CULOTTE Q36.5 DOTTORE L1

CULOTTE CORTO CON TIRANTES Q36.5 DOTTORE There have been certain performance innovations in the recent history of professional cycling (for example the mania for replacing steel ball bearings for those made of ceramic in hubs, or the “unusually long” bib shorts of a certain Yankee rider in the early 2000s) which, when first spotted by hawk-eyed journalists chatting with mechanics outside team hotels the Friday before a Classic, appear to be the exclusive domain of maniacs, obsessives and garage dreamers, but which within a few years have spread like a virus through the peloton and down across the amateur ranks. Q36.5 works at this particular leading edge of innovation: pedaling, watching others pedal, and at the same time dreaming of how the experience of high performance cycling will, in the future, “feel different”. And it is to this dream that Q36.5’s new salopette, IL DOTTORE, a fine-tuned and augmented version of the Salopette L1 (Q36.5’s original product and genesis of the brand’s raison d’etre) belongs. Il Dottore - the name is a reference to both the Salopette L1’s nickname of “the teacher” and to the almost mythological, sometimes notorious, figure of the professional cyclist’s personal doctor - fine-tunes and augments the Salopette L1’s ergogenic philosophy in the following ways to become the definitive all-purpose, all-day, any-day, high performance cycling bib short of the future of competitive cycling: AERODYNAMICS: the aerodynamics of the Salopette L1’s minimal construction (free of any frontal-facing seams) has been further augmented through the introduction of a jacquard woven pattern on the surface of the high-density fabric. The “Y-pattern” found across the surface of the legs of the shorts disrupts the surface of the air, reducing drag, and has been studied specifically for limbs which are in constant movement (unlike aerodynamic patterns found on helmets or arms or the bicycle frame itself) and thus needs to be effective in a full range of positions relative to the air it is “breaking”. AUGMENTED ERGOGENICS: the original ergogenic philosophy of the Salopette L1 (which produced its signature “snug fit” as well as – more subtly - the vectorial elasticity of its leg panels, guiding an economical pedaling action) has been further tweaked through the addition of the jacquard woven “Y-pattern” found across the surface of the leg panels of il dottore. This “y-pattern” serves not only the aforementioned aerodynamic purpose but also one of graduated compression. A close observation will reveal that the pattern has been used in 4 shifting levels of density, which correspond to the 4 different levels of graduated compression, from greatest compression at the bottom of the shorts (where the fabric is now left unhemmed, with an integrated gripper, to further reduce weight) to least at the top, around the groin area, thus stimulating an enhanced so-called “pump-effect” of blood circulation (also known as venous return). SILVER THREAD: in 2013, when Q36.5 first introduced the use of next-generation high-density WOVEN FABRICS into the world of high-performance cycling clothing with its Salopette L1 the move was a bold one, breaking with the knitted stretch fabrics which have monopolized bib short construction over the last 40 years. In 2016 Q36.5 has further enhanced the character of this unique choice through the introduction of a silver thread into the weft of the fabric used in two different panels of il dottore: the bottom 20 cm of the legs and the lumbar support panel (which supports the gluteus, the largest human muscle). In this case the pure silver thread’s greatest performance advantage is not given by its anti-bacterial or conductive qualities but by it qualities of protection from electrostatic and magnetic interference (the so-called “electrosmog” pollution of electromagnetic radiation resulting from wireless technology and mains electricity). The protection offered by the silver thread from these waves allow the active muscles to operate with less “distractions”, further refining the ergogenic function of Q36.5’s high density woven fabrics. Identical to the original Salopette L1 are the following features: UNIQUE CHAMOIS: The Salopette L1 Essential was the first bib short in the world to use both sewn and thermo-moulded padding technologies in a single chamois, fusing the best of both into a single design: 120kg/m³ highest density open cell foam is cut and sewn for the perineal (front) area, where the most flexibility and breathability is required while ‘smooth’ multidensity thermo-moulded pads are used for the ischial (rear) area, where flexibility is at less of a premium, compared to support and padding. UNIQUE FABRIC: like the L1, il Dottore is built entirely from a single Italian 6.6 polyamide, now woven in 8 different densities (instead of the original L1’s 4). These different densities are employed strategically in different points of the bib short design in order to maximise athletic efficiency. The greatest density (Modulus Force warp 510, weft 620) is used in the lumbar panel of the shorts where it works actively to improve stability and body alignment during the pedal stroke as well as reducing muscle fatigue. All other panels are similarly calibrated, in co-ordination with the unique minimally paneled pattern of the shorts, to actively support the rider during activity: sensitive riders will notice the sensation of ease of movement, as the motion of the legs are guided by the particular Vectorial Elasticity of the garment. The threads used for the fabric undergo a water-repellence treatment before being woven (so as to maintain their ‘natural’ structure), improving drying time as well as resistance to water making the bib shorts a particularly good riding choice in wet weather. Differently to the traditional knitted fabric used for most top-end bib shorts, the extraordinarily high-density nylon 6.6 structure used in the Salopette L1 Essential allows for maximum robustness at a lower weight, as well as a significantly longer product life. UNIQUE PATTERN in which the Salopette is constructed according to neither the traditional 2-panel or 8-panel concepts which have dominated by cycling bib short construction since the mid-80s, but is cut according to an entirely new Ergogenic Pattern for the astute calibration of support for different muscular groups during exercise, all with the minimal use of seams (none of which are frontal facing, for increased aerodynamics). TUBULAR BRACE SYSTEM which provides a softer and more anatomic fitting and removes all seams from contact with the body for greater comfort THE RADICAL 160 G WEIGHT (please note: weight is never an objective of design, but an outcome of the process’s integrity)