We spotted the latest additions to David Millar’s Chpt. III clothing range at trade show Core Bike earlier this week, and they’re certainly interesting.
There’s a new jacket made from eVent waterproof fabric, and an attention-grabbing base layer made from an advanced merino mix. Let’s dive in.
Related: Millar and Castelli show cycling some sartorial style
A 'café piece'
The jacket has lots of interesting details that mark out its intended purpose: looking good on the bike about town and at the local coffee shop, rather than day-long rides. UK distributor Saddleback told us that Millar wanted a “clean and elegant” look from this jacket, with the performance credentials that Castelli brings, and the tailoring and city fashion that Millar favours.
It features an offset zip, a zip-up pocket on the chest to stash your phone and cards, and an unusual cuff design: you can button the cuff back, or unbutton it to make it longer if the occasion calls for it. These touches were introduced with help from London tailor Timothy Everest.
There isn’t any reflective detailing, and it’s definitely not intended for use in dark or murky conditions – though the ‘safety orange’ colour should help keep you visible – to pretty much everyone you encounter, and not just car drivers.
Price will be in the region of £350-375, says Saddleback (international pricing TBC); it's expected to be available from April 2016.
Loungin’
The base layer also comes in ‘safety orange’ only, with Ashley Blue details. It’s made from what sounds like a very clever material – a nylon cord runs through it, and merino is then wrapped really tightly around the cord. This is claimed to deliver the comfort, warmth and wicking of merino, with the sturdiness of nylon, so it can keep its shape over multiple washes.
According to Saddleback, Millar found that he spent much of his life as a pro rider in merino base layers. He’d never race in them, because when you’re riding hard then you’re sweating more than merino can sometimes deal with – that’s when you use manmade fibres. But merino became casual wear for him, so for this base layer he wanted to add the feel of a sweatshirt to it.
Price will be around £150 (international pricing TBC), and it will also be available from April 2016.