Eurobike 2014: Women’s Fashion News Part Four

Sharon gives her final round up of women’s apparel from Eurobike featuring Gore, Shimano, Cube and Pearl Izumi

Gore Introduces a New Product Family

Gore’s new Element family has been designed to offer weekend and hobby cyclists, functional outfits that can be varied to suit tours on or off road. The line offers a range of outfit systems with a broad area of application and reliable Gore technologies that can be mixed and matched for maximum enjoyment outdoors.

The look is sporty and contemporary and you can choose from close fitting or more comfortable cuts. The Element Love Camo jersey in black and Element Lady shorts in Khaki are on my favourites in show list.

For those who need kit that will withstand endurance cycling in all weathers, the Alp-X MTB performance range comes highly recommended by the Singletrack office team. The 2015 women’s jackets will be available in green, blue and black and for complete all-weather protection, Alp-X women’s long pants or shorts (black only) could help you go the extra mile.

Shimano gets tough on the elements

Keen to support optimal riding performance under even the toughest conditions, Shimano’s Storm range looks up to the job. Available in green or black, the women’s Dryshield long pants are 3D tailored to allow for the motion of pedalling, have a reinforced crotch to withstand the friction of the saddle and hem adjusters to keep out driving rain and to avoid flappage. The Storm Dryshield jacket is available in Island Green or Jazzberry and has a removable hood.

This appears to be high quality, well constructed protective gear, hopefully we will get chance to put it to the test later in the year. I’m sure the weather won’t let us down!

Not quite so full-on, the Performance Tour range is designed for the lifestyle rider. The technical Button-Up Shirt caught my eye as being a little bit different. I could see it being a versatile (on or off bike) addition to a minimal cycling wardrobe when packing light for a tour or a long cycling holiday. The Multi-Use Touring shoe also looks ideal for this kind of venture.

Cube Magic

On a mission, by request, to look out for black Capri-length baggies, I did finally manage to locate a really stylish pair on the Cube stand (they don’t look it on the hanger I know). Worn with a black long-sleeved merino and the matching black gilet, this would be a comfortable and practical solution for those who like the stealth look or those who struggle to keep their coloureds bright on wash day.

Also on my wish list, are the ¾ turquoise leggings with the comfort waist-band feature. I could see myself getting a lot of wear out of these underneath baggies on colder days.

Footnote: “Funkier” have retained the Capri-length black baggies I featured from Eurobike last year. They are in the men’s range, but honestly they look great on women too.

Pearl Izumi has the X-Factor

…..A mountain bike shoe that has a foam wedge to absorb trail shock whilst walking, bends naturally as you hike, but maintains stiffness whilst you pedal. Sounds good?

The Pearl Izumi X Project shoes could do it for you.

This year I am mostly liking ¾ sleeved jerseys. This was my pick of the Pearl Izumi rail.

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For all of our Eurobike coverage, click here.

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