We heard about the new Cinder range last year but it’s finally launching to consumers now. As you’d hope, the iconic UK mountain brand have clearly used their extensive experience of designing and developing new kit and even their own fabrics to full effect. They look to have some smart practical, bike-specific touches too.
Cinder wins
Highlights include the ultralight Cinder Phantom which uses Pertex Shield fabric to create a stretchy, breathable and weather resistant shell that’s under 100g even with a built in frame attachable stuff sack. The Cinder Kinetic also features a bike-specific cut of their own proven Proflex fabric. This sandwiches a waterproof membrane between inner and outer layer knits to “make ‘softshell’ jackets with the waterproof protection of a traditional hardshell” say Rab, which sounds like it’ll be a hit with our currently smart fleece obsessed tech editor.
The 31 piece range with both men's and women’s designs includes bib shorts, cargo shorts and liners with the excellent Elastic Interface pads used by Giro and others. Colors are a mix of natural tones and muted primaries that match perfectly with current gravel/adventure aesthetics. The press launch pics are very drop/weird bar and bikepacking in tone too, but there’s no reason the gear shouldn’t work well for mountain biking too.
Cindersella
We’ve got samples on the way and will publish reviews on as soon as we’ve tested them properly, but here’s some inspiring words from Rab and Lowe Alpine product director Tim Fish to get you excited in the meantime. “Off-road cycling adventures require immense versatility. Dealing with terrain, pace, and fickle weather. We have over 40 years of knowledge and experience crafting clothing and equipment to manage these conditions. This season we’re introducing a new cycling collection, combining that experience with a finely tuned fit to enable adventure and exploration.”
Rab fans
While it's easy to be cynical about most 'new clothing range' announcements we get for mostly generic kit , we're genuinely excited about one of our favorite outdoor brands getting into biking. Not least because several of our team members have got cross discipline Rab kit that they’ve sworn by for years. They're one of the few companies to have nailed lightweight, high performance kit for mountain runners really well so they're used to dealing with sweaty idiots not just keeping ramblers cosy. They also have an awesome reputation for customer service including “repairing wounded kit” at their Peak District HQ. They’ve been a certified Climate Neutral Company and a Fair Wear Leader since 2020 and use recycled and non fluorocarbon fabrics wherever possible.
