Launched in April, the new Trek Clothing takes their cycling kit efforts up a notch, with sustainable fabric selections, higher performance fits, and solid styling.
We’ve been checking out the top-level RSL jersey and an assortment of the bibs and socks, which all mostly go together letting you mix and match to put your money where your priorities lie. Overall we really like it, here’s the details…
I was excited to take the Trek gear out of its packaging (or lack thereof). We received the RSL Jersey, Velocis bib short, Circuit jersey, Circuit short, and Race crew socks.
The material is very soft and shares many qualities of high-end cycling gear that I’ve worn over the years. The packaging is minimal, understated, and confident. It’s a nice change from piles of chamois pad sales fliers that can come with a new pair of shorts.
I like the color pallette for the pieces I received, black for the RSL/Velocis kit, and Dark Blue/Red for the Circuit kit. Colors are classic and look great with standard accessories.
On the bike
The fitted RSL jersey is a Pro-Fit, but the fabric is very stretchy, and the pockets allow for easy stuffing of food, jackets, or other ride gear. You might need the jacket when you leave the house because this jersey is shear; you can see the bib straps through the jersey – and the wind can see through it too.
This thin material is something that I would love to have in the summer, but can be tough to navigate now in the spring.
I found the kit comfortable on my rides, and the new Trek chamois is super nice. The chamois volume is minimal, which might look like it’d be too thin at first. But ultimately, it is not.
I even found myself reaching for this kit for indoor rides — that’s when I know I like a short.
The RSL/Velocis short combo is a great companion in super hot conditions. The jersey is super ventilated. The short echos that and adds supportive compression, something notable on longer days in the saddle.
The new Trek race crew socks are super solid, 5″ crew socks have a decent amount of compression, but not enough to be challenging getting them on. The socks are thin, but the construction seems robust enough to stand up to many washes. The performance is trustworthy so far, and so is the construction. Nothing worse than a sock that rips or deteriorates in the washer/dryer.
Switching from the RSL to the Circuit jersey, I quickly noticed the thicker fabric and grippers. This jersey is more of a long haul model, something you’ll likely have for many years and it’ll still look fresh.
The wide gripper on the front of the jersey keeps it from riding up, and the four pockets in the rear are a nice touch. The material does seem to pick up some debris and particles of dust more than the usual polyblend, though.
The Circuit bib shorts have a very familiar feel, the gripper is one I’ve seen on higher-end shorts, and the length is right on the money. They have a similar strap setup to the Velocis line with a thick-cut fabric emblazoned with the Trek logo. The straps are secure but not overly tight.
The back is a solid mesh construction with enough room for the lower back to breathe. The Circuit bibs have a different chamois, but the posterior feedback was the same as the Velocis — solid, you know… in a good way.
Parting thoughts on Trek’s return to cycling kits
Trek seems to have released a very impressive line of road clothing with a sustainable twist that doesn’t detract from the fabric’s hand or performance.
We look forward to seeing what additions Trek makes to this line with accessories and possible mountain bike gear in the future. Until then — I’ll be rolling the RSL on hot days and the Circuit for those long training days.
