FIANDRE NO-RAIN APPAREL: ALL WINTER – ALL WEATHER RIDING.
With Autumn fast approaching and temperatures starting to dip… It seemed like a good time to talk winter cycling apparel. Tried and tested; the Fiandre No-Rain collection, kicks off this series of blogs.
We have a few updates for this season, in terms of colour ways and technical features but all the good stuff, the reasons we’ve worn this for the past 3 winters remains.

FIANDRE – NO RAIN APPAREL, the name goes some way to explaining where the inspiration for the jacket & Bib-Tights comes from. Fiandre, Italian for Flanders, is a nod of respect to the springtime classic. SPORTFUL’s history is intertwined with this race, multiple victories over the years, from Museeuw to Nuyens. TEAM MAPEI to TINKOFF SAXO.

The FIANDRE NO-RAIN Jacket is constructed from 3 separate fabrics. SPORTFUL’s proprietary, NO-RAIN technology, performs way beyond what the name would suggest. The fabric is incorporated in the rear panel of the jacket, it offers water repellency thanks to the ingenious nanotechnology but also provides warmth, stretch and excellent breathability. In short it’s a fabric that works well in all conditions.

Two GORE WINDSTOPER fabrics are used on the frontal panels of the jacket, a combination of 4 WAY WARM and 4 WAY LIGHT. The two fabrics, different in weight / warmth are strategically positioned to ensure the right balance between warmth and overheating. Each fabric has stretch in the vertical and horizontal planes to enhance fit and compliment the cut.

The jacket has some nice attention to detail throughout which is synonymous with SPORTFUL’s approach. Design features that compliment the riding experience keeping the rider comfortable and warm.

To compliment the Fiandre No Rain Jacket, we have a few options to choose from when it comes to bib-tights and shorts… Read on.

The Fiandre No Rain Bib-Tight is perhaps the most interesting. We’ve taken the excellent No Rain Fabric and coated key areas with our silicone clima zone.
So tech-talk aside what does that mean when you’re on the bike? Well… the No Rain fabric is excellent when it comes to light, drizzly wet conditions but when the rain starts hammering we found water would soak through. To maintain the correct balance of breathability and water repellency, we coated the areas that were most susceptible to the driving rain; shins, thighs and your backside.
It’s incredibly effective and of course the black on black silicone coating looks cool, almost stealth like!

The No Rain Bib-Tight and Bib-Short are fast becoming modern day classics, both have excellent thermal properties, coupled with water repellency. We’ve worn both over the last few seasons and they’ve proved to be excellent for all but the coldest conditions and the wettest days.

All 3 pieces of apparel feature the BodyFit Pro, seat pad. This is has become synonymous with Tinkoff Saxo; race proven it’s a seat-pad that provides the perfect level comfort with just the right amount of padding.