexus Shorts but twice the price!!