WHAT MAKES CORINNE DENNIS CYCLING TOPS SO SPECIAL?
THE CUT
A cycle top needs to be close fitting for two reasons. Firstly, a loose, flappy top causes a great deal of wind resistance, which will hold you back, slow you down, and generally waste your valuable energy. Secondly, a loose fitting top will allow cold air to flush inside your clothing, chilling you when you may not need it. A figure hugging shirt will therefore be more aerodynamic, and more comfortable for your body climate, but not necessarily exactly the ‘look’ you might favour. For that reason we try to make our cycling tops as user friendly as possible, with flattering tailoring. A combination of curves in the right places and a little more room in others, together with the best fabrics will ensure that you are comfortable both physically and emotionally!
THE FABRICS
We choose our fabrics for their special properties. Sportswear of any type needs to be
1) Quick drying
2) Hard wearing
3) Easy to care for
4) have ‘high wicking properties’
As cycling can be a sweaty activity, the inside of all your clothing will inevitably get damp, and could quickly get cold. Using fabrics which dry out quickly helps to stop you getting chilled.
As some items of cycle clothing will need washing after every outing, they must be easy to wash, quick to dry and not need any specially pampering. All our materials can be thrown in the washing machine at 30 or 40, thoroughly laundered, spun and tumbled dry. No hassle, no inconvenience.
They also need to stand up well to all this rough treatment.
The term ‘high wicking’ means that a fabric will transfer dampness from absorbed sweat from the inside of the garment to the outside. This enables it to evaporate, thus speeding up the drying process. When these two benefits are combined, dampness, cold and chilling are greatly reduced, thus maintaining a more comfortable body climate. The sum total of all these factors will make you more comfortable during your outing, so that can concentrate on enjoying yourself.
As a side note on fabrics, we use one material which does not fulfil all of these criteria, namely Cotton/Lycra. This is a fabric we use for both shorts and tops, and we use it because it is very popular for its own special attributes. Many people like the non-shiny appearance and excellent breathability, and value these properties over the quick drying and wickabilty of synthetic materials.
