There are few pieces of kit more pro than a skinsuit. Luckily for us, there are few pieces of kit that are more comfortable. Spin Cycle Clothing have thrown out the bib straps and stitched up a Pro 2 Skinsuit - a mighty fine one-piece kit of wind cheating speed mixed with all day comfort.

As an added bonus, you can get a fully custom design. I went for subtle and understated. No I didn’t I went for ALL THE COLOURS!

Words - James Raison Photos - Lana Adams

SPIN CYCLE CLOTHING

Spin Cycle Clothing is an Adelaide based operation run by Renaissance man Nathaniel Peek. He does everything; designs the kits, built and runs the website, deals directly with the factory, customer service, social media, and all the rest. That impressive skillset means Spin Cycle Clothing is a lean and efficient operation. That’s good for you because the kit is very competitively priced. You can learn more about Nathaniel on our Spin Cycle Clothing Profile.

PRO 2 SKINSUIT

It does feel pretty awesome to have your own kit.

At the top is the jersey made of three lightweight fabrics for breathability, has almost elbow-length sleeves, and a YKK zipper. On the back are only two pockets, which is standard for a skinsuit where the back panel is narrowed for tight fit. The side panels are super light, and the under-arm is even lighter again with a very airy mesh. It's all been cut with lazers to make sure the fit is exactly right.

The knicks are built around the Elastic Interface chamois. The leg grippers are an 8.5cm band that keeps a firm hold on your leg cannons. That’s all there is to them, the shorts are stitched directly to the jersey so there’s no straps to be found.

ON THE BIKE

Riding in the skinsuit immediately feels fast. You will notice there’s less nasty air friction clawing at you. It’s particularly noticeable when descending at high speed. There’s less flapping and rippling of loose material slowing you down.

It’s always surprising how comfortable a skinsuit is once you’ve shimmied your way into it, slid the leg grippers high enough, and zipped up the jersey. Directly attaching the shorts to the jersey spreads the load around your body so it firmly hugs you but never feels too tight. It seems so counter-intuitive that such performance-oriented gear is so comfortable.

The final effect is tight. Really tight! This thing will find any lumps, bumps, and bulges you have so wearing it requires a healthy amount of self-esteem. The arms are a wee bit looser than the rest of the kit, but other than that it feels like a second skin.

The chamois carries on the comfort theme, with plenty of thickness and pliability. I was able to comfortably perch on the nose of my hard carbon saddle and push out some flat road watts. I didn’t test the comfort beyond 4 hours, but it was plenty comfortable for the time I was in the saddle.

The only concession is the reduced carrying capacity. It’s not a big reduction because the 2 pockets are wide. A long ride with food, pump, spare tube etc, might need a standard jersey with 3 pockets.

THE SKINNY

Only 2 pockets but still a decent carrying capacity.

I'm a convert to skinsuits and the Spin Cycle Clothing Pro 2 is a damn good one. It's super comfortable, gives mad aero gains (my lingo is ON FLEEK!), and are very functional with enough carrying capacity for most rides.

It's also surprisingly economical. This skinsuit with its upgraded chamois retails at $315 for a single unit, including the custom design and shipping. It feels awesome having a completely one-off design too. I get a lot of compliments on it. So why not do something different? Get the kit design you've always wished you could buy. Or be lazy and send Spin Cycle Clothing vague instructions like "lots of bright colours" like I did. The results can be pretty fasntastic.

BUY

You can order a Pro 2 Skinsuit on the Spin Cycle Clothing website. Pricing starts at $300 for the Pro 2 and there's a few optional upgrades. Prices can also reduce depending how many units you purchase.

Disclosure statement: The skinsuit was supplied by Spin Cycle Clothing Clothing for review. It is not a paid review and we do not receive any proceeds from the sale of Spin Cycle Clothing through any retail outlets.