Shutt Velo Rapide : Going Places Fast

Shutt Velo Rapide is a new British company who's mission is simple: To make bike clothing that's stylish, comfortable and a joy to wear.

The company, founded by two keen cyclists following a mid-ride conversation in 2009, have wasted no time in setting out their stall.
Working to ground rules established on day one, their range is designed with a fit to suit the majority of today's cyclists, from locally-sourced materials and with all garments being locally-produced.

The predominant material used is a British-woven Sportwool blend, sourced from mills nearby their Ilkley, Yorkshire base. All garments are made by experienced machinists in an area proud of its rich heritage producing quality tailoring.
The designs are practical rather than overly technical; the colours muted to blend in rather than stand out. Their current range includes both long-sleeve autumn/winter weight jerseys and a range of summer-weight short sleeve numbers. An updated version of their original bib-short design introduced last season is about to be released and a new spring/summer 2010 collection about to be launched.

Perhaps the most exciting direction taken by this brave new company is in their approach to hands-on product design and development.
For any clothing brand, stuff not only has to look good; it has to work good too. So, throughout 2010 they'll be supplying race-day as well as year-round training kit to the Orbea-For Goodness Shakes! team. In return, Shutt VR will receive invaluable testing and feedback of the highest quality.

Orbea-FGS are unique in UK circles in that they'll be fielding both male and female pro/elite teams this season.
While the men's team features a roster of promising espoirs led by top domestic riders Lewis Atkins and Kristian Downs, the women's squad will be led by none other than Olympic champion Rebecca Romero.

For a company committed to producing both male and female ranges, feedback doesn't come any better than this. The rigours of a full-on pro season on both the men's and women's race circuit will soon reveal whether or not Shutt's manufacturing methods and choice of fabrics are tough enough to stand the test of time.
As well as providing detailed feedback on just how well the current designs are holding up, Orbea-FGS riders will also work with Shutt VR throughout the year on the testing of new designs and prototypes.
In addition, the Shutt VR designers are all avid bike riders themselves, which means if a new idea comes along, the design can be quickly prototyped and put through its paces in a matter of days.
With the surrounding 'four-seasons-in-one day' Yorkshire Dales serving as a proving ground, new designs can be sure of getting a full-on workout before moving forward to the production stage.

While its true other clothing labels might take a similar approach to product development, the ace up Shutt VR's sleeve is their ability to offer a full bespoke service to both individuals and club groups.
Being a hands-on brand means they can tailor custom orders exactly to the needs and wants of each customer. Not only that, being in close contact with suppliers and working with local mills means the colour combinations available are endless.

Judging by the feedback received from happy customers, the company vision looks to be getting the seal of approval from an ever-growing band of followers.
We'll be giving some Shutt VR togs a run for their money soon. Not up to the workout they'll get from the Orbea-FGS squads by any means, but a good going-over nonetheless.

Stay tuned!

Click on each image for a bigger look:

Shutt VR is available to buy online and at selected specialist dealers. Website : ShuttVR.com

All images copyright. © Dominic James and Shutt VR.



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