LUSSO SHATTERED SPEED SUIT

£125 Classy tri contender from Manchester T he head-to-head this month comes in the form of two blue, short-sleeved tri-suit brands from Britain. First up are Lusso: Italian-sounding but formed in Manchester. The fabric, however, does come from Italy and the quality shows, with a comfortable easy-on-the-skin fit, flatlock seams that stayed irritation-free and quick-drying. It instantly feels tighter than the Heart Sports next door and, like that similarly-stylish option, there are plenty of positives here. The plush, fairly wide 16cm pad ensures there’s versatility across multiple distances but not at the expense of run comfort, while the superior leg grippers keep the legs in place but aren’t overly tight. The pockets are wellpositioned yet frustratingly shallow; any lengthy gels – e.g. SiS and High5 – had to be frequently pushed down to stay in place mid-ride. Any pool swim versatility to rival the Heart Sport suit is sadly ruined by the sticky and tight grippers on the arms, which make the top half fill with water or air to prove unswimmable in the pool (happily a wetsuit over the suit prevents this problem in the open water). Overall, though, it’s a top-class aero suit for sprint- to middle-distance speedsters. MB lusso.bike