Art of Endurance is yet another Australian kit brand with unique designs to offer women. I mean, I’m starting to get jealous I don’t live in Australia. I feel like everyone there is the most well-dressed cyclist on the planet. Art of Endurance can help you stand out even more.
I had the chance to ride in the Tesselate kit for a few months. It’s always exciting to roll up to a group ride and show off a kit. The Tesselate is a striking design, offered in pink and light blue, inspired by the many mountains climbed in training and is a play on the humble triangle as a metaphor for the daily challenges we face and overcome.
The full kit purchase includes a jersey, bibshorts, a matching cap, and arm warmers. That’s a pretty great deal for one price. A drawback is that you can only purchase one size for both the kit. I wear a Large in bibshorts usually and a Small or Medium in a jersey, but I had to size up to Large for both items. This mismatch of fit is frustrating to many women, especially when you are paying $300 AUD.
The jersey is a lightweight, silky soft fabric with mesh side panels for extra breathability. The light blue is almost white in the light so it makes for a fun graphic play of the eyes. It’s aero cut so make absolutely sure you check their sizing chart. The sleeve length is on trend and feature a second-skin band that feels seamless. The neckline is low profile and features a zipper pouch so it won’t scratch the skin.
It’s too bad I could not choose a different size jersey to wear. The bibs were sized correctly but that meant the jersey was too big and baggy in the mid-section. Might mean I have to buy a plain black jersey to make the bibs work for me.
The rear of the jersey continues the pattern and adds more contrast and graphic play. It has three roomy pockets and a bonus zippered water-resistant compartment. Another excellent addition is the reflective piping along all three pockets for added visibility on the road. The Large jersey was too long for my torso, but stayed in place well with a large silicone grip strip on the bottom hem.
The bibshorts were a perfect fit in contrast to the jersey. There are a good number of seams and panels to these bibshorts but most didn’t irritate. The leg bands feature a thick, folded-over seam that rubbed a little while riding. They also had a bothersome, evenly-spaced series of silicone lines that didn’t agree with my skin. I believe it could have been better with a thinner, more elastic leg band fabric.
I appreciated a high front panel on the bibshorts and find it to be flattering and more comfortable in the riding position. The bib straps are of an extremely comfortable, stretchy wide weave mesh that allowed for air flow on hot rides. The chamois was a great quality with smooth stitching that felt barely there. The pad was wide enough and thick enough for a long ride in the saddle, and features a anti-microbial upper that helped with wicking sweat.
Best part of this kit purchase? The fleece arm warmers and quality cycling cap. The warmers are plush, and not too long on my arm, but the grips and the silicone used pinched my skin. They do allow the kit to be worn in more seasons and that stretches the value of the purchase greatly. The cap was a perfect fit, with the right luft, and completes the matchy look 100%. It was silky soft and had a stretch band in the back for all sizes.
Overall
Low volume production means that only a few of us will look this great while pursuing our endurance endeavors. This kit has great value with the addition of arm warmers and the cap, but shoppers could benefit even more from separate sizing for jersey and bibshorts. Looking forward to more from the budding cycling brand.
Full disclosure: I received the kit reviewed in this post free of charge. The decision to write this review and all opinions expressed are 100% my own. This is not a sponsored post. Thanks as always for reading!
WomensKit 
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