Tested: New Luna Sport Women’s Clothing

By Singletrack.com

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Former professional downhiller and current Luna Sport Public Relations and Marketing Manager Marla Streb sent us new Luna women’s clothing a few months ago, but it’s taken us a while to get it tested. Our office is mostly full of dudes, to be honest.

But since VeloNews/Singletrack.com tech editor Zack Vestal recently married Caitlyn Tuel, a strong cyclist in her own right, we now have a female tester readily available. Caitlyn lent a woman’s opinion back in April when she helped us test mountain bikes in Fruita, Colorado, often leading the daily rides from start to finish. When she’s not pouring beers and giving tours at Avery Brewing, she rides both road and mountain in and around Boulder, Colorado.

Check out Caitlyn’s opinion on the highlights of Luna’s new Luna Sport (www.lunasportgear.com) line of cycling clothing for women. The clothing was inspired by the women on the Luna Pro Team, which consists of mountain and road riders and triathletes. It’s high-performance gear to be sure, but built to bring pro-level function with a fit for women riders of every level.

Stripe SS Jersey – $100

Believe it or not, the Stripe short sleeve jersey was actually ridden to a national championship in 2009. Back then, the Luna Pro Team girls wore the un-logoed outfits in an underground effort to spread the word about Luna Sport clothing.

The Stripe is made from 92-percent recycled polyester fabric with very supple, four-way stretch. One notable design feature is Luna’s Crescent Gusset, an elastic-free arched panel fitted below the rear pockets. It’s meant to expand and contract to hold the bottom of the jersey against the wearer’s back, even when the pockets are fully loaded with Luna bars (and whatever else you might need to bring on road or trail).

So does it work?

Caitlyn: “The jersey is made of a very comfortable material (soft, stretchy, non-chaffing) with three big pockets in the back. The length of the jersey through the torso is perfect, as are the length of the sleeves. The only problem I had was that it seemed like a road riding jersey only.

“I felt like if I had gear in my pockets on a mountain bike ride that stuff would flop and swing around on my back because of the extra stretchy jersey fabric. Other than that, this jersey is something I could wear every day and be very happy in. It fit true to size for a medium. I’m about 5’9” and 130 pounds, and it fit my frame comfortably.”

Epiphany Shorts – $160

The Epiphany short is Luna’s top of the line riding short. Just as with the Stripe jersey, a speedy Luna Pro Team lady pedaled these shorts to the top of the podium back in ’09. Epiphany is made from ten panels of Luna’s Swiss-sourced Form fabric, a robust, compressive stretch material. Every elastic surface including the leg grippers and waist band are broad and wide to eliminate pinch points and distribute pressure bands that can be uncomfortable (and unflattering). The Tranquility chamois by Italian industry leader Cytech is built for maximum comfort.

So what’s the verdict?

Caitlyn: “The Luna shorts are made of a very durable material, with thick elastic bands that go around the mid-quad area that kept the shorts in place whether I was mountain biking or road biking. The leg length is good (about 8 inches), but a medium felt pretty tight in the hip area, scrunching up my skin through the top of the pedal stroke. The waist of the shorts has a nice, thicker band that is more comfortable and allows easy breathing while riding hard. All in all a great short, but the sizing could be changed a little to be more true to size. I would say sizing is off by about a half size, so try on first and buy accordingly. On the other hand, it could have just been the robust, compressive fabric that made it feel different from what I’m accustomed to. Cute LUNA moons around the quad are a nice touch too. The chamois is also perfectly padded and in the correct location under my sit bones. I noted no discomfort on long rides.”

Long Finger Team Gloves -$35

Luna’s Long Finger Team glove was developed for the ladies on Luna’s professional mountain bike team. The gloves look like the product of a race team, too; they’re stripped down for simplicity, light weight, and pure minimalist function. They stretch to fit at the wrist, so there’s no Velcro strap to snag your jersey. With a mesh back for ventilation, a thin but lightly padded palm for good grip feel, and generous snot wipe, Luna’s Team gloves are pure performance.

Fits like a glove?

Caitlyn: “These gloves are awesome. I have trouble sometimes finding women’s gloves that fit correctly; the fingers are always too short. These are perfect — long enough in the fingers and yet still snug throughout the palm area keeping the gloves in place and avoiding rubbing creating calluses. The padding in the palm area is perfect, and I like the sticky moons on the fingers that help you grip the handlebars in mountain biking conditions.

They’re great on the road as well. I didn’t find that the gloves were too hot for warmer conditions, and I would recommend them for everyday use. They even sit at a good length slightly above the wrist bone, and wouldn’t interfere with a watch if you were wearing one.”

FILED UNDER: Bikes and Tech / News TAGS: Epiphany short / Luna Sport / Marla Streb / Stripe SS Jersey / Womens