Solo Cyclewear

Until recently I had owned only one cycling jersey in my entire life.  If I scrunch my brow and think hard, my brain tells me I probably purchased it in 1997.  For some reason I never got in to cycling jerseys.  As a commuter, I began to rely on a vest to store my stuff, and I just wear a button up shirt or jacket as appropriate over the top of the vest when I ride. 

The kind folks at Solo doubled the size of my jersey wardrobe by generously sending along the following jersey.

I had never heard of Solo before but their site features a pretty impressive looking line up. I can already tell that this jersey is leaps and bounds ahead of the one I purchased last century.  For one it has a strip of that tacky fabric on the bottom to keep it from riding up on you. 

It features the three pocket design in the back . . .

. . . and one pocket has the cool addition of a zipper!

I will spare readers an image of me wearing it, but you can see a rather serious looking gentleman sporting the same jersey by clicking here. 

I have not had the opportunity to ride in the jersey yet, but the one thing the Solo site references that gets me excited is the following claim:

Constructed from Nuovotec polyester; a proprietary polyester blend created for Solo Cycle Clothing, that has superior breathability, wicking, anti-bacterial properties and is super soft against the skin.

The anti-bacterial note gets me excited because that is one of the benefits of merino wool that I very much enjoy.  I have no idea what a "good" price for a jersey is, but I can tell you that I am willing to pay more for clothing that I know is going to perform well.  This Solo jersey is priced at $139 and I will leave it to readers with more experience in this clothing category to comment.

Also I need a bit of help from readers out there - I have no clue what the jersey is advertising.  If anyone could comment to let me know what I am a billboard for when I ride in it that would be great.  When I do get a chance to ride in it I will follow up with a review post. 

Comments

[Bicycle Bill]

KÖNIG is German for "King", and "FAHRRAD-REIFEN" translates as "bicycle tire". Therefore, you are wearing advertising for "KING (brand name) bicycle tires".

There is no such company; but what the hey? It looks good.

-"BB"-

[Jack]

Good to see NZ cycle kit represented here! Solo make good stuff - I regularly see their jerseys on happy looking riders around these parts (Wellington, NZ).

As "BB" says, it's a fake company name - I think that they idea was to have a jersey that looked classic old school, without being an actual replica. I think the result's pretty nice.

You mention merino jerseys - if you'd like to try one, consider acquiring one from Soigneur (http://www.soigneur.co.nz). They do classic-styled merino jerseys - I have their "Le Cannibal", and it's absolutely brilliant. Not a jersey for the long days of summer, but for the other three seasons it's my go to jersey of choice. And I can confirm that it doesn't smell, even after a long, hard day in the saddle.

[Solocc]

Thanks for the explanation BB – that's exactly right. Solo is my company and I design all the jerseys. I do a lot of research when deciding on the fictitious sponsor for a new jersey so I can create something with an authentic look. I'll nearly always have to simplify the original design to get it looking period perfect. We've actually had some older gents clamp eyes on our jerseys and launch into a story about the team – when they were active, who rode for them, what races they won etc etc. It's the best compliment we could receive and I hardly have the heart to tell them the team never existed! Nice review Matt and thanks for your kind comments Jack!