Watt Bomb Kit - Season 2

You may not have previously heard of Watt Bomb, but that’s about to change. La Velocita’s took an exclusive first look at their Season 2 kit released today to see what this new kid on the block has to offer.

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Words - Tom McQuillan    Images - Andrew Clifforth

About

Geelong-based Watt Bomb releases their Season 2 of cycling kit today. We’ve been lucky enough to have been riding around in Watt Bomb’s kit for the last few weeks to give you an insight on what Watt Bomb’s kit can offer.

Watt Bomb is run by cyclists that aim to provide the cycling community with a fusion of cycling fashion, performance and comfort. A long time in the planning, it’s an exciting time for the guys at Watt Bomb. They’ve spent time souring quality Italian and Swiss fabrics with the aim of bringing you a high end and top quality kit.

Talking to Troy from Watt Bomb, his passion is obvious and that shows through in their Season 2.

Classique ‘Blurred Lines’ Jersey 

The Blurred Lines jersey is a race cut fit that aims to be comfortable while also being aerodynamic. The fit on this full-zip jersey is tight, so be prepared to size up if you prefer a little more space in your jerseys. 

The fabric is Italian-made and feels soft against the skin, with wide silicon microdot grippers on the sleeves that manage to hold everything in place without pinching your arms. 

There are three equally sized rear pockets that will comfortably hold a ride’s worth of tools, snacks and spare clothing, though there’s no zipped pocket for storing valuables like keys or credit cards.

Ride

The design of the jersey is quite interesting – the bold Watt Bomb logo creates an interesting contrast with the otherwise understated colour scheme.

It’s impossible to speak to the aerodynamic properties of the jersey without access to a wind tunnel (ours is currently closed for repairs), but the race cut of the jersey, the high neckline and the wide silicon microdot grippers on the sleeves feel pretty aero. The jersey doesn’t bunch up at the front or ride up at the back, and there’s certainly no flapping of material in the breeze to slow you down – everything stays exactly where it needs to. 

The material does a good job of wicking moisture away from the skin and allowing you to get on with the job of dropping the hammer on your unsuspecting riding companions.

Classique ‘Blurred Lines’ Gilet

Like the jersey, the neckline of the gilet is quite high, with a full-length zip making it good for cooler starts. The zipper is big and chunky, which makes it much easier to zip up while on the move. Zipping up a jersey and gilet (especially when its been fully undone) is one of those little things that can take you out of enjoying your ride if it takes longer than it needs to, so it’s great to see that Watt Bomb have taken the time to make this easier.

One of the things that struck me about the gilet is that like the jersey, it also has three pockets. In cooler conditions where it’s likely you’ll leave your gilet on all day, being able to easily access everything in your pockets is a really handy feature. 

Ride

A well-fitting gilet is one of the most important pieces of kit in a cyclist’s wardrobe – helping to keep out the wind (and to a lesser extent the cold) while also packing down to a small enough size that you can take it with you in almost all conditions. Thankfully the Blurred Lines gilet does an admirable job of keeping out the cold without being too bulky.

Looking at it initially it seems as though the grey bands on the lower half of the gilet might be reflective, but there’s only one small reflective tab on the rear of the gilet to help you be seen in low-light conditions. Given how much of the gilet is black or grey it’s probably not the greatest choice if being seen at night is your number one concern. 

Infinity Bibs

At the moment, the Infinity Bibs are the only cycling shorts offered by Watt Bomb, and have clearly been designed to work in as many different situations as possible. It’s difficult to underestimate just how useful a good pair of black shorts can be.

Ride

The most important part of any set of cycling knicks is the pad, and it’s obvious that Watt Bomb haven’t cut any corners with the Infinity Bibs. The pad is from Elastic Interface (a subsidiary of CyTech) and is very comfortable. Our tester wore this exact pad in a different set of bibshorts for the 235km Peaks Challenge Falls Creek earlier this year, so there’s no need to worry about their ability to cope with long hours in the saddle.

Like the jersey, the bibs feature silicon microdot grippers that keep everything in place without pinching or leaving marks on your thighs. With that being said, the bibs still provide a good level of compression, as one would expect from a brand pitching their products at the premium end of the market. 

Sizes

Available from XS-XL, and in men’s and women’s specific cuts. Our tester is 174cm tall, weighs 73kg and wears a small men’s jersey and small bibs.

Where to buy

All the kit you see here goes on sale at www.wattbomb.com on June 12th. While you’re there, be sure to check out the rest of their kit – we really like the look of their Matrix thermal jersey.

Price

Jersey - $149, Gilet - $176, Bibs- $209

Overall 

As soon as you put on any of their kit, it’s clear that WattBomb have set out to make a quality product. While you could easily save this kit for casual rides to the café and back, it’s ultimately much better suited to eyeballs-out efforts up Mt. Dropyourmates.

Watt Bomb have clearly priced their products at the premium end of the market, but if you’re looking for a quality set of kit that’s a bit exclusive, the Blurred Lines kit would be a great place to start.

Specifications

Classique SS Jersey Features:

• Race Cut
• Italian Fabric 130gsm
• High Moisture wicking properties
• Silicon Injected Power Band
• YKK elite full length zipper with snap down puller
• UPF 35+

Gilet Key Features:

• Italian WINTEX windproof membrane
• 3 rear pockets
• Reflective tag
• High collar
• YKK Full length invisible zipper 
• UPF 50+

INFINITY Bibs Key Features:

• Italian Compression Fabric 225gsm
• Italian Mesh bib structure 155gsm
• Aerodynamic Cut for Performance
• 7.5cm Silicon Injected Microdot Powerband
• Elastic Interface Endurance 2 Chamois
• Flatlock Stitching
• Excellent Moisture wicking
• UPF 50+