Reviewed: Roka Pro Race Cycling Kit
Roka, the company known for making wetsuits worn by the fastest triathletes in the world, dives into cycling apparel with the new Pro Race kit. Roka has taken care to design cycling gear which fits and functions so well that I reach for it in my gear drawer nearly every time I train, and wash it right after so it’s clean and ready for my next ride. Immediately after putting the kit on for the first time, I noted a few really cool features about the Pro Race kit which seemed both obvious (“Why isn’t every manufacturer doing this on kits?!”), and also really useful: a full-length zipper on the Pro Race Jersey that nearly disappears when closed, a water-resistant pocket for electronics, minimal but highly-effective printed silicone grippers on all cuffs, and a chamois which feels great both when sitting up and when leaning over the bars.
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Three deep, back pockets lay flat when empty. A fourth zippered pocket is water resistant, and has an interior, inward-facing, water-resistant iris for an electronics cable that runs through the back of the jersey. This means you can wire your iPhone on the inside of your kit to keep it from tangling, just like how the pros gear up with their race radios.
Roka uses several different kinds of panels on the Pro Race Jersey and Pro Bib Short. The panels offer varying amounts of stretch and compression, as well as aerodynamic benefits. The mesh-like fabric center-back of the jersey is really breathable—which is great on warm days—and it doesn’t ripple or billow when riding at speed. All panels are cut in curves where necessary so as to be form-fitting. And make no mistake, the Pro Race kit is ultra form-fitting.
Roka’s Thermal Arm Warmers ($35) kept me at just the right temperature—even when pedaling easy—as the thermometer dipped just below 45°F. The geometric patterns on the arm warmers matched the jersey so well, a colleague commented that he thought I was wearing a long-sleeve jersey.
The Pro Bib Short fit so well that I nearly forgot I was wearing bib straps over my shoulders. The chamois is more than sufficient no matter how my position on the saddle varied. I was comfortable when I was climbing, as well as when I was leaning over in a time-trial position. The seams on the legs and grippers at the cuffs are executed really well: A minimal amount of silicone is printed on the inside of the leg grippers to keep the cuffs in place. This silicone printing rises a few centimeters up the inside of the leg, and allows just enough stretch without slipping. I didn’t feel as though my legs were sheathed in a sticky material, but rather the material on the legs felt like it moved with me. This no-slip leg cuff also “mated” well with the matching thermal knee warmers, producing no bumps or bulges.
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The matching Thermal Knee Warmers ($40) offer the same kind of printed silicon tape cuffs which kept them in place and helped them lay flat against my legs.
Roka offers the Pro Race kit in several colors, for both men and women. Sizing is true: The medium-size race cut fit me exactly as I expected it to, and it wasn’t super small, as some European-made kits tend to be. The 10-inch inseam on the bib shorts is generous; tall versions are available for sizes small, medium, and large. Machine washing (delicates cycle) and line drying is recommended, and after a few washings, the Roka kit looks as new as it did on Day One.
Price: Jersey, $175; Bib shorts, $200; Knee warmers, $40; Arm warmers, $35
Info: rokasports.com
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