Last year Stratton of Starlight Custom Cycling Clothing provided the leaders kits for the Working Man’s Classic. I was lucky enough to win the first night’s 4 race so I was given one to wear. At the time I though: “yeah, this is pretty good.” After the 3 race series ended I put the kit in my drawer and forgot about it.

Fast-forward a few months and we have come up with a cool new design for a shop cycling jersey. Stratton and I go way back and I wanted to give him some business so we let his company handle making them.

On Black Friday Stratton came by CBC to deliver the goods. Two days later I kitted up for the Sunday team ride to test them out.

First off lets talk fit… I would say the run just a tad big. A medium in most brands fits me but with the Starlight stuff I went down to a small. I have a 30″ waist and I do like my jerseys to be snug though so take that for what its worth. Sizing aside the fit on the is fantastic. No weird bunching or tight spots in either the jersey or bibs. On or off the bike everything just FITS.

Quality… I gotta say I was impressed right from the gun. Unlike some of the alternatives for custom cycling clothing at this price point the jersey has what they call “flat lock” stitching. Basically this means less material overlapping at any seams which is a plus for comfort. The zipper seems robust and not prone to sticking.

As for the bibs I could tell they were going to be good as soon as I unpacked them. The chamois has a multiple density construction and is a bit thicker where you want extra padding with out going overboard and feeling like a diaper. My biggest complaint with bib shorts is usually from too much padding rather than too little. These seemed to be just right. Around the leg band is a nice gel gripper that keeps them fitting properly whether or not you are wearing knee warmers.

Lastly the fabric on both pieces has a really good feel to it. Just the right amount of stretch.

After completing a four and a half hour ride on them I was still impressed. Not once on the ride did I even THINK about how the clothing felt. That’s the mark of quality with any cycling product in my opinion. When a product “disappears” you can focus on the ride. I was trying to keep up with some fast dudes so not having to think about comfort on my bike was definitely a bonus.

Oh and did I mention our new design looks super cool?

Yeah… come get your next cycling jersey and bibs. At $70 for the jersey and $100 for the bibs the price is nice too.