huez*

Cycle ClothingWomen's Cycling

London-based cycling brand Huez* launches new women’s cycling range

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London-based cycle wear brand Huez* has launched its first women’s cycling collection, incorporating the same attention to detail, fit and garment construction as we’ve seen in their men’s offering.

Having only launched in 2014, Huez* is still one of the new kids on the block and offers a fresh take on cycling apparel and the lifestyle of the modern cyclist. The collections are designed intelligently to inspire riders whilst incorporating key technical attributes into their designs.

The newly-launched Huez* women’s capsule collection will form the basis of a wider range, in line with the menswear collection, that will be available next year. The capsule focuses on women’s road wear that encompasses performance and technicality of the highest standard.

Premium fabrications are sourced from all over the world to offer the most innovative materials, which incorporate technical elements seamlessly into the design. Although the current capsule collection is small, the brand has made clear that it it features the same high quality and attention to detail as the men’s range. The brand has worked closely with their customers to create products that either do not exist in the market or are unfit for purpose, offering the latest in technical apparel. They wanted to create pieces that were designed specifically for women and cut to their individual needs, allowing them to perform at their best on the bike.

Huez* Women’s Cycling Collection – SS17 Product Design Details

Huez* Bia jersey
The Huez* Bia Jersey in colourway Jimi

Huez* Bia Jersey

The Huez* Bia Jersey has been created to encompass the performance and technicality of the most high end race jerseys while retaining comfort and practicality. The Bia jersey, which retails at £125, is suitable for year-round racing, training and everything in between. 4-way stretch fabric provides performance-boosting compression and comfort, while the low-cut neck line provides classic, race-inspired styling.

Huez* Bia Jersey
The Huez* Bia jersey has 5 pockets to store ride essentials

A multitude of rear pockets – five of them, no less! – accommodate all the essentials for a day on the road along with a removable waterproof pouch that allows smartphone touch functionality from outside the casing. Small silicone pellets at the cuff and waist band keep everything in place, and mesh detailing on the back panel provide extra breathability.

The Huez* Bia jersey has a marble texture design on the front and rear panel, and it is available in two colour ways: a subtle purple, Jimi, and the vibrant Sky blue.

Huez* Bia Jersey
The Huez* Bia jersey in colour way Sky

Huez* Bia Bib Shorts

Huez* Bia Bib Shorts

The Huez* Bia bib shorts have been developed with technology borrowed straight from the pro-peloton. The Bia bib shorts are manufactured with an Italian Lycra designed to stretch with the body while providing compression to improve blood flow and performance whilst reducing the risk of muscle injury. Coupled with seamless straps, ultrasonic seam edges, mesh ventilation and reflective details makes the Bia bib short ideal for Sunday club rides and for taking on the longest audax.

Huez* Bia Bib Shorts

The colourful radio pocket at the back coordinates with the jersey colour and allows extra room to store valuables (in case your five jersey pockets are not enough). The chamois has been specifically designed for the female form and features variable foam density where it’s needed most.

Huez* Bia Bib Shorts

The leg gripper has fine silicone dots to keep the cuffs from riding up. The short also has a buckle fastening system to improve ease of removal which might just make loo stops that bit easier. The buckle has been positioned to sit away from the body for comfort and ease of use. The Bia Bib Shorts are priced at £165.

We’re looking forward to seeing what Huez* will add to its women’s cycling collection in the future.

60 SecondsFeatured

Interview with the Vamper: 60 Seconds with Huez* Founder & Director Lorenzo Curci

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It is always exciting to meet people who positively bounce with enthusiasm, both for their own brand and for the broader industry in general. One such character is the Founder & Director of Huez*, Lorenzo Curci.

We last bumped into Lorenzo at Spin this summer and we were intrigued to hear about the plans he had for Huez* and some of the innovative materials and methods they were trialling.

Fast-forward a few months and we took some time out to ask the effervescent Curci what we could expect from the brand in the future, and uncovered details about the ongoing Huez* Crowdcube campaign.

Hear what Lorenzo had to say in our Interview with the Vamper: 60 Second discussion.

Lorenzo, who or what inspired you to ride? 

I was taken by cycling ever since I was given my first bike. As clichéd as it sounds, as soon as my stabilizers came off, all I remember doing was figures of eight around two trees outside the house.

I graduated on to a curious looking eighties bike with a gear lever on the top tube that I would skid in the front drive with and try tricks on, then in my teens, a Trek 850 that I remember snapping the front fork of after jumping off a wall that was clearly too high.

When I moved onto road bikes in my mid twenties and started testing myself on the world’s most famous alpine climbs, I absolutely knew I had found my passion.

Tell us about your current favourite ride?

Up in the Tuscan hills of course… I grew up there until the age of seven, amongst the undulating countryside and hill-top towns which are utterly breathtaking and great terrain for training.

I still have a house near ex-Pro Max Lelli who I have become close friends with, he hosts a ride most weekends, taking in Manciano, Sovana, Sorano and Pitigliano – if you’re ever in the area you have to stop and ride with him.

Huez* Founder & Director Lorenzo Curci
Huez* Founder & Director Lorenzo Curci

What is your favourite piece of cycling kit, and why? 

Right now with the days getting shorter, our own Moonrider Gilet is getting a lot of use. It’s one of the only stretch reflective fabrics on the market and its dimpled quality makes it much brighter than most reflective jackets. It is also waterproof, which can only be a good thing at this time of year and we have also added our convenient quick burst zip function. It’s a piece that makes use of all the things we have learnt since we launched the brand, the integration of really technical fabrics and a studied and innovative design.

What three tracks are guaranteed to get you fired up for a ride, no matter what time you went to bed?

My taste in music is eclectic to say the least, so its lucky you have asked for three selections. I think guns and roses ‘Sweet Child O’mine’ will always get me moving pretty quickly first thing. ‘Takeover’ by Village and recent release ‘Panda’ by Desiinger puts a smile on my face.

What cycling trends do you think will be big in the next 12 months?

The use of Graphene in products is very exciting indeed – we could soon see some off the lightest, strongest bikes ever hitting the market which will blow your mind. I think cross cycling will continue to expand and the fixed gear scene will start to get the attention it deserves at the highest levels.

What has been your cycling highlight of 2016 so far?

Its funny, as a business owner, I am always looking forward and looking at what we can or should be doing better, but looking back at the last 12 months, it’s amazing to see how much we have been able to pack in. One of the highlights has got to be taking 10 riders on Santander Bikes, (each bike weighing 23kg) up Alpe d’Huez back in April.

Our goal was to leave London, drive to and then climb the famous mountain, then get back to London within 24hrs. We just missed the deadline but it was an incredible challenge and for a great cause. So far we have raised close to £30,000 for the Stroke Association and National Brain Appeal.

And finally: what’s in store for Huez*? What can we expect to see from you in the coming year?

We recently launched a Crowdfunding campaign on ‘Crowdcube’ (www.crowdcube.com/huez) which is really exciting. With the investment round successfully completed we will be able to grow the team and launch a wider marketing campaign for the brand. This will involve some awesome special projects with a race team here in the UK, and I hope some unique collaborations with our favourite brands.

We have just secured a partnership with Harvey Nichols and some great Independent Bike Shops in the London area. We are also looking to release some innovative tech-driven products aimed at improving the way we cycle in our cites and connect with other riders.

Cycle ClothingReviews

Vamper finds great form with the Huez Race Day Special

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I suppose it would be handy for the purposes of this Huez* Race Day Special jersey review (and all reviews hence forth) – to point out that when it comes to life, music, food, bikes and cycle jerseys, I tend to have very immediate reactions. I will either love it or loathe it.

Very occasionally, there will be something that grows on me. Like very specific songs from the canon of Phil Collins, say, or pavlova. But for the most part, you have a narrow window of opportunity to ingratiate yourself with me.

Fail in those first few minutes and I’ll never be able to bring myself to be evangelical about the brand.

On the other hand, if those first impressions are good (or even better, great) then woe betide any friends or cycle club members in earshot for the next month (or six). They will hear about little else.

With that background firmly established I’ll move on.

Very occasionally, there will be something that grows on me. Like very specific songs from the canon of Phil Collins, say, or pavlova.

In my relatively short but increasingly financially crippling road biking career I must have tried on, ordered, returned and generally lusted after hundreds of cycling jerseys. And in that time, I can honestly say I have only loved wearing about two.

There is always something that niggles. Poor quality finishing; a cheap zip; awkwardly placed seams; an uncomfortable cut.

With the Huez* Race Day Special Jersey, all those worries were assuaged as soon as I tried it on.

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Comfort & Performance

The Race Day Special is so unobtrusive on the body that you almost forget you’re wearing it. Super lightweight, it’s soft against the skin and incredibly breathable – a testimony to the work Huez* have undertaken with professional riders to integrate the latest carbon fibre construction to improve heat transfer and dissipation.

It incorporates mesh inserts under the sleeves to bring additional breathability – something you really notice when riding on gloriously sunny days like the one we chose for our test ride.

The Race Day Special is so unobtrusive on the body that you almost forget you’re wearing it.

Huez* have included a removable waterproof pouch in one of the three rear pockets to store a phone, money or whatever other superstitious knick-knacks you like to carry around with you on your ride.

There are also strong reflective elements: tabs at the side seams, hidden bands on the sleeves, a superbly positioned reflective logo on the left breast (right on the nipple, though this mightn’t be the case for everyone if you have them in weird places) and a large reflective rear pocket area.

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Fit & Sizing

The fit of the jersey seemed tailor made for me: the sizing chart is absolutely bang on, so get your order right and you will find a form-fitting garment that really moves with your body in the saddle.

And while I’m probably a little more slender than some in my age bracket, I believe there is enough play across the sizing bands for it to feel comfortable without leaving you feeling trussed-up or saggy.

Get your order right and you will find a form-fitting garment that really moves with your body in the saddle.

I’m 183cm and nowadays weigh around 75kg (165lbs in old money) and with fairly broad shoulders I’m around a 38-40 inch chest. Across most brands that puts me in the Medium to Large sizing chart. With the Huez* Race Day Special I opted for a Medium and it was spot on.

If you prefer your fit a little looser then it might be worth going up a size, but the Polyester/Polymide/Carbon material mix contains plenty of stretch.

Value for money

The Race Day Special jersey retails at £100, so in jersey terms it is certainly in the upper reaches. Although that price point might cause some to baulk, the noticeable rise in quality above standard sportive fair should put it firmly on the radar for those looking for comfort and performance with more than a splash of style.

 

It is a supremely well-crafted jersey which is beautifully cut and good looking. It will undoubtedly generate a loyal following should an expanded range of designs be forthcoming. With only one design in the range at present I would urge Huez* to take the Race Day Special and run with it: some bold hues would have me completely sold on Huez*.

 

Reviewer stats

Height: 183cm

Weight: 75kg

Measurements: 38 inch chest, 32 inch waist

Cycling activity: 80-150 miles per week, in moderate British conditions.