Babici

Mundial St. Germain Jersey

For some, the passion of cycling is akin to eccentric record collecting, in that the more one plunges into the subculture, the more that their likings become refined. Case in point is the battle line between Italian and French fanaticism. Some long for the bravado and guts of Italians like Moser and Cipo, while others admire the panache and effortless charm of Frenchman such as Hinault and Fignon. However, for those that simply love the heritage of cycling, the lines of respect are nonexistent. Such is the case for the Australian upstarts at Babici. With its new Mundial series, Babici honors the regions of the world that play host to the illustrious story of cycling. And with its Mundial St. Germain Jersey, Babici bows to the alter of French cycling.

France is known for more than just cycling. After all, it is the epicenter of world fashion. And within the City of Lights, no Parisian district houses more couture designers than the beautiful district of St. Germain. Babici saw it fit to pay tribute to this area with the St. Germain's leBleu color palette. In essence, the stylistic manner of the jersey complements the forward-thinking ethos of French cycling by celebrating the permeating culture of French fashion. Cuffing the left sleeve is a slight addition of the French national colors. This characteristic has also been subtly placed inside the collar of the St. Germain jersey. The bottom portion of the Mundial is a traditional Black color, as to provide a seamless color blend with the omnipresent Black bib shorts.

For the design, Babici used a minimally seamed construction in order to reduce abrasion. The cut is defined as aero-race, yet for the typical cycling build, you'll find it conforming and comfortable. In fact, Mundial's shape through the shoulders follows the contours of the body, gracefully. This is due in part to craftsmanship, but mainly, it's derivative of Babici's story.

Australia is no stranger to the boyhood fanaticism of European cycling. And while Italian fabrics and style were in demand at Babici's inception, it noticed an undercurrent of desire to retain the Australian identity. So, designs in tow, Babici went to the premiere Italian fabric manufacturer, MITI -- the source of the ever popular and plagiarized SuperRoubaix, ThermoDream, and Ibisco fabrics. As their relationship blossomed, MITI's Time Out material presented itself as the obvious fabric choice for the Mundial jersey. With a warp-knit construction, the material is given a natural stretch. Within the knit, the threads follow a zig-zag pattern along the length of the jersey. This allows more surface area coverage while using less material, equating directly to an airy, lightweight construction. Time Out's open weave also accelerates moisture transfer from the skin to the quick-drying surface of the jersey. And while this fabric costs Babici an arm and a leg to produce, the comfort is worth it.

Now, you might be wondering about the St. Germain jersey's functionality. While moisture management and cooling designs are great, where do you put your stuff? Well, Babici included a thoughtful rear pocket design. With three rear cargo pockets and a zippered security pocket, the St. Germain has plenty of room for all of your ride essentials. And being the ever-perfectionists, you'll notice that Babici angled the outer-pockets towards the hips for easy access in the saddle. The jersey also has a subtle reflective strip under the pockets, and a full-length front zipper.

The Babici Mundial St. Germain Jersey is available four sizes from Small to X-Large and in the color Blue/black.