Cycling

Maloja Cycling Apparel Review - Summer 2022

Kevin Curry

02 Jun 2022 — 4 min read

One of the best things you can say about a piece of cycling apparel is that you don’t notice it while riding. Good kit simply disappears when you’re wearing it. The last thing I want to be worrying about during a long gravel race over rough terrain is how my jersey flapping around, or that my bibs are riding up my leg. The latest line of bike wear from Maloja delivers the goods (once again).

Maloja, based in Rimsting, Germany, lives by the design mantra “Soul in the Woods” and their inspiration comes from our forests and mountains. They are crafted with an eye towards sustainability, many products being made with recycled polyester or blends of hemp and organic cotton. Altogether, that means cycling apparel that looks and functions perfectly for any gravel ride or race.

Maloja sent over three pieces of kit for 2022:

FichteM. – An all-rounder jacket for days on the bike with unpredictable weather conditions.
DianoM. – A cool, airy and perfectly simple race shirt.
TelvetM. – A bib short designed for medium-length tours on MTB or gravel.

Not one to ease into testing, I gave the kit a go for Encierro Velo and Mad Gravel here in Colorado. Here’s how it went.

Maloja FichteM. Review

I’ve had some cold, windy starts this year and this windproof Primaloft hybrid jacket has proven indispensable. The jacket has insulation in the chest where it matters to keep your core warm yet remains lightweight and packable. Once the sun comes out, the jacket easily packs into it’s own integrated pouch and fits easily in a jersey pocket or small bike bag. Managing nutrition and other small items is easy thanks to two seamless zipper pockets on the front and there’s reflective edging on the hood and cuffs for safety in low light conditions. The helmet compatible hood on the FichteM. is very nice in wet or especially cold conditions.

I’ve quickly fallen in love with this jacket, it fits the gap between a lightweight wind jacket and a full-blown winter riding jacket perfectly. It’s still lightweight and packable, but the insulated front helps tremendously in cold weather.

Maloja TelvetM. Bib Short Review

This is my third round with a pair of Maloja bib shorts and I have to say, they just keep getting better. To start, the TelvetM. bib looks fantastic, the green colorway looks super clean and fresh and they’re fantastically functional as well. The perforated, men-specific Icon chamois is what I would call medium-thick, you get some protection from shocks and good padding in highly exposed areas. It’s just right for a long day in the saddle without being a diaper.

The highly functional and sustainable material mix of Bike Stretch Eco and Bike Stretch Eco White material offers great freedom of movement and comfort. The comfortable, silicone screened, lasercut leg grippers work fantastically, I have had zero issues with these bibs riding up my leg. The TelvetM. bibs fit perfectly thanks to their body-mapped multi-panel cut with flatlock seams, no rubbing or chaffing here. The only improvement I’d like to see here would be a mesh pocket on each quad.

Maloja DianoM. Jersey Review

The DianoM. jersey is the star of the show here. This unassuming looking, zipper-less jersey has been my go to for gravel racing so far this spring.

DianoM. came about based on an idea from Maloja’s founder: Peter wanted a cool race shirt. I have to say, Peter killed it.

The DianoM. is supremely breathable and wicking thanks to the race mesh material it’s made of. The light and elastic material almost resembles honey-comb. Don’t worry though, despite stretching and letting through tons of air, it remains opaque. Unlike some other race jersey’s I’ve worn. The jersey stays in place, even with a banana, pump, jacket and some gels in the back pockets and I don’t even think about it while riding. No fiddling for zippers, it just stays cool. It’s worth every penny and I already bought a second one for when it’s in the wash.