At the end of last summer, I felt I'd let my fitness and form die a bit - I wasn't enjoying longer rides and I barely went out road biking.
In an effort to regain my fitness and shed some timber, I tried turboing. After a month of sweat-fest, I found that some of my old road gear was fitting me well again and, not convinced it would stay that way long enough to buy expensive kit, shopped a lot on Vinted.
September 2023, I struggled to get in 3XL Castelli but now I was down to 2XL. A guy I worked with had a habit of wearing incredibly tight gear (he had the physique to pull it off - first clothing double-entendre, there - and he genuinely told me his rule of thumb was that if he couldn't see his nipples, it wasn't tight enough).
If I'd used that maxim at the start, I'd probably have been checking under my armpits, but with me starting to look less pear-shaped and more bear-shaped, I decided to give some tighter clothing a go.
The advantage of indoor cycling meant that I could try out my training gear in a safe space and without curdling the neighbourhood's doorstep milk. I could get to the trainer from the bedroom without being seen, much to my household's relief.
With my indoor training established and feeling better about my body image (not that it should matter, so long as you are comfortable and happy) after a visit to the Van Rysel Store on their grand opening in Canada Water, I had an eye on some of their road kit.
I loved the colours of the Van Rysel AG2R replica kit and they had a one-piece aerosuit at an affordable, if not delusional, price point of £84.99. The largest size remaining in the latter was XL so I convinced myself that that would be OK. Always fancied a speed suit and felt it worth the gamble to treat myself to this offering.
I complimented it with a replica AG2R jersey and gloves, a pair of the summer bib-shorts, and a lightweight, sleeveless base layer.
The clothing from Decathlon has come in for an undeserved bit of stick over the years, with more seasoned cyclists turning their noses up at the BTwin branding, but much of my clothing came from their excellent mega stores on out-of-town trading estates when I first took up cycling seriously. There's no such snobbery on the continent, and rightly so. I always loved Decathlon's variety and affordability. I was thrilled when they came to my town.
At home and out of the packet, the Van Rysel clothing feels like it should cost twice the price. I squeezed into the speed suit, checked to see if I'd gained an extra two Adam's apples, and trotted off to my Pain Cave, fearful of a different kind of pain should I be sliced in half from gusset to gusset.
Thankfully, there is enough give in the material and it flatters and flattens, making me look almost professional - even if the pro in question is the winter version of Jan Ulrich.
The inner bib negates the necessity for the base layer. I did try it with, but looked much like a bottle of Angostura Bitters, with the collar looser around the on-point low scooped neck.
The sleeves and other edges are laser cut and grip superbly, staying in place throughout my turbo session. The seat pad is very comfortable, which was lucky as there was no chance of it moving once I had the top of the suit over my shoulders.
The front of the shirt zips up nicely, allowing for better ventilation on the many Alpine climbs I'm never going to climb. Throughout the session, it felt great, wicking away the copious amount of liquid effort I put out. Emboldened by this, I decided to wear it on a proper, outdoor road ride.
It felt as great out on the road, and it's destined to become my favourite piece of kit. I was worried it might be a touch too tight and restrictive, but it is very comfortable - the chamois is very good and I could report no chafing throughout a three-hour ride.
The AG2R replica gloves, too, were nice and cushioning and fit well enough not to need a velcro adjuster - a feature I like, both for comfort and for the sake of my other clothing when they're washed together.
The ultimate test for me was the reaction my costume would elicit from unsuspecting potential victims at my coffee stop. I was slightly apprehensive about straightening up, considering the potential energy that was stored in my hunched pedaling position. I heard neither a twang from my suit nor gasps or screams from the other customers at the farm shop as I clacked up to the till for my mid-ride sausage roll and latte.
The separates, in a very pleasing blue-green replica of AG2R's team livery, bear many of the same features of the speed suit as regards sleeves and hems.
The shoulder straps on the bib shorts are wide and comfortable. With the higher neckline on the jersey, the sleeveless base remains hidden and the open weave wicks away sweat effortlessly - well, with less effort than I was exerting.
Both the jersey and the suit have side mesh for gels and small stuff, and the standard triumvirate of rear pockets, nicely placed and not too high up the back - good news to me with my shoulders.
The rest of the gear on offer on the Van Rysel online shop looks as impressive as the collection I was putting through its paces - the bib shorts aren't even the most premium offering in their range.
I can see some of my older road gear ending up on Vinted in the next few weeks, and I'll be back for more sooner rather than later.
Van Rysel Road Cycling Aerosuit Racer Team - £84.99 from www.decathlon.co.uk
Van Rysel Short-Sleeved Road Cycling Jersey Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale Team Replica - £59.99 from www.decathlon.co.uk
Van Rysel Men's Summer Road Cycling Bib Shorts Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team Replica - £69.99 from www.decathlon.co.uk
Van Rysel Road Cycling Gloves Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team Replica - £19.99 from www.decathlon.co.uk
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