BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Le Col, the performance cycling apparel brand, has extended its use of Polartec materials with the new plant-based Power Shield.
Using a new plant-based membrane, Power Shield represents Polartec’s “most capable and versatile” waterproof and breathable technology in the fabric portfolio.
Developed to an expedition-grade standard, the material able to withstand heavy rains and high winds, while remaining breathable.
The plant-based, breathable and waterproof membrane is a new system that uses molecular diffusion, rather than micropores, to move out water vapour while maintaining a barrier against water droplets.
According to Le Col, this type of technology isn’t new, but a membrane that can layer within technical fabric and withstand stretching, washing, and the abuse of outdoor sport is “unprecedented”.
In addition, because this new technology is free from micropores, it also can’t clog up and lose breathing performance.
The end result is Polartec’s first-ever waterproof fabric to test greater than 20,000 mm in the Hydrostatic Pressure Test for Waterproofness and 20,000 g/m2/24h Moisture Vapor Transmission Rating for Breathability.
Hannah Greenshield, product developer at Le Col said, “We couldn’t be happier with the new Power Shield™ technology and the benefits it’s had to our product range. Not having to sacrifice performance in the pursuit of more sustainable products is a fantastic result.”
Le Col has been using Polartec fabrics in its winter products for a number of years now.
The materials have already been used in the brand’s Pro Bib Tights and previous iterations of jackets and winter base layers.
From insulating and heat regulating fabrics like Alpha and Power Grid to waterproof and windproof fabrics like Power Shield, the fabrics are used strategically by Le Col to ensure they offer the most benefits to cyclists and help improve their comfort and performance on the road.
The latest versions of the AW23 Hors Categorie Jacket II, Pro Jacket, along with the Pro All Weather Jersey and Pro All Weather Gilet all benefit from this technology and have been applied to the products through the attention to detail of the Le Col R+D team.
Matteo Tolio, sales and marketing manager for Cycling International at Polartec, added: “We’re thrilled to once again be working with Le Col and to have them as one of the first brands to utilise our new Power Shield technology.
“As a brand whose focus is so strongly on sustainable performance innovations we’re so glad to be able to live up to those high standards and support Le Col in creating industry-leading cycling apparel.”
RRPs
- Hors Categorie Jacket II – Power Shield + Alpha – £330
- Pro Jacket – Power Shield – £265
- Pro All Weather Jersey – Power Shield – £185
- Pro All Weather Gilet – Power Shield – £155
- Deep Winter Base Layer – Power Grid + Alpha – £80
- Pro Bib Tights – Power Grid – £210
