Pedla; premium kit mainstays are back with another tasty offering

Words - James Raison Images - Mike Boudrie

So here’s the thing everyone; Pedla has a target on their back. It’s there because of their pricepoint. This kit is $198 for the jersey and $320 for the knicks. That's a fair stack of cash. In fact, I'm pretty confident this is the most expensive kit you can get from an Aussie manufacturer. So you know what that means? I gotta pick some nits and I gotta pick 'em good!

So let’s hit it!

Full Gas LunaAIR / Linear Jersey

No faffing about, this jersey goes straight to the top of my favourites pile.

I first wore a Pedla Full Gas jersey last year when I reviewed their local loops collection. I absolutely loved it at the time but found it a little baggy. I’ve since dropped some kegs, dropped from S into an XS and am now enjoying this jersey in its ideal form: properly fitted. This is true performance-focused gear and if it ain’t toight, you’re wearing the wrong size.

The LunaAIR fabric is nothing short of fabulous. It breathes exceptionally well and has a lovely skin feeling.

Fit is ideal for my longboi (sic) proportions. Sleeve length is - wait for it - perfect. I constantly gripe about sleeve length but Pedla have nailed it. They extend to about an inch above my elbow and they stay there. No riding up or bunching. These are the sleeves I’ve been pining for. Torso length is excellent too and it’s all held in place by a beefy and firm waist gripper. As I said in my MAAP review - I love proper grippers, and nothing has improved on them. People are trying to differentiate with different waist bands by they just don’t work as well.

So let’s nitpick now. The zipper. It’s lagging behind its competitors. It doesn’t slide with the ease of Pedla’s pricepoint competitors. It makes one-the-bike adjustments fiddlier than they should be. So Pedla, find whatever MAAP used in their Legacy Team jersey and use that. It’s a brilliant zip. Second, the pockets are good at holding stuff relatively firmly but I’d like to see heavier material to better handle the crap I stuff in them. Pedla have used more of their stellar LunaAIR fabric as the outside of the pocket which seems unnecessarily fancy. Use some worse fabric that is less stretchy and breathable. It’s a sacrifice I’d be more than willing to accept.

Small complaints aside, this jersey is a joy to ride in. The brilliant fit, breathability, and overall comfort makes me want to grab it from the cupboard every time it’s clean. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the design. Pedla’s Marcin Woijcik is an outstanding designer. His background in visual arts gives his designs so much personality. Bravo Marcin, you’ve come out with another great design and kept all of those identifiably Pedla design touches.

Superfit G+ Knicks

The Superfit G+ knicks can be a little hard to describe. It’s more like wearing a second skin than knicks. Most knicks feel… like knicks… but these are like they’ve been painted on. Let me explain.
The cuff of the knicks has a non-stitch cuff with tiny little gripper dots covering the first 10 cm. You really need to wriggle into them because of how effective that gripper is. Once it hits your skin it grips and won’t move. It’s worth spending a couple of minutes positioning and adjusting the knicks. Once you’re on the bike they don’t move. There’s just too much grip for that.

Once they are on, they feel like you’re wearing nothing at all (STUPID SEXY FLANDERS). It’s the closest I’ve felt to having custom tailored knicks. They give absolute freedom to move and turn the pedals.

Above the lower knicks is Pedla’s pleasant PowerMESH brace. It’s certainly one of the nicer braces out there; both firm, and stretchy. The Carbonium Road Performance chamois does its job too. It’s substantial enough for long hours in the saddle. It’s good, but I’d like something a little better at this pricepoint. MAAP’s Team 2.0 bibs, for example, have a chamois I prefer and are slightly cheaper.

This is a damn nice set to ride in. Be prepared to fight them every time you put them on. Get it right, then hit the road and enjoy the sensations of truly excellent kit.

Overall

I get a pretty unique perspective on cycling kit because of the range and volume that I get to test. What matters to me is how the gear performs against its competitors. Pedla’s Full Gas LunaAIR jersey and Superfit G+ Knicks are exceptionally good, and absolutely compete with international apparel giants who occupy this pricepoint. It’s a pleasure to ride in and I look forward to putting it on.

I had to dig pretty deep to find quibbles with this kit because the bar is set high for pricey gear.

Disclosure statement: This kit was supplied for review. To buy, head over to the Pedla website.