Tech round up: MAAP Alt_Road, Le Col Indoor Workout and Rapha Sarah Sturm collections plus limited-edition Ortlieb bikepacking bags
It's fashion week in the cycling world too, so we've got three clothing collections, including matching accessories, and some rather special portage hitting the CW catwalk
Paris. New York. Milan. September ushers in fashion weeks around the world, so it seems only fitting that the round up should follow suit. We’ve three collections on the catwalk this week, encompassing gravel riding and indoor training, alongside some well-suited accessories.
MAAP’s new Alt_Road collection sees the Australian apparel brand head along the path less travelled for another drop of its adventure-ready clothing. There’s a nod to hikes and hill walks here as well as the usual staples. Rapha too goes off-road in search of inspiration for its latest limited-edition collection, while Le Col creates a line dedicated to turbo training and gym work.
No fashion show is complete without some bags and Ortlieb’s bikepacking set in a special-edition colourway looks suitably high-end…
MAAP's takes an alternative road in pursuit of adventure
(Image credit: MAAP)
The gravel/bikepacking/adventure scene has not only given birth to a wealth of new bicycles and related components but to an entire cycling wardrobe too. MAAP were fairly early adopters of clothing dedicated to ‘off-the-beaten path’ adventures - although we're not sure that was meant to include K-Pop - return with a third installment of its Alt_Road collection.
While the line-up includes what MAAP calls “expedition-tested stalwarts from drops 1 and 2”, such as the Thermal Vest and Jacket (both in fresh colours), there are new items too.
(Image credit: MAAP)
Perhaps most notable is The Alt_Road Lightweight Anorak. Drawing inspiration from traditional ‘over the head’ hiking jackets, where the lack of zip helps to improve protection against wet and wild weather, it uses taped seams and has a claimed waterproof rating of 10k. MAAP says despite being constructed using a durable triple-layered material it’s light enough to stash away with ease and is designed to work just as well off the bike as on.
Other items of the latest collection include Cargo Bibs, Tech Tees and Legionnaire’s Caps, as well as another returning favourite, the Alt_Road Jersey, which is made with a blend of fabrics, including MAAP’s proprietary NATURALMATCH tech.
Depending on your outlook, training indoors is either a necessity bought on by fading daylight and an increasingly dodgy weather forecast or a fundamental part of your cycling routine no matter the season. Either way, if you spend a portion of your time on the turbo or have incorporated yoga or gym work into your training, then Le Col thinks it has the kit for you.
The UK cycling performance brand’s Indoor Workout Collection has been created with the winter season in mind. For women the line-up comprises Workout leggings and Training shorts and a Workout T-shirt and Vest. The men's collection also features the Workout T-shirt and Vest but forgoes the leggings and adds some ‘baggy’ training shorts into the mix.
(Image credit: Le Col)
Both the women's leggings and shorts are designed to provide a blend of compression and stretch, to deliver what Le Col describes as “better freedom of movement as well as maxim comfort.” They use the brand’s Power Performance technology, which is said to help the leggings and shorts keep their shape, while its Warp-knit tech deals with moisture-management and provides the aforementioned compression and support. Handily both also include ‘subtle’ side pockets to store the usual gubbins such as a phone and keys.
The T-shirt and vest are created to be lightweight, breathable and sweat-wicking as you’d expect. To help achieve this they use a 'Dri-release' fabric, which is apparently made from water-absorbing fibres adept at wicking and moving moisture to the outside of the garment so it can evaporate with ease. Le Col says the T-shirt is cut to work both on and off the bike.
Rapha's latest limited-edition collection inspired by the clouds
(Image credit: Rapha)
Rapha-sponsored athlete Sarah Sturm appears to live by her favourite motto, ‘Be kind. Do good. Have as much fun as possible’. The Colorado-based cyclist not only enjoys off-road adventures, gravel racing and cyclocross but also works with a cycling development team as she seeks to inspire a new generation.
Her latest collection with Rapha is what it describes as “the perfect summary of Sarah’s own perspective; bold, bright and a little bit different.” Using both the Pro Team Aero and Training jerseys as the canvas, it features ‘storm’ inspired graphics, a play on her surname, in both bright and subdued colours. “The colours we see on the jersey are but snippets of an intricate pattern of storm clouds, bolts of lightning and overlapping shapes and lines,” Sturm says.
(Image credit: Rapha)
Both the Pro Team Aero and Pro Team Training jersey’s are available in men’s and women’s. The collection is completed by a matching cap and Pro Team socks, offered in two colours.
These days, the choice of bikepacking bags - frame, saddle, bar and more - can be overwhelming, many from brands with which you may not be all that familiar with. Which makes Ortlieb something akin to a steady ship amidst uncharted waters.
The reliable German brand is probably best known for its pannier bags, but its bikepacking collection has been a staple in its line up for sometime now and shares many of the same attributes, namely robustness and durability. The bikepacking set features a trio of waterproof bags - and it’s now available in a limited-edition purple, petrol and orange colourway. Or perhaps even claret and blue if you’re an Aston Villa or West Ham United fan? Ortlieb says the set is limited to 1,050 pieces worldwide.
(Image credit: Ortlieb)
The seat-pack has a volume of 16.5 litres, while the frame-pack toptube RC is 4 litres. Rounding out the set is a handlebar-pack with a 9 litre capacity. All told it adds up to almost 30 liters and should provide plenty of storage for endurance events and multi-day adventures.
Claimed weights for the three bags are 505g for the seat-pack, 415g for the handlebar-pack and 225g for the frame-pack, with the trio tipping the scales at 1145g.
Luke Friend has worked as a writer, editor and copywriter for twenty five years. Across books, magazines and websites, he's covered a broad range of topics for a range of clients including Major League Baseball, the National Trust and the NHS. He has an MA in Professional Writing from Falmouth University and is a qualified bicycle mechanic. He has been a cycling enthusiast from an early age, partly due to watching the Tour de France on TV. He's a keen follower of bike racing to this day as well as a regular road and gravel rider.
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