New clothing company Panache Cyclewear has been set up by a former professional cyclist and brings real world experience to a range of racewear, ridewear and lifestyle clothing.
Based in Colorado, US, Don Powell, Panache’s founder, is a former professional cyclist who uses real cycling-world experience to give Panache’s gear its distinctive edge. With experience of racing the cobbles, gutters and cols of Europe for the Saxon/Selle Italia team, Powell now turns to designing clothing that works with cyclists to make the most of their training, racing and lifestyle experience.
Powell explains: “Panache is about bringing a style and design aesthetic to cycling that reflects the richness of the sport and the passion that many of us have for the bike. At the heart of our product line is the belief that there should be more than just brightly colored, cartoon-like race kits. Race kits are great on race day because they are billboards, but for training, we believe there riders want more options. Cycling is one of the only sports where you race and train in the same exact clothing. Panache is about providing riders with alternatives and the ability to individualize when not racing.”
The range currently consists of jerseys, bib shorts, socks, knee and arms warmers and training jerseys. The Eleven Bib Short use a super wicking, open-holed mesh fabric on the lower leg panels, which Powell notes: “While racing in Belgium, the weather became unusually hot. My teammates and I began cutting up and making tiny holes in our jerseys and shorts to allow the air to flow better.”
Panache Cyclewear Co. also makes off-the-bike, lifestyle wear for cyclists. The line includes T-shirts with cycling graphics that use a technical blend of cotton and wicking fiber, and polo shirts made of light-weight t-shirt fabric. The goal here, explains Panache’s marketing lead out man Brad Potts, “we wanted to provide casual clothing worthy the passion we have for cycling.
