With the launch of the Giro New Road apparel collection a few years ago, Giro made it clear that the company was pushing its market focus beyond just helmets. This strategy continues for 2016 with the launch of the Chrono apparel collection.
Items in the New Road line offered riders some very stylish and high-performance bike clothing that could be worn on hundred-mile rides and at the café afterwards. (Giro is taking New Road even further with the introduction of some denim items for a more ‘civilian’ extension.) The new Chrono group is aimed at riders who are looking for ultra-high performance and comfort with a more…’competition’ aesthetic and function. Essentially the Chrono line features more traditional-looking cycling apparel, but with some more engaging graphics, and some fancy technology.
The Chrono Pro Jersey is lightweight and is said to offer superior moisture management. It has a custom hem gripper, open mesh side panels and a tapered collar band.
The Pro Bib short has quite the fancy chamois, which features three zones of different density. Unique, and slightly compressive, ribbed material in the lumbar area is said to provide a bit of lower back support on longer rides.
Giro has been doing shoes for several years, but the company has upped its game…and focus on safety…with the introduction of the Empire ACC Reflective shoe. Giro has taken its successful, and very sexy and high-performance, lace-up Empire kicks, and added an entirely reflective upper. The matte-black version of the shoe (pictured) looks…well…black in normal daylight. But it absolutely appears a bright and sparkly greyish white when light hits it in the dark. The shoes retain the Easton EC90 carbon fiber outsole, and features replaceable heel pads. It’s nice to see safety, function and style living so nicely together.
