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q36.5 hybrid que l/s jersey, s/s baselayer, wolf bibshorts & merino socks
it will come as no real surprise that i am a long-time subscriber to america's modern drummer magazine, though i confess that some recent issues have given me cause to occasionally reconsider my loyalty. though my principal favour when it comes to percussive prowess is for the more jazz inflected offerings, the current crop of editors demonstrates a closer affinity with heavier hitters. i cannot claim to have extensive knowledge of the american music scene; i well know of the more prominent jazz practitioners, but as to those occupying the more obscure nooks and crannies of americana, i am to be found wanting.
part of me would like to put my hand up and proclaim that "i must do better', but in point of fact, that is probably very far from the truth. the printed word, even when accompanied by colour imagery, is scarcely the finest medium for transmitting hi-fidelity audio, so in truth, unless i go exploring itunes, i remain unaware of the musical output of many of modern drummer's interviewees. what often stops me investigating further, is frequently the name of the band which gainfully employs this month's headliner. groups such as 'of a place to bury strangers', 'goatwhore', and 'prophets of rage' are not the sort of listings i'd prefer to search through on my ipod. whatever happened to cutesy names such as 'the fortunes', 'gerry and the pacemakers' and 'the 1910 fruitgum company'?
such an oddity (as i see it), seems to have infiltrated the world of cycling apparel, spearheaded by italy's q36.5. the definition of such an obscure apellation is quantified as quaerere, latin for research, while the digits refer to the core temperature of a healthy body. it is hard to deny, however, that, if nothing else, spying this applied to a jersey sleeve ought to foster intensive post ride conversation. and maybe that's what they had in mind all along.
i consider myself to be reasonably well informed in the matters of the velocipede, but i'd be fibbing if i gave the impression that i was well acquainted with the q36.5 catalogue. on the basis of this review, that has been my misfortune, for each and every garment delivered direct from italy performed in excess of any expectations i might have had when clambering onto the saddle. in common with probably every cycling apparel purveyor in the world, some of their marketing claims might be on the extravagant side, but ultimately, there's no denying the quality of their products.
though probably losing something in translation, the 'absolutely equipment' slogan printed on the boxes is a tad odd to english speaking eyes (if you see what i mean?), accompanied by ' an extreme vision of the future of competitive cycling clothing', but in truth, translations aside, they've probably hit the nail pretty much square on the head.
the intriguingly knitted short sleeve baselayer is probably as close as it gets to being not there at all, or at least that's what it feels like under the hybrid jersey. constructed pretty much in one-piece on a karl mayer seamless knitting machine, cleverly, even the sleeves form part of this one piece build, seamlessly forming one-piece with the torso. the only sign of any joining is a couple of stitches at the shoulders. the hexagonal patterned frontispiece continues across the rear, where its constitution changes into an open mesh to aid breathability. if a tangible definition of the absolutely equipment tagline were needed, this could be it.
the bibshorts employ what appears to be a proprietary fabric that offers a level of water resistance rarely to be found below the waist. in keeping with my contention that well-fitting shorts ought to be a bit of a struggle to put on, the q36.5 wolf thermal hybrids were impressively skin-tight in use, offering a level of comfort for which you should envy me. the bib straps are of suitably considered width and exert no undue pressure on the shoulders. the back is predominantly of mesh fabric, once again, aiding overall breathability.
in common with the hybrid jersey, each thread of the fabric is coated with a water repellent prior to weaving; comfort and joy in one fell swoop. though the hebridean cold weather may have eased just a smidgeon of late, despite all my protestations of being big and tough and strong, i'm afraid leg warmers had still to be worn, preventing any possibility of the easter knees about which the late david duffield often waxed lyrical. nonetheless, the shorts offered a comfort that veered perilously close to perfection, though i did find claims about built-in lumbar support just a bit hard to swallow.
after only a matter of a few kilometres in the saddle, i managed to get the the hybrid que long-sleeve jersey a bit wetter than i'd planned. the happy ending of that story rests on the jersey's water-resistance, stoically keeping the water beads on the outside, while that luxurious baselayer remained perfectly dry. though the race-fit would allow for little other than a baselayer beneath, its constitution is that often described by others as a jacket. the sleeve length brought smiles to my elbows, as indeed did that of the torso, replete with three capacious back pockets. though the review sample was coloured very black, it is also available in a particularly bright lime green, along with red, blue and a shade i'd scottishly describe as heather.
the entire assembly was rounded off with a pair of oddly abstract-patterned merino/silk socks, garmentage that did for the feet what the baselayer did for my upper body.
that i have never before come across q36.5, i consider something of an embarrassment. clothing of this quality deserves to be brought to the attention of a wider cycling public. i have enjoyed a substantial number of comfortably clad kilometres in the ensemble described above, where each piece appears to have been designed and made with explicit reference to the others. i'm perhaps not the right person to ask about performance, though i did give it my best shot on the approach to bruichladdich's rather ostentatious 30mph sign. it's at times like that when you discover that the phrase 'eyeballs out', might be highly dependent on your point of view.
if there's any justice in the world (and i sometimes wonder), a lot more members of the pelotonese will fearlessly discover this extreme vision of cycle clothing's future. there's little doubting q36.5's ability to influence what we'll all be wearing when contractual negotiations for our giro d'italia start are complete. what a brilliant, sartorial time to be a road cyclist.
the short sleeve baselayer is available in grey only and sizes small-medium and large-extra large price is €79. the black only wolf hybrid bibshorts can be had in sizes from xs to xxl at a cost of €204. q36.5's hybrid, long-sleeve jersey is available in black, blue, red, lime-green and heather in sizes xs - xxl at a price of €204.
saturday 31 march 2018
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