Nopinz
Nopinz is a Devon-based racewear brand with a range of technical women’s cycling wear tailored around those who compete.
As Nopinz Founder Blake Pond emphasizes, the brand’s cycling kit has been “tailored from the ground up to fit and meet the specific needs of female cyclists”.
He adds: “Every item in our range (including skinsuits) can be purchased in the Women-specific version. You still get the same performance-enhancing features and fabric as the Men’s range, but the fit is completely tailored for Women, and we, of course, use gender-specific pads.”
I tried the brand’s SubZero Kit (from £29.99) – the first indoor cycling kit that actively cools your core temperature. Indoor bike clothing is almost impossible to get hold of now, and it’s even more difficult for women. That’s because there’s been a boom in indoor cycling and e-racing on platforms such as Zwift.
If you’re new to indoor cycling, it works by connecting a smart exercise bike or a turbo trainer and your road bike to a laptop or iPad, which is hooked up to an online virtual world. As you pedal, so does your avatar.
It’s common for indoor training or e-racing sessions to take place in an office or living room, so a decent fan is essential. Sometimes even that isn’t enough, and you can overheat, leading to dehydration and a reduction in your performance on the bike.
The SubZero kit is designed to combat this, with spaces called ‘FreezePockets’ to insert frozen gel packs, which are strategically placed to reduce your temperature. It’s best suited to the cyclist looking for competitive gains.
The range is created from a bespoke and lightweight technical fabric – like mesh – and features an indoor-specific women’s chamois.
Professional cyclist and Irish National Champion Orla Walsh (above) is a huge fan of the SubZero range and an ambassador for the brand.
She says: “The SubZero kit is amazing. So comfortable. I want to say “it feels like I’m wearing nothing at all”, but that would be a Simpsons reference. All jokes aside, as someone who suffers a lot when training hot conditions, the SubZero kit helps me to keep my heart rate lower and perform better.”
Veloine
Veloine is a boutique women-only premium cycle brand dedicated to both style and performance (read: goodbye pink, poorly-fitting women’s jerseys).
Besides day-to-day road cycling apparel, they’re also one of few brands with an indoor cycling range and a pregnancy collection.
Created by the brand’s female designers and developers and based out of Munich, the team are passionate about getting more women enjoying the benefits of cycling.
Sandra, co-founder and managing director of Veloine, says: “I found the cycling sector to be quite old-fashioned and patriarchal, especially when I compare it with other industries I worked in before. That goes for the professional sport and in large parts also for the industry. But things are changing, and there’s a lot going on.
I am also part of the “Women in Cycling” initiative, which Cycling Industries Europe recently launched; it aims to give women more visibility, impact, and leading seats in the cycling industry.”
Veloine’s ever-popular Rocacorba Bib Shorts are often described as ‘one of the best bib shorts out there’ by the brand’s growing fan base. They feature a unique women’s fit in the form of a cross-over piece that provides a flattering look and some extra support without applying compression to your abdomen.
The chamois has been tailored to women and didn’t result in a numb bum when tested during ultra-distance cycling races and bike-packing trips lasting several days.
Please read our article celebrating some of the ‘Amazing Women in Cycling’ here. For more guides, reviews and general fitness and sports news, click here.