Sportful’s pro-tested, flagship R&D range is designed with input from riders like seven-time Grand Tour winner Alberto Contador, and the latest additions to the range – the lightweight Cima R&D jersey and accompanying bib shorts – are built for conquering mountain passes.
Super-light, highly breathable and packed with the latest fabric tech, this kit is good enough for El Pistolero and co and yet the Cima R&D jersey and bib shorts are less than £100 apiece.
The devil is in the detail. Take the jersey, for example, which has the bare minimum of seams to improve comfort and a low-cut collar for better airflow – this is kit designed for the heat of summer.
The fit is close, to ensure not a single watt is wasted on drag from flappy material when you climb, but the super-light, stretch-woven fabric helps you stay cool, even when the pace heats up..
Alongside being highly breathable, the honeycomb-like fabric construction is also fast drying and the jersey weighs just 115g in total.
As you would expect, you get three rear pockets and a few reflective details to complete the look, while the raw-cut sleeves use a silicone lining to ensure they don’t ride up.
Onto the Cima R&D bib shorts and again you get plenty of little details. Again, this is pro-level kit and, when you’re at the top of your game, the details are important. The flatlock stitching is placed out of the primary airflow, for example.
Of course, those little details matter a hell of a lot more to the likes of Trek-Segafredo’s Contador and Vincenzo Nibali – who will also wear Sportful garb this season with Bahrain-Merida – than your average Strava KOM hunter, but at £90 you’re not paying a premium for features you won’t necessarily benefit from.
More pertinently (and potentially more divisively), the bib shorts boast a striking all-mesh leg and a double-mesh back panel, ensuring the absolutely maximum level of breathability in the soaring heat of summer.
Seams are again kept to a minimum, with a raw-cut leg and aero stretch fabric, while the shorts borrow a couple of tried-and-tested features from Sportful’s standard team issue shorts – namely the wide, supportive bib straps and super-comfy TC Pro seat pad.
As with the jersey, you’re getting pro-standard kit – there’s even a hidden radio pocket just to drive home that point – but the key here is it doesn’t come at an eye-watering cost for riders who want to get the most from their clothing.
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