For some Ground Effect gear is synonymous with commuting clothes and some pretty crazy colours but for those in the know they produce some of the best mountain bike clothing on the planet. I don’t leave the house for a single ride (year round) without wearing Ground Effect’s Ristretto merino singlet and those that ride with me will know I’m always wearing their three quarter Montezuma Lycra/merino leggings. There’s a tonne of other great products as well but in the past, colour and the association (albeit sightly unwarranted) with being a “tramper on a bike” has put a bunch of people off. Well over the last couple of years there’s been a big change colour wise and as of Monday this week they’ve ditched an older fabric completely, updated a bunch of garments and introduced a brand new short.
The Snipers are a brand new short from Ground Effect and come in two dark colourways. They’re a stripped back light weight short. An integrated mesh panel provides zip free venting and single pocket with a concealed zip is a good place to hide the Eftpos card and car key. They are shorter than Ground Effect’s popular Juggernaut shorts and I guess to that end are aimed at a baggy wearing rider who spends serious time in the saddle or wants to look like world cup XC racer Marco Fontana. We are currently testing a pair and will bring our thoughts after a bit more time in the saddle. It’s worth mentioning that Ground Effect shorts don’t ship with liners so you need to buy those separately. The best bit about this though is the fact that their liner is pretty much the best liner in existence (I have about six of them that I use with other brands shorts as well as GE ones). Buy the Snipers here.
The Snipers use a Velcro cinch strap to adjust the waist. It’s the same as on the Juggernaut short and is well resolved given the fact that once set it doesn’t stretch or wear out compared to other brands that attach their Velcro to elastic. And there’s a nice breathable four way stretch panel in the mix as well.
Minimal use of some contrasting stitching adds a little bit of flair to the Sniper’s low key zipped pocket.
Like I said earlier Ground Effect have just done away with their old Intercool fabric and replaced it with a much nicer nano-carbon infused HyperActive fabric. The new Fabric will hold its shape better and the bi-component knit backs a sharp-looking polyester outer with a smooth layer of nano-charcoal polyester against your skin. Nano-charcoal disperses sweat to accelerate evaporation and is naturally anti-microbial to fight nasty smells. The fabric dries at the speed of light and even performs its quick-drying magic in the wet under a rain jacket. One of the first garments to get the new fabric is the long sleeved ZZ Top. It’s all you want in a long sleeve top: a basic solid colour, nice shape and a small zippered pocket for the $5 note for post ride ice creams! Buy the ZZ Top here.
The aforementioned pocket
The new ZZ Top has had a few design tweaks as well; the old round collar is gone in favour of this slightly more tailored look of the V neck.
Women aren’t left out of the mix with the new Hyperactive fabric, the restyled Zest short sleeved top gets some love and a new design on the back of the top ensures the garment maintains it shape even with the rear pockets seeing regular use. A long Zip is perfect for those epic hot days (they are coming) and a stand up collar to protect your neck are nice little touches to a simple short sleeved top. Buy the Zest here.
GE have also added new zippers on a these new tops, small yet still easy to grab in gloved hands.
Although the timing might not seem right (it’s still raining here in Welly though) Ground Effect have also released a new colour in the Flash Gordon jacket. Much to my disappointment the one sent would only fit Rod; I’m not the biggest fan of my road-worker-safety-neon-yellow version. Anyhow the Flash Gordon is one versatile jacket. One minute it’s a rain and windproof full length jacket…
…and then the sleeves and yoke remove to change into a wind and rainproof sleeveless vest. When no one is looking I’ll use mine but with this new colourway and the red, there is no need to hide. Buy the Flash Gordon here.
All Ground Effect products (except maybe the gloves) are made right here in their Christchurch factory and ship overnight anywhere in New Zealand. I’ve ordered stuff at 4pm and had it on my doorstep the following day! They ship to Aussie (overnight for Sydney and Melbourne if you choose the Fed Ex option) and at the moment they are shipping to the USA FREIGHT FREE!
No No No, not the v neck. Was looking forward to the new ZZ. That’s ruined it fro me!
Shorts look interesting – bit like my favourite (for everything non-MTB) Rapha touring short. Might have to try a pair.
V neck looks like PJs?