Taipei International Cycle Show: Santini clothing

We’ve shown you the Paul Smith designed, Santini-made Giro d’Italia leader’s jersey before but it’s very pretty so here it is again. You get Paul Smith’s Signature stripes on the hem of the left sleeve and a tribute to three-time Giro winner Fiorenzo Magni inside the collar.

The leaders of the other Giro competitions will get similar jerseys in the relevant colours.

Speaking of Fiorenzo Magni, Santini have made a tribute jersey in their new Wool Heritage range – the fabric being a mix of wool and polyester.

You get a metal zip and buttons and a ribbed neck, while the patterns and logos are printed rather than woven.

There are other Wool Heritage designs, both short and long sleeve options.

New for 2014 is this Zero Impact design. It’s so called because it uses recycled polyester and low energy production techniques.

Santini also chose the name because it’s designed to have zero impact on the body with all the seams being external.

The Interactive design, developed with Santini’s WorldTour teams, combines an aero jersey with aero bib shorts – you zip them together.

That means you can use differently sized shorts and jersey.

Santini are also introducing what they’re calling Active Air Intake designs that use overlapping elasticated fabrics covering areas of breathable mesh – the idea being to provide extra ventilation.

Interesting concept; we’ll be keen to find out how it performs.

We like the look of the Dragon jersey for really hot days. The back, sides and arms are way more elasticated than the front – which makes a lot of sense – and the dimpled fabric is more breathable too.

The Lycra cuffs fit close so they should stay in place well.

This Union jersey, named because it’s Union Jack-ish – is made from AcquaZero fabric. It’s not waterproof but it is water resistant which makes us think that Santini are targeting this largely at the UK market.

Ah yes, check out the Activent jacket… It’s a compact Windstopper but you get two long zips around the back.

Open them up for extra ventilation back there. You might also open them a touch to tweak the fit if you have your pockets full. It’s another interesting design that we’ll be keen to try out. Obviously, the zips are going to add a little bulk when you have the jacket tucked away in your pocket, but it might be worth it for the added performance.

We’ve not shown you Santini’s Down Town products before so here are a handful of the key items. The range is intended to be bike-friendly but not sportswear – so you can wear it off the bike too.

These are the Liege jeans that have a slight stretch to them along with a high-backed waist to award gaps when you reach forward to the bars. They also have an Epic technology treatment that makes them resistant to wind and rain. Turn up the hem and a reflective graphic inside will help you get seen at night.

The Paris jacket which is a double layer and there’s a big pocket around the back.

The Seattle sweater is a wool/acrylic mix with a full zip and that’s Pietro Santini’s signature on the shoulder.