The retro theme even carries through to the tags sewn inside each Giro New Road garmentJames Huang/BikeRadar
Giro’s New Road clothing looks like casual wear but it’s supposedly meant for real riding, tooJames Huang/BikeRadar
Commuting to work? Running some errands on your townie? Going for a two-hour spin along the coast? Supposedly the Giro New Road clothing can do it allJames Huang/BikeRadar
Vents are cleverly hidden in the shoulders of Giro’s New Road Merino wool polo shirtJames Huang/BikeRadar
This piece looks casual what with its dress shirt-like cut, button-down front, and traditional collar and cuffs but it’s made of a windproof material. A full-length zipper hidden behind the buttons also lends extra protection without impacting the casual aestheticJames Huang/BikeRadar
This heavyweight Merino wool insulating layer certainly looks warmJames Huang/BikeRadar
On display during the preview event were a few pieces of outerwear, tooJames Huang/BikeRadar
The jacket includes zippered vents in the shoulders plus a pocket on the sleeve. Waterproof zippers and taped seams suggest good protection from wind and water, tooJames Huang/BikeRadar
The jacket features a dropped tail and vents in the upper backJames Huang/BikeRadar
The trim-cut outer shorts include a number of bike-friendly pocketsJames Huang/BikeRadar
The Giro New Road outer shorts feature a cut that’s neither MTB-loose nor Lycra-tightJames Huang/BikeRadar
The vest doesn’t just have an offset zipper – it’s fully diagonal from bottom to topJames Huang/BikeRadar
That isn’t a zippered rear pocket on the vest – it’s a pass-through to get to the pockets that are built into the back of the bib short linersJames Huang/BikeRadar
The bib short liners are built with a front fly for easier trips to the bathroomJames Huang/BikeRadar
Zippered pass-throughs in the Giro New Road tops allow access to pockets built into the back of the underlying bibsJames Huang/BikeRadar
The new shoes are built with lace-up uppers, microsuede-like materials, and casual stylingJames Huang/BikeRadar
Suede (or suede-like) materials line the heel on the Giro New Road shoesJames Huang/BikeRadar
Minimal tread blocks on the Giro New Road shoes provide walkability without resorting to a MTB-like outsole. The tread blocks are replaceable, tooJames Huang/BikeRadar
These tan leather gloves with metal accents look particularly goodJames Huang/BikeRadar
The ‘Santa Cruz’ tags aren’t entirely just for show. Most of the pieces we saw are actually made in the USJames Huang/BikeRadar
Giro previewed an intriguing new line of cycling clothing on Thursday at the Golden Saddle Cyclery in downtown Los Angeles. Dubbed ‘New Road,’ the retro-inspired collection is neither street wear nor performance kit but somewhere in between. Whether or not that market actually exists remains to be seen, but we will find out once New Road becomes available in the spring.
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New Road’s styling is undeniably from days gone by with heather-finish Merino wool fabrics, subdued colors, and trim (but not tight) tailoring featured heavily throughout the roughly dozen-piece range, which includes a mix of long-sleeved and short-sleeved tops, shorts, short liners and outerwear. There’s even a collared polo that would look at home on a long commute or stopping into a café along the way. There is also a pair of SPD-compatible lace-up shoes.
The new shoes are built with lace-up uppers, microsuede-like materials, and casual styling: the new shoes are built with lace-up uppers, microsuede-like materials, and casual stylingJames Huang/BikeRadar
Lace-up SPD shoes are part of the line
While the aesthetic is casual, Giro designed the pieces with real riding in mind. Road riders seem to be the primary audience, although mountain bikers might find some appeal, too. The outer shorts are built with multiple bike-friendly pockets, the tops feature cleverly hidden vents atop the shoulders, the windproof shirt closes with a zipper and buttons to retain the desired styling but still keep the cold breeze out, offset zippers on the outerwear keep the cold metal pulls way from your chin, and the short liners are built with a proven Cytech stretch chamois.
Giro’s new road clothing looks like casual wear but it’s supposedly meant for real riding, too: giro’s new road clothing looks like casual wear but it’s supposedly meant for real riding, tooJames Huang/BikeRadar
Giro’s New Road clothing looks casual, but it’s designed for riding
There isn’t a smidgeon of cotton to be found, either, and some of the pieces are built with subtly stretchy fabrics for freer motion.
How the pieces look to work together is interesting, too. For example, several of the tops omit rear pockets. Instead, there’s a zippered rear opening that allows access to the pockets that are built into the back of the bib liners, which also have front flies to facilitate nature breaks (both features remind us somewhat of the approach that Dirtbaggies takes with its mountain bike shorts).
We won’t have pricing or specific details on the individual pieces until closer to launch date but if nothing else, Giro deserves some kudos for taking a risk on an unconventional approach to cycling clothing. Impressively, all but a few of the pieces we saw at the preview event sported “Made in the USA” tags, too.
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We’re intrigued. What do you think?
Vents are cleverly hidden in the shoulders of giro’s new road merino wool polo shirt: vents are cleverly hidden in the shoulders of giro’s new road merino wool polo shirtJames Huang/BikeRadar
