Interviews Archives - Probikekit

Question 1

Where is the PBK Clothing range manufactured?

Accepted Answer

We can hand on heart say that our clothing range is 100% Italian made – all of the manufacturing process takes part in a family run factory at the foothills of the Alps in the Italian region of Piedmont. Famous climbs such as Mt Mucrone, Mt Camino and the sacred mountain of Oropa are both breathtakingly beautiful in scenery and wonderfully cruel on the legs and lungs as the testing roads snake up the mountainside! The region is a regular host to the Giro d’Italia, creating generations of hardy cyclists who find their way into the professional ranks.

Rich history in textiles coupled with generation after generation growing up around cycling has created a region worthy of cycling pilgrimage. Couple this with innovation and development of new fabrics and ideas and we’re confident we have found the best place to develop our clothing brand.

Question 2

How long was the manufacturing process?

Accepted Answer

The manufacturing process only really takes a few weeks, and our factory is incredibly efficient at creating products on a short timeline. What takes the time is narrowing the product in on the concept of perfection. Re-designs, sampling, testing, tweaks to the fit, different pads, rinse and repeat each time our testers have had significant time with the product.

The products have been so refined over the last year that we are confident they will be loved in both style and quality. We’ve focused on even the small things such as fore aft pad placement as well as the more obvious decisions like sleeve lengths, type of pad used and fabric choices.

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Question 3

What were the most important factors to consider when picking the materials and fabrics for the range?

Accepted Answer

Performance, performance, and…performance. There has been absolutely no compromise on fabric quality throughout the process. The entire PBK range is made up of premium products. For example, one of the most interesting decisions is our bib short pad choice. The most important part of any short in cycling is the pad – it’s the first thing that people look at when buying new shorts and the main thing good shorts are judged by. So we’ve used the best pads in the world (in the end, we took two). They are slightly different in characteristics, but after extensive feedback from testing they were our two clear winners. On our Core Range jerseys, we’ve used Ball Fabric which is what all the high-end cycling jerseys are made with. It’s comfortable next to the skin, durable and keeps you dry from sweat.

Question 4

What inspired the designs for the Fashion Range?

Accepted Answer

It boils down to us having a passion for cycling. As riders ourselves, we wanted to create something a little different, something that is unique to other brands and allows our customers to stand out from the crowd. So we’ve burst a bubble and coupled premium quality with creative designs to produce a number of different jerseys that fit the tastes of everyone. Like marmite, you love it or you hate it, so by using several designers to create many varieties of ‘marmite’ (or designs) we’re hoping that everybody will love at least one part of the range! Each jersey has its own little inspiration story, whether it’s a recent holiday to the streets of Barcelona influencing the Gaudi pattern, or a nod towards the eco/earth friendly world of cycling with our palm and floral designs…or even because the designer just really likes bananas! The designs are unique, they are on trend, and they provide variety.

Question 5

What type of cycling is the range best for?

Accepted Answer

The fit of the clothing has been made consistent across the range – so if you like the fit of our Core Range jerseys, you’ll like our Fashion jerseys. The only difference being the aero sleeves for the Fashion range. We’ve ridden the clothing across all disciplines from track racing to cyclo-cross, from road racing to your Sunday club run. The slim fit can be described as Italian sizing, so if you’re broad on the shoulders or not managed to shake off that holiday weight just yet, just size up – we’ve had all shapes and sizes of testers with broad satisfaction of the fit.

Question 6

Why has ProBikeKit set up its own clothing brand?

Accepted Answer

We love cycling. Our staff race on the velodrome, do time trials, sportives and road racing – we come in all shapes and sizes but all have the common theme of loving our sport. Given the opportunity, who wouldn’t want to create their own cycling brand?

We have the tools at our disposal to do the factory minimums, we have the designers, but most importantly we have the passion to really drive this brand to success. We aim to show the customer how truly affordable high quality cycling kit can be.

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Question 7

What does PBK offer that other brands don't?

Accepted Answer

PBK provides great style and sleek fit combined with all day riding comfort. We’re giving cyclists a real chance to stand out from the crowd no matter how subtle or outlandish they wish to be. The designs for both the core range and the fashion range are wonderful, with the latter having options that suit a vast array of riders. The fit of each jersey and bib shorts has been well researched and only the best materials have been used. This is why PBK stands out from other brands – to give our customers something truly unique.

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Interviews

PBK Clothing: The Story Behind the Brand

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