French brand Ekoï is looking to make this summer a little cooler for you on the bike. With the addition of Graphene fibers and Outlast technology, cyclists will have options to help regulate body heat as they enjoy the summer season.
Graphene Fibers
Graphene is becoming a bit of a super material that we are slowly seeing in more and more areas of cycling. It is a single layer (monolayer) of carbon atoms, tightly bound in a hexagonal honeycomb lattice, which makes it incredibly strong. Initially, the material was used in helmets (Catlike Mixino 2014) for strength, tires (various models from Vittoria) for durability, grip, and lower rolling resistance, and wheels (Vittoria Quarano series) for stiffness and durability, it also has great thermo conductivity properties to help dissipate heat over a larger area.
Ekoï is now embedding this super thin material into the front and back fabric of some of their jerseys to help spread body heat across a wider area during exercise. This helps spread out the heat from hot spots on your core to help cool your body faster. By helping to regulate body temperature, the Ekoï Graphene jerseys can help improve endurance on long, hot days in the saddle.
The fibers also add some additional durability to the material over traditional polyester.
The Graphene line of jerseys are available in a range of colors and five different patterns, camo, color block, conduction, Graphene print, and solid. Sizing runs S-XXXL, and they pair well with any of Ekoï’s bib shorts. Look for a review coming soon paired with the Performance 3D Gel Hexa bib shorts.
Outlast
For more extreme days, Ekoï turns to a material used by NASA to help regulate temperatures for astronauts. Outlast is a Phase Change Material (PCM), which helps keep your body at an optimal temperature, no matter what the weather or how hard you are working. Outlast uses microencapsulated natural wax that is infused into the material that helps to store body heat, even before your body starts to sweat. Outlast has been shown to reduce sweat production by 48% in independent studies, helping to reduce hydration loss and allowing your body to focus energy toward your effort and away from regulating body temperatures. And even as your body cools down, the natural wax releases the stored body heat to keep your body temperature balanced.
As a technical partner of the Israel-Premier Tech team, Ekoï uses Outlast technology in the team’s kit. Available in baselayers and jerseys to help the team find the marginal gains to help them at the world’s top races, like the Tour de France. Ekoï will also be offering Outlast technology in their Outlast Marbre, Baroque, and Galaxy lines. The Marbre is a marble stone pattern, available in six colors. The Baroque line brings an artistic mix of fashion and 16th-century art. Finally, the Galaxy jersey is a limited-edition collaboration with David Minard. The text-based design evokes the spacial origins of the Outlast technology. All jerseys are available in size S-XXXL. Pricing runs from $174.99 for the Marbre and Baroque lines to $199.99 for the limited-edition Galaxy.
Ekoï also offers a sleeveless Outlast baselayer that pairs well with the jersey and the Gel Memory Racing Bibs, their top-of-the-line bib shorts with an 8-hour chamois.
We have both the Graphene and Outlast jerseys in for review, so keep an eye out as we get a chance to test them out in the summer heat.
Heckling Editor, Image Taker, Crash Test Dummy, and Beard Master at Bikeworldnews.com
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