At Attacus, we’ve always believed that the key to any good piece of cycling clothing is one that feels as comfortable and practical after 24 hours as it does after just one.
It’s an integral part of our design philosophy, and something reflected in all of the products we create.
You’ll often find clothing made for racing doesn’t quite follow this philosophy. The pursuit of speed and aerodynamics supersedes that of comfort and practicality.
To be fair, it’s usually because they’re designed for races that (if you’re good) are over relatively quickly.
But what about if you want to go fast and long distance?
That’s where Chris Hall comes in. Our first foray into skinsuits began three years ago, when Chris came to us and said he needed something to race in for the National 24-Hour Time Trial Championships.
Having worked with ultra-endurance cyclist Chris as an ambassador pretty much since Attacus’ inception, we were well aware of the demands of his epic riding challenges. But this was the first time he’d come to us with a competitive, speed-focus event in mind.
So we began working and developing - each year presenting Chris with a new, improved suit to race the event in. Each year getting that one step closer to a garment we believed truly combated the unique challenges of a race of this scale.
This year, we reckon we’ve nailed it.
A skinsuit that’s aerodynamic excellence is backed by multiple rounds of velodrome aero testing and wind-tunnel testing, designed with innovative endurance-focused features.
We're calling it the Flare.
Why? At first glance dark and stealthy, this year’s skinsuit is engineered with our new reflective fabric to offer Chris greater visibility during the night section of his race.
The fabric stretches, breathes and performs just like regular lycra, but when a beam of light hits it… BAM, an instant glare from all angles.
The upper body of this suit takes on a more ‘traditional’ construction, using top end aero fabrics tailored and aero tested to make sure it’s greasy-fast.
Inside we’ve made sure it’s built for comfort by using our signature chamois, the same one that’s in all of our bib shorts. It’s then finished with two back pockets to help Chris carry the extra nutrition needed to get through his epic endurance feat.
This year will be Chris’ third consecutive year at the 24-hour TT Champs, and we’re super stoked to see him rocking this skinsuit.
We’ll be at the race in Liverpool on July 20-21 supporting Chris during the event and documenting his journey. So watch this space.
