Bicycles are for everyone. Lycra isn’t. There’s something about the skin-tight performance apparel that can really rub people the wrong way. A fact that any Lycra wearer who has encountered a white Ford Transit van can attest to.
And we’ll admit, sometimes Lycra can be overkill. For athletes, sure. But if you’re just cruising around your local coffee shops, maybe leave the leggings at home. But what about those rides where a T-shirt and shorts don’t quite cut it? What if you still want to look like a serious cyclist, but Lycra isn’t an option? Well, Pas Normal Studios has the answer in their latest AW26 Off-Race Collection.
PNS originally launched their Off-Race concept back in February as a solution for cycling apparel that lands much more casually than a full Lycra ensemble, but can still hold its own out on the road. Think of it as a sort of cycling-streetwear amalgamation with beautiful colour palettes, subtle branding, and function-first design.
The preliminary SS26 Off-Race collection presented us with a whole host of choice summer cycling garb, ranging from gilets and shorts to techy shirts and even boonie hats. Naturally, AW26 shifts things more into the realm of outerwear.
Heading up the collection is an incredible piece of insulation. A sprout green down liner jacket that looks (and we imagine, feels) like the sort of thing you’d expect from a premium outdoor brand. Square baffles, integrated handwarmer pockets, and subtle branding make this the sort of jacket you’d be more than wary of covering in road spray. But at least you’d be warm doing it.
Another area that shows PNS are using Off-Race as a way to step out of their comfort zone is through the fabrics used for AW26. Wool and corduroy have been worked in across the range – and while they’re hardly materials we associate with performance cycling, they never look out of place.
The Off-Race Tech Corduroy Pants incorporate a super-slim wale of corduroy alongside an integrated belt and ankle adjustments. A far cry from the type of cords that inhabit your Grandad’s closet, and a great example of PNS mixing heritage fabrics with modern silhouettes and functional design.
Wool then appears on zip-up fleeces and scarves, and once again looks right at home. It’s the exact kind of experimentation that cycling apparel has desperately needed, and we should’ve bet money on PNS being the ones to do it.
All said, it’s a fantastic follow-up offering of what is becoming one of the most exciting launches in the world of cycling apparel. The sort of gear that doesn’t invite beeps and profanities from Ford Transit drivers, but rather subtle admiration. Maybe even a ‘Where’d you get that jacket, soft lad?’ out of the window.
Find out more about the Pas Normal Studios AW26 Off-Race collection at pasnormalstudios.com
