Cafe du Cycliste

If there were any lingering doubts that road cycling has not yet become a fully fashionable pursuit, the new capsule collection from chic French cycling brand Café du Cycliste for renowned online menswear retailer Mr Porter will surely lay them to rest.

The capsule collection features a concise and impeccably stylish wardrobe for the discerning road cyclist: three monochrome jerseys, a pair of bib shorts, a cycling cap and a bidon. Les essentiels, you might say.

The Francine jersey, pictured above, is a chic black and white striped affair for those looking to indulge their Rive Gauche side on the bike. A versatile midweight performance jersey for road cycling, the Francine is a race fit which is suited to spring and summer riding. The super soft proprietary fabric is high wicking and fast drying to keep you cool and dry on hot days while open mesh panels on the back and under the arms work together to increase air flow. Ventilation is further improved by the unique use of netting on the rear pocket backs to alleviate the need for two layers of fabric.

In cooler climes the midweight construction provides additional protection against the wind and Francine can be worn as a base, mid or top layer depending on the conditions.

The monochrome design includes a full zip with guard, three back cargo pockets and a zipped key pocket, an audio cable system and reflective elements to improve safety when light conditions are less than ideal. It costs £120.

Not into stripes? Maybe the zigzags of the Micheline jersey, above, will be more your bag.

The Micheline jersey has been designed to provide performance and comfort on hot days. The high wicking fabric is fast drying and the dual mesh combination maximises airflow, providing moisture transfer to allow evaporation as you perspire and ventilation to aid core temperature control.

The jersey features a reinforced pocket structure and three cargo pockets, one of which is zipped. Weighing in at less than 120g, Micheline is a super lightweight jersey to wear in the heat. (Perhaps not in the UK.) It costs £115.

If you’ve spent the summer working on your tan and you’re looking to show it off, then you could do worse than the Fleurette jersey in snowy white with black edging. Like the Micheline, this is a jersey designed for hot weather riding. Cut slightly longer than usual for when you need extra protection from the sun, the sleeves can be worn down or rolled up. We’re big on sun safety at Vamper, so please, if you’re rolling up, get the SPF on… At 130g, the Fleurette is another super lightweight option for summer riding.

We haven’t tested Café du Cycliste bib shorts, but we have heard good things. If you splash out, let us know in the comments how you rate them. The Marinette bib shorts for Mr Porter apparently feature a top-of-the-range Cytech chamois pad with premium fabrics for a short which strikes the right balance between stretch and support. The bib section is constructed from two types of mesh, open and closed, to provide a stable fit and exceptional comfort. Laser cut leg grippers feature silicon beads to keep things firmly in place, at any speed. Reflective elements add visibility in low light conditions. The Marinette bib shorts are priced at £161.

No kit is complete without a cycling cap. It’s the icing on the cake (if your head is the cake). It will keep the sweat from trickling into your eyes, it will help stop you being blinded by the sun – and, of course, it will hide a multitude of hair sins. Plus, they just look cool. This one’s £25.

The final flourish? New bidons, obvs. These have a dash of Gallic charm and they’re bound to make your energy drinks taste better, non? Or, you could fill them with du vin. Wine not. They cost £12 each.

View the full Café du Cycliste for Mr Porter capsule collection here.

Clothes maketh the man, and socks maketh the cyclist. There’s no point having the coolest cycling kit on your back if it all goes to pot at your feet, so we’ve rounded up our pick of the six best cycling socks out there.

In case you need a reminder of The Vamper.cc Sock Rules, here they are:

1. Thou shalt not wear those ghastly concealed socks, which poke out around the ankle in an embarrassed, undignified fashion. Have the courage to wear your socks long, loud and proud.
2. Thou shalt take pride in one’s sock game and coordinate one’s ankles with the rest of one’s kit.

Now, to the socks…

This is Cambridge create bold and beautiful cycling apparel. The British brand’s range of socks are super technical as well as super stylish: the Hors catégorie sock features Meryl Skinlife® which is a high performance yarn containing antibacterial properties to maintain the natural balance of the skin, thereby reducing unwelcome odours. And style-wise, they feature a generous 15cm cuff, making them an ideal sock choice for cyclists who want to make a statement in the saddle. They are currently priced at £10.80 (reduced from £13.50).

The Victory Chimp Hill Repeat socks in Celeste are some of our favourites. With a wavy stripe design inspired by undulating training roads and the uniform profiles of sets of intervals, the Hill Repeats cycling sock is particularly sharp, as well as being wicking, lightweight and breathable. They feature a 6″ cuff, too, so there is plenty of pattern on show. Buy them from Victory Chimp for £10.00.

Morvelo is known for its ballsy prints and bold cycling kit, and that fondness for bright colours and eye catching designs extends to the brand’s socks. Lightweight and highly breathable, the Morvelo Never Rest socks wick moisture away rapidly with an anti-bacterial yarn to reduce odours. We love the snugness of these socks which wash well, retain their elasticity and look sharp. They are priced at £10.00.

MAAP design some of the coolest cycling kits out there. This cycling brand from Down Under goes in for super cool detailing and super high performance. The Dot Sock is made in Australia from a cotton/nylon blend, and features an open mesh on the top of the foot for added breathability. British summers might not always mean that’s a priority, but it’s always good to know your feet won’t overheat in the rare event of a hot day… They are priced at AUD $30.00, or you can buy them from Sigma Sport for £20.00.

Café du Cycliste brings a certain je ne sais quoi to the cycling wardrobe with this chic pair of Breton-striped cycling socks. The Cafe du Cycliste Breton Sock features a fine gauge merino-rich blend combining elastane for stretch, synthetic fibres for durability and anti-blister yarn for comfort. The thermoregulating nature of merino helps to keep your feet cosy on cool rides and cool on hot days. Mon dieu! What’s more, the fibre’s natural antibacterial properties will keep your tootsies fragrant. The socks are available from Velovixen for £16.00.

Aussie cycling brand Attaquer shares our sock philosophy: no cycling kit should ever been subjected to a pair of puny ankle socks. If you’re going to wear cool kit, it needs to be cool from head to toe and that means the 18cm length of this natty pair is spot on. They’re not just super long and cool looking: these socks also feature silver yarn technology to provide natural anti-bacterial protection, moisture management, extra comfort and odour elimination. You can buy them from G!ro Cycles for £14.95.