French cycling brand Café du Cycliste have launched their 2014 Autumn/Winter collection, featuring new garments for both men and women designed for cycling through the Mediterranean winter. Alongside the new lookbook, Café du Cycliste have also shot a short film with music by Hidden Orchestra to show off the collection.
Café du Cycliste are based in Nice on the French Riviera, so you may wonder what these guys know about cold-weather riding - a quick glance at the weather forecast for Nice shows wall-to-wall sunshine this week with temperatures hovering around 17C. Call that winter?
But Oliver from Café du Cyclist assures us that the new range has been rigorously tested in the cool heights of the Alpes Maritimes mountains that give Nice its spectacular backdrop. In fact, the collection was shot in October on and around the highest paved road in Europe, the mythical Cime de la Bonette.
"Even though La Bonette is only an hour or so away from our base in Nice," say the company, "the dramatic alpine scenery, high altitude cold and unpredictable weather are a world away from the bright sun and sparkling sea of the Côte d'Azur. It was the perfect backdrop to showcase the new Café du Cycliste AW14 collection."
Highlights of the new men's range include:
• Régine. A fully waterproof and windproof jacket with a three-layer construction, designed for riding in extreme conditions. The Régine, say Cafe, offers the performance of a hardshell with the breathabilty, stretch and comfort of a softshell - all with signature Cafe du Cycliste styling. Available in two colours, red and brown.
• Jeanne. Fleece-lined thermal bib shorts. Water resistant but still fully breathable and designed to be worn with the Josette waterproof jersey.
• Lulu Rain. Waterproof arm and leg warmers to complement the Josette and Jeanne.
• Pierrette. A lightweight, breathable, race-cut winter jersey with an innovative windproof front panel for added protection against the elements..
• Cosette. A long sleeve winter base layer made from soft, textured Merino wool for maximum comfort.
Cafe du Cycliste also produce a well-regarded line of women's cycling products - we reviewed their Violette jersey earlier this year. New women's products include:
• Heidi. This soft yet sharply styled winter jacket was the best seller in their men's range last winter, "provoking envy from many of the women we rode with." It has been retailored for the female figure but still incorporates the quilted front and layered arms for added protection against the wind. The women's Heidi comes in classic grey.
• Martine. Our winter bib tights redesigned for the female form. Constructed from a mix of Arctic and ThermoTech fleece-lined fabrics, they offer a new take on the staple of the winter wardrobe.
Alongside the new products above, several of the tried and tested favourites from last year's range have now been re-released in new colours. The men's Heidi jacket now comes in a blue marl as well as grey, while the classic Yolande long-sleeved merino jersey is available in pistachio or deep burnt red.
We're still not convinced that Café du Cycliste are talking about winter as we know it, but the new range certainly looks the part. Hopefully we'll get a chance to put some of the kit through its paces here in the UK shortly, and see how it stands up to a wet weekend in Stoke or Sussex.
0 Comments