Sportful Ultra Light WS Vest - A new favourite

The Sportful Ultra Light WS Vest is a new favourite at C3 Products… the photograph doesn’t do it justice with both features and technology blending subtly into the clean, understated aesthetics…

The vest (gillet) utilizes Gore’s lightest Windstopper fabric on the front, this goes some way to keeping the weight down to a slight 90g, whilst offering total protection from the elements. A Stretch poly-mesh fabric around the waist prevents the vest from “riding up” The fabric is incorporated into the back for enhanced breath-ability, with the stretch characteristics ensuring a close, yet comfortable fit.

Sportful Ultra Light WS Vest - 3 rear pockets

The guys at Sportful have done a great job at striking the balance between weight / pack-ability and the overall functionality of the piece. 3 rear pockets are a welcome addition for any cyclist…

A couple of design features that aren’t quite so obvious…. one being the use of the stretch poly-mesh aperture on the collar, this addition is particularly appreciated when the gillet is fully zipped up and riding on the drops – offering just a little “give” ….

The Vega Windstopper panel down the back of the vest, fends off the chill but more importantly adds structure, ensuring the contents of the 3 rear pockets don’t sag southwards.

Sportful Ultra Light WS Vest - poly mesh back for breathability

The Ultra Light WS Vest comes in two colour options, solid black as above and  white / black. Both colour ways will match every jersey / bib-short in your cupboard

Team Saxo Bank TTT Giro d'Italia - Full Gas!

Our good friend and ace photographer, Phil Gale was at the Giro d’Italia TTT and managed to take some amazing photos. The one above is our favourite… we’ll admit to being slightly biased towards Team Saxo Bank. Sportful equipped and absolutely flying, 4th place on the day was a fantastic result and proof that this team is more than just one man…

Phil will be returning to the Giro this week… we’ll keep you posted if he’s kind enough to pass on any more of his photos.

Sportful Hot Pack 4 Vest - 67g

Thanks to the guys at road.cc for the great review on the Sportful Hot Pack 4 Vest.   Here’s what they had to say…

“The Sportful Hot Pack Vest is a good windproof gilet that’s incredibly lightweight and takes up hardly any space in your pocket when you don’t need it on.”

Verdict

“Extremely lightweight gilet that provides excellent windproofing and surprisingly good water resistance.”

Sportful Hot Pack 4 Vest / Jacket & Hot Pack No Rain Stretch Jacket

Granfondo 2012 - Highlights From The Sportful Collection

Our friends at Sportful have just produced this cool brochure, which shows the highlights of the 2012 collection. Sportful will be present at a number of Granfondos throughout the summer, the Maratona and Nove Colli being just two examples… If your lucky enough to be riding the events, make sure you stop by the stand and say hello… (and of course pick up a brochure)

We have just uploaded the brochure to ISSUU, please click the above image to have a look…

Swift Carbon UltraVox RS1 - Primera Sports

Primera Sports have just taken delivery of the new UltraVox RS1 – the south coast, Bournemouth based, premium road shop is renound for it’s attention to detail and custom builds.  www.primera-sports.com 

The photo above is a perhaps a sign of things to come… a set of Lightweights is always a nice pairing for a frame of this quality. Alex and Lewis took the time to take some photos. You’ll find a direct link to their FaceBook Page here Thanks guys!

This bike has garnered much attention and with lots of reviews to come shortly in the cycling Press. It’ll confirm what we’ve been saying all along – the Swift Carbon UltraVox RS1 is amazing!

Sportful No Rain Knee Warmers - Breathable, comfortable, water repellent (www.malinphotography.co.uk)

A nice review on one of our daily reads…. Road CC tested and reviewed a set of the Sportful No Rain Knee Warmers this week. A 4 star rating and some great feedback… Thanks guys.

“Breathable, comfortable knee warmers that are water repellent enough to keep out road spray and showers”

To read the full review here’s a direct link to the Road CC Sportful No Rain Knee Warmer Review 

Sportful Total Comfort Bib-Short - Cycling Plus Test Winner

The Sportful Total Comfort Bib-Short is the winner of the bib-short test / review featured in this months Cycling Plus. 5 Star Rated.  (June 2012) 

The Verdict - “Sportful Total Comfort Bib-Short offered everything we could ask for. Race worthy lightweight shorts, with an innovative bib, a wonderfully upholstered pad and feather edged leg – grippers, which really couldn’t have been given a better name”

We’re obviously happy about this and it confirms all the high praise we’d given them. Afirmation of all those happy miles on the bike. The Bib-Short that lives up to its name Total Comfort. 

Sportful Total Comfort Bib-Short - Cycling Plus 5 Star Rated

Swift Carbon Trillium Wheelset - Offers High Performance For Everyday Riding

Stuck for an opening paragraph, I’m going for the easy option of using the tagline. “The Swift Carbon, Trillium Wheelset offers high performance for everyday riding.”  This goes some way to explainning what the wheels are about and gets the ball rolling as far as writting this blog is concerned.

Without getting too technical. The Trilliums are a tubeless compatible / clincher wheelset. 38mm Rim depth. Built with Sapim CX-Ray, straight-pull spokes. On a set of Swift Carbon’s own brand hubs. For further technical details on the wheelset – click the above image.

Durable – I’ve ridden these wheels like they were a set of “Open Pro’s” – they have close to 4,000 miles on them and are showing no sign of wear on either the braking surface or bearings. They’re perfectly true, a spoke key has yet to touch them.  The pot-holed, Dorset country lanes to the mountains of the dolomites. Impacts to prolonged periods of braking. The later has seen many a wheel set become unstuck, litterally… Not these – perfect!

Performance – Rim profile and depth, lead to the associated aerodynamic enhancements. The high spoke tension, offers good lateral stiffness, making out of the saddle efforts that much effective. But more apparent is just how nice these wheels roll.

Overall – The new toned down livery, makes these wheels even more appealing. Price point has yet to be confirmed but will be inline with that everyday riding philosphy. Dismissed initially as just another set of wheels, we’ve been really impressed and based on our experiences, we’d whole heartedly recommend these to friends and customers alike.

Matteo Tosatto - 7th in Paris Roubaix (Photo Credit - Phil Gale)

There is a little to add that hasn’t already been said within the cycling media / press about this years Paris – Roubaix… But it would be re-miss of us not to celebrate Matteo Tosatto’s 7th Place. The Team Saxo Bank / Sportful equipped rider rode himself into the top 10 with grit and determination.

We knew Matteo was riding well and had good form, if it wasn’t for crashing in the bunch sprint at Gent – Wevelgem he would have surely placed in the top 10 there. This in itself makes Matteo’s result that much sweeter and more remarkable.

A true professional – generous with his time, humble and down to earth… all this from a guy whose has Grand Tour stage wins to his name. Looks great on a bike too – we’d like to think the Sportful apparel has something to do with that!

Congratulations Matteo!

The photo above, captured just after the finish by Phil Gale  pretty much says it all… Fantastic photo, Phil!!  Follow Phil on twitter @1_in_the_gutter

Swift Carbon UltraVox RS1

A really interesting article and insight on Swift Carbon from Bike Radar. The gallery and comments go some way to explainning how forward thinking the company is….

The hands on approach from Mark Blewett, owner of Swift Carbon and attention to detail / design refinement are refreshing to see.

An Ex Pro, Mark Blewett is still putting 1000′s of km’s in on the bike,  this not only keeps him in great shape but ensures product input is accurate and relevant.

Check out the link below.

Swift Carbon: Inside A High-end Chinese Bike Factory – BikeRadar.