Stuart Brooke, the founder of new cyclewear brand GRVL, is no stranger to the cycling industry. He established ashmei in 2012 and has worked for several premium cyclewear brands throughout his career.
In 2018 he developed a passion for gravel riding, a passion that resulted in him hanging up his road bike for good to only ride trail. Spotting a gap in the market for cyclewear designed for the needs of gravel riding, Brooke set up GRVL.
The brand's debut collection has just launched, featuring jerseys, bib shorts and accessories designed specifically for the needs of gravel riding.
Fibres, fabrics, features, fit, and style are all tuned to perform on the trail.
"Our approach to designing the collection was to start each piece from scratch and ignore what has gone before," says Brooke.
Brooke has been developing performance sportswear for brands since 1997, and his wealth of experience has been utilised to create what he believes is the highest performance gravel apparel that also has a strong focus on sustainability, something Brooke is a huge advocate for.
Fibres have been selected and blended to offer maximum performance on the bike with consideration on how the fabric is produced and the environmental damage it causes through both production and after its life. Many fabrics include Merino Wool or Tencel (plant-based fibres) that are sustainable and biodegradable while synthetics are developed using recycled ocean waste.
Brooke chose to base production in Portugal, at what he believes to be the most technically advanced factory in the world.
"I have visited hundreds of sportswear factories over the last 25 years," he explains.
"Working with the best was paramount but also one that shares my desire for sustainability was just as important. The factory not only has solar panels on the roof, biomass, and ground heat pumps, it also has a carbon calculator to offset their carbon footprint at the end of each year."
The initial launch collection includes men's bibs, jerseys, T-shirts, polos and accessories, with a womenswear line launching early 2023. They also have a winter line planned that will provide outerwear and more accessories.
Each piece has been designed to accommodate the specific requirements of a gravel rider. The fit is tailored rather than aero skin-tight (road), or baggy (MTB) and storage has been engineered based on what is carried on the garment alongside typical gravel bike bags.
Brooke describes the styling as "very clean, with a minimalist look, focussing on what is important to the rider and highlighting the quality of construction".
Details like the over short on the bibs provide an additional barrier against dust and dirt kicked up from the trail but also offer a less MAMIL aesthetic, says Brooke, while maintaining good aerodynamics.
"It also offers a more lifestyle, comfortable look when you break for the obligatory coffee and cake mid ride."
The range is available on https://grvl.cc.
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