After getting its feet wet with the New Road line of clothing, Giro Sport Design is going all in with technical road clothing with the 2016 Chrono line. Featuring Italian fabrics and some new ideas, the Giro Chrono line ranges from the affordable Sport line (think $80 / £50 jerseys and shorts) up to the high-end Chrono Pro line with $250 / £189 bibs. While the technical level is high and race-inspired, the overall aesthetic is subdued with subtle branding.
Giro apparel product director Nathan Mack, who drove much of the New Road design, led the Giro team on Chrono, and also partnered with Luigi Bergamo, the longtime Assos director of R&D who is now an independent consultant.
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Giro has been working on the Chrono line for two years, Mack said. Giro worked with chamois giant Cytech for custom chamois pads for the entire range. Beyond jerseys and bibs — plus halter women’s bibs like the Ride Halter Bib — the Chrono line includes base layers, warmers, vests and jackets.
Style-wise, Chrono was designed to work with Giro’s racier helmets like the Synthe and shoes like the Empire SLX.
Former Assos R&D director Luigi Bergamo works with Giro now
“We are in a pretty unique position as a brand to have head-to-toe performance products and graphic application,” Mack said.
In related news, Giro has rebranded the New Road line of baggier riding clothes as Venture, in part because of rider feedback who appreciated the clothes but for mountain biking or casual riding around town, Mack said.
Giro Chrono Pro
There are a couple notable points with the Chrono Pro bibs, including a stretch-woven lumbar panel Mack and Bergamo added. Think compression wear for your lower back. Bergamo has a similar design in his own line of Q36.5 clothing.
The compression Lycra used for the remainder of the Chrono Pro bibs has a deeper matte finish, not the shiny polyester look of some shorts. Mack says this is because Giro starts with black Lycra yarn instead of white Lycra yarn that is dyed black.
The Chrono Pro bib lumbar panel
The Chrono Pro Jersey is a svelte, ligthtweight piece with longer sleeves and a zippered fourth pocket big enough to hold your phone.
The Chrono Pro pieces are available now.
- Chrono Pro Bib: $250 / £189
- Chrono Pro Women’s Short: $150 / £119
- Chrono Pro Jersey/ Chrono Pro Women’s Jersey: $180 / £139
The women's chrono pro jersey:
The women's Chrono Pro jersey
GIro Chrono Expert
The Chrono Expert line between the Pro and Sport in price and weight. (The Expert Jersey uses 160g/m2 fabric to the Pro’s 117g, for example.)
The bibs still get Italian fabrics and a custom Cytech chamois. The women’s Chrono Expert Halter bib has a breathable mesh halter that can be pulled over the head for nature breaks.
The Chrono Expert Jersey features stretch wicking polyester in a contoured, race fit.
- Chrono Expert Jersey/ Chrono Expert Women’s Jersey: $100 / £74
- Chrono Expert Bib/ Chrono Expert Women’s Halter Bib: $150 / £119
- Chrono Expert Short $120 / £89
Giro Chrono Sport
The Chrono Sport line has similar designs and style features as its higher-end siblings, but with a slightly more relaxed fit and more approachable pricing.
- Chrono Sport Jersey/ Chrono Sport Women’s Jersey: $80 / £50
- Chrono Sport Bib: $120 / £89
- Chrono Short Short/ Chrono Sport Women’s Short: $80 / £59
