One range to rule them all

dhb’s Aeron range strikes the perfect balance between performance and comfort to keep you on the bike all year round

The road clothing market is becoming an increasingly crowded place, with many brands resorting to ever more outlandish claims to set their wares apart from the masses. Cycling brand dhb takes a different tack by letting the quality of its clothing speak for itself - last year it sold over half a million garments yet had a returns rate of just 1.5%.

‘It vindicates our investment in the best expertise and materials,’ says dhb product manager Ben Hewitt. ‘We pay more to use the finest Italian components in our kit, but the increase in quality is worth it.’

Quality aside, it helps that the brand has broad appeal. ‘When I first started at dhb our collection was a bit confused, so we worked to refine it into distinct ranges. Classic is for the rider seeking understated style and uses simple, good quality fabrics, while Blok is rooted in fashion, and changes regularly to keep our consumers on their toes.’

Sitting above them both is Aeron, which is aimed at the performance cyclist. ‘Aeron is about no excuses, 365 days a year,’ says Hewitt. ‘The ethos is that whether it’s the Australian summer or the British winter, there’s no excuse not to get out and ride, have fun and be comfortable doing it.’

Fine refinement

‘The fabrics selected and designs produced are specifically tailored for the garment’s intended use,’ Hewitt continues. ‘For example, the Aeron Speed bibshorts are geared towards racing, so they use Revolutional® Energy fabric. This is compressive to support muscles and has a Coldblack® treatment that stops you from overheating in the sun.’

They are designed to work in combination with the Aeron Speed jersey, which uses a technology called Hydrofit to accelerate the wicking of sweat.

While the Aeron range has performance at its core, it also caters for training rides. ‘The regular Aeron kit is the heart of the brand and what we are most proud of,’ says Hewitt. ‘It can be worn day-in, day-out. We re-engineered our popular bibshorts last year after gathering a decade’s worth of feedback from customers. The bibs now use a softer body fabric and a better Elastic Interface pad for improved comfort.’

Aeron also has you covered when the weather turns nasty. ‘The Tempo jacket is a favourite of mine,’ says Hewitt. ‘It’s waterproof yet breathable and packs into a jersey pocket. I carry it from March through to October and it keeps me protected. When we say we want you to ride all year, we mean it.’