With so many competitors in the market, how do you make a new range of women’s and men’s gravel riding apparel stand out? You could opt for bold, eye-catching designs, price it unusually low, or invest heavily in advertising. Alternatively, you could take a different approach and focus on creating products built around “performance, durability and sustainability” instead. That’s the route GRVL has chosen and the brand has recently unveiled its latest collection of gravel riding clothing for both women and men.
“The launch [of our new product range] reflects GRVL's wider commitment to creating premium cycling apparel with reduced environmental impact.” Putting sustainability at the forefront of the launch of a new clothing range isn’t at all common in the cycling world, but it’s something that GRVL believe in really passionately. They’ve gone as far as designing their own “bespoke OEKO-TEX certified recycled and biodegradable fabric blend” to construct their range of shorts and jerseys from. GRVL go on to say that their fabric has been “Developed using advanced sustainable polymer yarns, the materials are designed to accelerate biodegradation in controlled landfill conditions, reducing decomposition time from what is typically more than 250 years for synthetic cycling garments to fewer than four years.”
GRVL’s new range of clothing for women gravel riders comprises a set of cargo shorts and two different jerseys. GRVL say that their women’s range has been “Developed from the ground up rather than adapted from existing men’s products, the range reflects GRVL’s commitment to building premium apparel that performs at the highest level while reducing environmental impact.” They go on to say that “the collection combines technical performance, tailored women’s-specific fit and responsible material innovation without compromise.”
Of course, having great eco credentials isn’t going to be enough to sell the clothing range if the performance isn’t equally as good. GRVL’s range of women’s clothing promises “Lightweight aero fits, laser-cut hems, reflective detailing, UV protection and fast-wicking fabrics feature throughout the range.” They also say that the “ADVNTR Jersey introduces a ventilated rear panel for improved airflow during warm-weather riding, while the Cargo Bib Shorts feature a women’s-specific Elastic Interface long-distance gravel chamois, integrated cargo storage and a halter-neck bib system designed to simplify comfort breaks without requiring riders to remove jerseys or outer layers.”
GRVL’s updated range of men’s clothing includes cargo bib shorts, a base layer and two jerseys. Their new cargo bib shorts are arguably the star of the show and apparently “have been engineered specifically for long-distance gravel riding, featuring a high-compression ripstop construction, gravel-specific Elastic Interface® Adventure chamois, and three cargo storage pockets for carrying ride essentials.” Base layers are a bit of a Marmite thing, but Team Gravel Union are big fans, so we were pleased to see that GRVL have included one in their range. It’s made from “100% recycled ocean waste polyester” and GRVL say that it “delivers rapid moisture management and temperature regulation across a wide range of riding conditions.”
GRVL’s updated men’s range also includes a couple of new jerseys – the Core, which “provides a lightweight aero fit for everyday gravel riding and racing” and the ADVNTR jersey, which “incorporates a ventilated rear panel to improve airflow and rider comfort during warmer conditions.” GRVL’s eco credentials shine through again as they say that “both jerseys are constructed using recycled and biodegradable fabric blends designed to maintain performance while reducing long-term environmental impact.”
We’ve got a set of GRVL’s women’s kit on test at the minute, so we will report back later in the summer on how they shaped up. In the meantime, if you’d like to find out more details, you can find their women’s kit here and their men’s kit here.