Hincapie: The Only Time You'll Hear 'Comfort' and 'Race Cut' in the same sentence.

Hincapie isn't afraid to stray from the black/red/white mantra

Hincapie is a name known in cycling. First, as one of the best domestiques (support rider) in the business. Armstrong's right hand man through all of his Tour de France victories as well as riding for Alberto Contador in 2007 and Cadel Evans in 2011.
He and his brother started a now, well-known cycling apparel company called, Hincapie and this three time national champion transferred his knack for rider support directly into the clothing line. We were especially impressed with this year's line and thought it was about time we tried it out! Neal and myself put the Nitro kit while Mel tried the Chromatic.

The Fabrics

Hincapie has always been known for fabrics that are a level above many other equally priced kits. The Nitro is no exception. If you are a person that is very picky about how your lycra feels, you have to give this a try. I firmly believe that Hincapie is blending Egyptian cotton and lamb's skin, however, they call it TourTek fabric. Designed to take moisture off the rider's body, it is also very light weight.
On the back, chest and sides of the Nitro is Accelerator Mesh. Hanging flat and light, it provides the best air flow and breath-ability without limiting coverage and feel.

When hit with light, the
Chromatic sleeves turn
a bright white

Both sleeve and bib cuffs are designed with a sleek, DimpleTek band. Similar to high-end Louis Garneau and Sugoi products, it relies on a longer, inter-weaved polyester and spandex mesh. This maintains comfort and position without the annoying rubber cuff.

A really clever feature for several of this year's kits is the addition of HyperOptic fabrics in the sleeve and short cuffs. undetectable in normal lighting, when hit by light, the highly reflective sub-fabrics shine through to create extremely bright material.

The Chamois

The fabrics could be weaved with gold and diamonds and it still wouldn't matter if the chamois was no good. Neal and myself tried out Hincapie's Pro chamois while Mel rode the women's Power chamois. Both are designed with dual density foam so they are supportive without losing breathability.
Coming from thicker pads, like the Sugoi RS or the Gore Xenon, all three of us were a bit skeptical at the lack of thickness in the Hincapie line. However, we were surprised to find the same support as a pillow-top style chamois. The advantage to a sleeker pad is that when the rider stands or shifts their weight, the pad disappears. I do not mean the support is lost, you forget that you have padding between your legs.

Bottom Line
A confident and low-profile chamois, in combination with some of the most breathable and comfort-based fabrics on the market make Hincapie clothing a great product. When you add the clever features, like blended reflective material and a perfect fit for any body, it's hard to see why anyone would pass it up.

It's clear that George Hincapie now puts as much effort into creating a thoughtful product, able to create a comfortable experience, as he did while making a name for himself in the peloton.