Let's get to it.
I looked to see if I could buy stock in Pearl Izumi today, not because their new line of P.R.O Octane cycling bibs and jerseys are incredibly well built and comfortable. Not because these same bibs and jerseys took a beating in all kinds of insane Chicago weather and made my other bibs look and feel like a diaper. Not because the Garmin/Slipstream team wore them in the Tour this year.
Nope, all that is great and true. But when I put them on and tried to leave the house, I got a cat call from my wife and left the house a little later than I had planned. "You look hot in those!" was her exact quote.
It's hard not to. They are tight, really tight, so tight when I first tried to put them on, I thought, "there's no way this is going to work."
They call it anatomically correct and they are! The thing is, they fit great and they feel even better when you are riding, there is no extra fabric to bunch, pinch or otherwise make you uncomfortable.
Besides looking cool, they ride and wear well. I took them out sans Assos cream on several rides, varying distances and times, every time the result was the same, my junk felt great, they were dry and comfortable.
The P.R.O Octane jersey is light, wickable, tight, but comfortable with vents to keep you...vented? A full zipper and plenty of pocket space to store stuff. More open mesh is used for the bib straps and both top and bottom breathe very well in warm conditions. Seams are also intelligently - and rather unconventionally - placed to move them away from rub-prone areas like the front of your hips, too.
Comfort, great looks and the unexpected "nooner," make the Peral Izumi P.R.O Octane worth a look. Save your pennies though, because at $500 for the set, they are not cheap, but they are fantastic to wear and fun to have around the house for rainy days.
Filed under: Cycling, biking, Reviews, Tour de France
Tags: david wallach, Garmin/Slipstream, Pearl Izumi P.R.O Octane Review
David Wallach
4 days, 9 hours ago