Santa brought our Rosie some of Flare Clothing Co.‘s women’s and enduro-specific riding kit in the form of the Stage jersey and shorts.
After a few weeks of grinding some winter filth into the Stage kit, Rosie has given us her first impressions of the enduro specific UK designed and built riding kit.
The Stage range is the enduro-specific kit from women-centric British clothing manufacturers Flare. Designed and manufactured in the UK, their kit is designed to cope with all the British filth you can throw at it. It’s also produced to higher ethical standards than many competitors’ products which keeps this Hebden Bridge Hippy happy.
Stage Shorts – £80.00 RRP.
The Stage shorts are of a lighter build than some of the company’s other lines and produced with four-way stretch fabric, making pedalling a doddle even when it’s wet and gritty, which let’s face it, it usually is. The fit is great due to the flexy fabric and a reinforced panel on the bum means they’re not likely to wear through in a hurry.
The thinner material means that the shorts are really comfortable on long pedally rides and don’t bunch up or rub when they’re wet. This has meant that I’ve taken to using them rather than thicker shorts this winter as they’re not as heavy and don’t collect the same quantity of grit and filth as some of my sturdier, warmer kit.
The Velcro fastening on the shorts makes them endlessly adjustable and mean there’s not annoying fastener to dig in. I have found that the relatively dainty zips are a little vulnerable when they’re really mucky and have had to adopt a slower approach than instinct dictates to stripping them off and throwing them in the wash.
Stage Jersey – £50.00 RRP.
The Stage jersey is a warm, wicking three-quarter sleeve top designed to be a little toastier than the other tops in Flare’s range. As with the shorts, the top is comfortable and flexible enough for a long day out. Despite being lightweight the top is surprisingly windproof. I’ve been wearing it with just a thin merino baselayer underneath and it’s been great for cold crisp mornings.
