It's good to be different!
08th May 2019 - 19:06 ">
As triathletes we're always on the hunt for the most comfortable kit that not only performs well, but looks good too. Coach Matt Sanderson has discovered a cycling clothing brand that ticks all of those boxes...
A few weeks ago, a friend of mine, Jez Wilson, introduced me to the ‘Ravito’ brand of cycling wear. Jez lives in the same village as the founders of Ravito near Gignac which is between Brive and Souillac in the south west of France. As a former professional boxer now getting into the cycling scene, Jez soon got to know the team and what the Ravito brand is all about.
The word ‘Ravito’ loosely translated into English refers to the term ‘feed station’. These ‘feed stations’ in France are important, social places and a big part of the enjoyment of a bike ride. The Ravito team are huge cycling enthusiasts and excellent graphic designers, so I guess it was only a matter of time before they started creating cycling clothing!
The beauty of this is that their passion for cycling, combined with a creative eye, is what comes through on all the clothing they produce. While much of my own kit is TCUK branded for obvious reasons, I do own plenty of other branded outfits. I’m sure over the years I’ve ridden in pretty much every cycling brand there is!
Pound for pound the best cycling kit I’ve ever worn was bought in Australia after IM Western Austrialia in 2013 from the Hincapie range. It was expensive but worth every penny on reflection. You know that piece of kit that just feels amazing to wear. Light, smooth, stretchy, comfy yet looks good, is snug and feels fast – it still feels that way five years on and it’s had some serious hammer in that time!
When Jez asked me to try the Ravito kit and give him my feedback I wasn’t expecting too much – mostly because the price range was very ‘middle of the road’ and therefore I naturally expected a middle of the road fit and feel.
I was very wrong!
I took the kit out to Lanzarote for two weeks of training camps with the TCUK athletes. You know all things I said about the Hincapie range – absolutely true about the Ravito Tattoo jersey and accompanying Pro Ravito bib shorts I wore – but at pretty much half the cost of the Hincapie range!
It was nice to be wearing something different, but equally something very comfortable. 5-6 hour rides in the heat were never a problem and the fantastic chamois (with the Eiffel Tower picture printed into the pad – nice touch) was super comfy.
The team’s creativity from their background in graphic design means you get to wear something that helps you to stand out from the main stream brands without compromising on quality. In fact, it surpasses the quality from most other brands I’ve worn over the last 15 years!
I asked Jez if I could write a post about the kit – not the other way around as it normally is! As many of my athletes will know, I’m not one for giving praise where it isn’t due – some will argue I don’t give praise when it is due either! – but I do like to champion something that I feel is really good and has a good story behind it.
I don’t know how good the service side of the company is as yet as I haven’t gone through that process but I do know you will be very impressed with the kit and how it arrives all neatly boxed up with a special memento inside telling you more about the Ravito brand.
What’s more, you can even buy your pasta and Ravito beer from their website! And if you sign up to the Ravito newsletter you've recieve a code to get 10% off your first order.
FB: @musetteravito
Twitter: @musetteravito
