SHIFT 3lack Label
The first thing I noticed when I got the gear out the bag was how light it was; in particularly the jersey. The jersey is a thin stretchy material that falls nicely over the body with enough room to get a body armour/roost protecter underneath if needs be. The sleeves benefit from a tapered fit rather than the traditional cuff, which in my opinion helps decrease the chances of arm pump as the sleeve gets gradually tighter down the arm rather than having one fixed tight point around the wrist area.
The shirt as well as being incredibly thin is well ventilated around the chest and side of the torso; this is noticeable when riding as it directs the air flow under your arms and around your back.
The pants were made of quite a durable material for the most part with some stretchy areas which made it easy to put on over a pair of knee braces with out it snagging on them. Around the knee area is a stretchy, breathable material which hugs the knee area stopping them from moving up or down the leg when riding. The black label pants; like the shirt, are also well ventilated around the upper thigh where the material is a little thicker than the rest of the pants.
The inner waist of the pant also comes with a rubber strip to help grip the shirt and stop it coming untucked during riding which i myself suffer with a lot.
The pants also have leather on the inner knee which offer more grip on the bike as well as being well insulated against the exhaust and engine. So far i have not experienced any cracking or tearing of the leather after washing; which i used to have issues with on other kits. The leather is still in good condition and very soft; I will keep an eye on this though after a few more washes.
As far as the fit and the sizing, as a rule I am a comfortable 32” pant and Large jersey. The jersey is a good fit and very true to its size. However I am right on the limit in when it comes to the pants so if you are thinking about getting the next size up from your normal size I would recommend you do.
I have worn the kit a total number of 7 times so far and i am yet to notice any wear marks on either jersey or pant. I will re visit this half way through the season with an update as to how well it is holding up with various weather, race and washing conditions.
SHIFT claim that the 3lack label line “out perform and out styles everything in its class”, and at just £187.00 for the jersey and pants it is really hard to argue that. The gear really does everything you would want it to, it is a great fit for the every day rider as well as the more serious racer. If you do prefer a more fitted feel maybe take a look at the 3lue label line. A review for the 3lue label will be available shortly
5 things i liked:
1: The light weight feel
2: The tapered sleeves
3: The ventilation on the jersey
4: The stretchy material around the knee area
5: So far the durability of the leather on the inner knee
Written and tested by Brad Wheeler
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