Blackchrome, an Aussie custom sportswear company, have been around for over 10 years and their custom cycling kit comes in three levels: Pro, Performance, and Sportive.

Pro features an aero cut and premium fabrics, Sportive is a relaxed, budget-friendly line, while Performance mixes the best of both worlds. We got our hands on a set of Pro women’s kit, custom designed in collaboration with Cairns-based bike touring and coaching outfit Cycle FNQ, and put it through its paces.

The jersey is constructed of two technical fabrics, Aeroform and Profoil. The main front and back panels and sleeves of the jersey use Aeroform, which is a thick, smooth Lycra patterned with ventilation holes, designed for optimised aerodynamics and cooling.

The side panels are made of Profoil, which is breathable and high stretch, used to give a figure-hugging fit. The bottom of the jersey is finished in a robust silicone gripper tape, while the sleeves use Tek gripper, a flat strip of material lined with silicone microdots.

The jersey only has two rear pockets, which won’t suit everyone, but they’re placed high enough up the back to keep the jersey from pulling or sagging. The jersey is well-constructed and sewn, and the front zips up with a high-quality, concealed YKK zipper.

The bibs are made of Lycra, with Profoil fabric running between the sides and rear of the shorts for better fit and ventilation. The top of the bibs is made of a fairly standard mesh fabric, while the hems are made of the same Tek gripper as the jersey sleeves.

The women’s bibs come specced with a good quality Vuelta chamois, which is made in Italy of high-density foam, with shock-absorbing inserts at key pressure points. 

Blackchrome also make custom socks. Their six-inch socks have a Lycra cuffs. Lycra socks can match the pattern of the rest of your kit perfectly. They’re a bit different to wear, but they held up, stretched nicely, and breathed well.

Wil Bird, Chief Cycologist, Director Sportif, Trail Therapist, and Fashionista of Cycle FNQ designed this kit in collaboration with the team at Blackchrome. Wil says that liaising with the graphic artists was a straightforward process, with Blackchrome able to work with anything from a full Adobe Illustrator design concept, to sketches on a piece of paper.

For those with ideas but no artistic skills at all, Blackchrome’s gurus can also work up designs based on ideas and descriptions given over the phone. The vibrant, eye-catching Cycle FNQ kit is only available for women at the moment, and will land soon in Blackchrome’s webshop. It’s inspired by the colours and shapes of the tropical landscapes Wil traverses daily on his favourite steed, a Norco Threshold ‘cross bike that takes him up into the jungle surrounding Cairns. 

Ladies Pro Jersey - $99.95

Ladies Pro Bib Knicks - $129.95

Ladies Core 6” Cycling Socks - $24.95