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Well here we are wearing the same set of knicks that the boys at Marco Polo Cycling Team we wearing last year (including our famous diarist Low Sea Keong), we're riding the same kit as the pros! So what makes a pair of shorts like these good enough to cover the butts of the best? Read on and we'll find out . . .
If you haven't heard of Tineli you aren't alone. Their high quality cycling products are quietly designed in New Zealand and worn around the world for cyclists to are looking for high quality cycling clothing.
To be frank we struggled to write this review. There weren't any particular areas where the Tineli shorts caused concern. They fit exactly as they should, they were durable and don't show any signs of wear after our 3 months of riding and washing, and at no time did we find them uncomfortable. I guess that's the review in itself. . .
History
Tineli was founded in 2005 by Tim and Sandy Vincent. They both raced on the elite mountain biking circuit in Switzerland for several years. Tim has held numerous New Zealand titles, has raced on five continents and represented New Zealand at the world championships on seven occasions including in 2006 when he won the world 24-hour mountain bike championships. Sandy grew up in Switzerland where she trained and worked as a graphic designer.
Awesome graphic details like the MPC Dragons show off the quality of the Tineli product
Together they swapped hemispheres every six months enjoying back to back summer racing seasons in NZ and Switzerland for several years (ohhh the cycling life . . . .). During that time they became aware of the differences in the quality of cycling clothing available in the two countries and in 2005 they founded Tineli to fill that high-end gap in NZ.
There has been no looking back since then, and Tineli has quickly grown to become a leader in custom and off-the-shelf cycling clothing.
Reality
When we first pulled on the Tineli knicks one thing was for sure - they fit properly. With a few pairs of the knicks in our closet you need to spend some time wriggling around to make sure they are sitting right before you ride. Not so with the Tineli product as they just seemed to fit.
The Tineli has a thin chamois and it was very, very comfortable. Yes, you can tell you are sitting on a firm bicycle seat, however there was no extra padding to place pressure on our delicate bits, but they did offer just enough padding to take the edge off on long rides. We never felt like we needed chamois cream at any stage.
The bib section of the knicks was long enough that it didn't pull on our shoulders and to be honest, there weren't really any areas of the product that bothered our bodies. They fit, they were comfortable, they were durable. No wonder they are the choice of the fast boys (and girls . . .).
Looks
Ok, so you may not be a Marco Polo Cycling Team fan (we are). However Tineli does a fantastic trade in custom cycling gear so you can literally design you own knicks to your own taste. You can go super euro or super conservative - up to you. The Tineli website shows the knicks in a basic black - a good place to start. If you love the design you can purchase it directly from the Marco Polo Website.
Feel/Fit
Tineli calls the chamois in these shorts their 'Luxury Blue Seamless Chamois'. If this is the chamois the pros ride, I can see why - it is comfortable day after day. As previously mentioned the chamois in the Tineli was one of the thinnest on test - however this was certainly a benefit rather than a hindrance.
The Luxury Blue Chamois in the Tineli bibs left us with happy bums
The Tineli knicks do what it says 'on the tin'. They fit, they're comfortable, their construction is robust and that's it.
Features
We recently received an email asking us to explain more about the 'construction' process of the products we review. We can't tell you too much on a pair of knicks (think sewing machine), however one area we thought was interesting was the way that knicks gain and hold their colour. Tineli uses 'dye-sublimation', which is a process where dye is heated until it becomes gaseous, and the gaseous dye then penetrates the fibers of the garment (in this case your knicks) and solidifies within the fibres when the heat is removed.
The fact that the dye is contained within the fibres is a major advantage over other printing methods. It means the print does not affect the breathability of the fabric and the colour is permanent. We didn't witness any edge bleed on the graphics through tough hand washing or via machine washing.
Other features? Ummmm, pretty typical here . . . . supportive 240gsm fabric, silicone leg grippers and the Tineli 'Luxury Blue seamless chamois'. It isn't exciting but it just plain works - you know what they say; 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. We couldn't agree more.
Pros
Not so pros . . .
- No radio pocket?
- Ummm . . . .
Bottom line
Tineli hasn't reinvented the wheel, what they have done is create a well made product that is worth the money. They are durable, good looking (create your own style if you don't like the MPC team edition), and have never given us any issues with our backside.
Interested in other knicks and shorts reviews? Check them out here:
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