Black Sheep Essentials Team Collection
The Black Sheep Essentials Team Collection is the mainstay of their line-up. It’s light, airy, silky smooth, and slim cut. That’s my kinda kit.
Words - James Raison Images - Lana Adams
There's a simple but stylish aesthetic to the Team Collection
ABOUT BLACK SHEEP
Black Sheep’s popularity belies their youth, having only started in 2014. The Queensland operation makes kits from all along the design spectrum, from striking but subtle, to eye-poppingly outrageous. Their mission is to be a true black sheep who is “anti-conformist, mischievous, doesn’t follow the crowd and ignores the mainstream noise.”
THE ESSENTIALS JERSEY
The side panels and underarms are incredibly light.
Starting at the top, we have the Team Jersey. It’s a superlight ‘warp-knit’ which means the threads zig-zag rather than following a single row. It’s all made of a fabric called ‘Light Asteroid.’ I don’t know what that means, but it sure sounds cool!
The Team Jersey is an outrageously light garment that shows Black Sheep’s Queensland roots. They’ve strategically placed light mesh on the back and sides, and super light mesh under the arms to target areas where riders sweat the most. It results in the lightest and airiest jersey I’ve ever worn.
Overall it feels wonderfully silky and comfortable on the skin. It dissipates heat exceptionally well, meaning I’ll be reaching for it plenty over the coming South Australian Summer. I will also be reaching for a Black Sheep base layer. This English Rose fears the lightness could lead to some nasty sunburn.
My only gripe is the waist band needs some beefing up. I like a jersey to be firm around the waist to avoid too much sagging when you have gear in your pockets. Not a deal-breaker, but a something that might cause me to grab another kit on a long day where I’ll be laden with stuff.
SIGNATURE BOB BIBS
The Signature Bob Bibs have a minimalist style
The Signature Bob Bibs features luxurious mesh straps, attached shorts with low-profile flatlocked seams that hold their proprietary BSC High Density Chamois. The Italian warp-knit CorePower fabric is designed for freedom of movement and comfort. It’s presented in a very minimal aesthetic, with no colours and a black logo barely visible against the black fabric. Subtle styling means you can add the knicks to other kits without clashing.
As with the jersey, the knicks are light and comfortable. The mesh really works in tandem with the jersey to draw moisture away from your skin. The lycra of the shorts is satisfyingly firm despite the softness of the leg grippers. It is cut rather high though, something that can impede nature breaks.
The chamois is rated for ride durations of 5 hours or more. I didn’t test them for that long, but had no issues with rides around 3 hours. Wearing these knicks was a real pleasure. They just felt well-sculpted and easy to move in.
SOCKS
The Essentials Sock matches the rest of the kit very well. Light, subtle, and comfy. Not much more to say.
OVERALL
There's only 3 small logos on the whole jersey
It’s a treat to ride a kit so light, breathable, and comfortable. Australia is spoilt with boutique makers putting out quality kit for competitive prices. Black Sheep is one of the best. Anyone living in a hot climate wanting a quality bang-for-buck kit should have the Black Sheep Team Collection at the top of their short list.
BUYING
The Team Collection Signature Jersey retails for $165 AUD, the Signiture Bob Bibs retail for $185, and the socks are $20.
You can purchase them through our kit partner on the Cycle Closet website.
Disclosure statement: this kit was sent for testing by Black Sheep. We receive no proceeds from the sale of this Black Sheep kit from any outlets.
