though i did have something of a penchant for letterpress when at college, despite the tardiness involved in setting up a case, when third year came around, i opted for screenprinting as my preferred means of transferring designs to paper or fabric. for those unfamiliar with the genre, it involves a remarkably fine nylon mesh stretched over a frame, through which a dye is forced by means of a squeegee. the stencil representing the various colours involved can either be cut from paper and affixed to the underside of the screen, or the latter could be on the receiving end of a light sensitive coating, prior to exposure to carbon lighting. the stencil would block the light and allow the salient parts of the coating to be washed away. through these would be squeezed the ink or dye.
wool-based fabrics such as sportwool and its kith and kin cannot be successfully dye-sublimated and thus have either to be screen-printed with any logos or designs, or, alternatively, embroidered. the latter method was the favoured means of applying graphics to woollen jerseys in the era during and prior to that of eddy, and i should imagine that the major cycling apparel purveyors breathed a sigh of relief when dye sublimation reared its convenient head in the peloton.
dye-sub (to which it is often referred) involves printing the colour designs applicable to each panel of a jersey, jacket or bibs from a computer design package onto a large format inkjet using thermal dyes. these are reproduced in reverse onto sheets subsequently placed upon polyester and transferred (the right way round) by means of a sophisticated heated iron.
the velobici rené thermal jersey appears to be fabricated from a material closer in kind to polyester than to that of wool, but rather fabulously, the graphics are embroidered about its person. these are worth the price of admission in and of themselves, lending a sophisticated air to a sophisticated jersey. its medium weight vb/pro-v1 (nope, me neither) fabric offers a tangibly fabulous level of thermal comfort to protect that honed physique from any untoward inclement conditions. i do not wish to appear overly gushy, but simply wearing this jersey confers an almost regal stature, entirely separate from any physical prowess in the saddle.
and just to show that a 100% designed and manufactured in england jersey can still set international standards, the jersey offers up a pocketage numbering five in total. there are, as one would obviously expect, the customary three, augmented by a waterproof and zipped fourth, then sneakily joined by a zipped fifth on the right hip. that particular individual turned out to be remarkably useful when accessorised with a tyre lever or two.
the stunningly well-adjudged sleeve length ends not at the wrists, but on the centre of each palm. this occurs via two thumbholes, meaning that wearing winter gloves will not result in even the faintest inkling of a draught. i have come across this feature before, but on those occasions, the layering of a glove over the fading ends of a sleeve, have often resulted in a modicum of discomfort. not so on bike rides with rené.
the full-length zip is simplicity itself to move up or down depending on the required level of ventilation, while the modestly tall collar reinforces rené's winter personality. that luxurious fabric, it transpires, is remarkably windproof, yet breathable. it will surprise you not that this jersey spent much of the review period concealed 'neath an outer layer; it may be thermally warm, but when faced with sub-zero temperatures and intermittent precipitation, it seemed only fair to offer a modicum of protection. doing so, only served to underline the proffered breathability, providing a situation that can only be described as 'cosy'.
the cheeky, chatty, embroidered thermal fabric offers a level of stretch that not only eases clambering inside, prior to the grand départ, but allows you to all but forget that it's there when wobbling all over the handlebars in the last few kilometres of the nearest gradient. velobici's use of the word comfort in the website description is well justified.
islay and its hebridean brethren occupy an autumn/winter mindset for more months than you'd hope, so rené and i will be getting to know each other a whole lot better before this year's tour de france spins around. velobici were kind enough to send a matching pair of embroidered logo rené bibshorts, which have also been subjected to the vicissitudes of winter, but 'neath padless bibtights. i will thus be reserving final judgment on those for a future review, when the climate resolves to welcome either unclad, or leg-warmered legs.
however, it's no secret that things are looking good so far.
velobici's rené jersey is available in maroon with gold embroidery in sizes ranging from xxs to xxl at a retail price of £190.
velobici rené l/s thermal jersey
wednesday 06 february 2019
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