TESTED: Attaquer All Day women's bike clothing
Attaquer bring 100% recycled materials to women's bike gear that makes you look and feel fantastic.
On a recent visit to ride the roads and gravel routes of Sri Lanka, I reached for some clothing that I knew would last the distance and be comfortable for a long week in the saddle. The route we had planned, taking us from the top to the bottom of the tropical island nation, promised epic climbs, tropical-grade sun, rain, gravel, dirt, and lots and lots of kilometres in the saddle. This would be our testing ground for the newly-redesigned, Italian-made All Day range, which draws on the brand’s lived experience of the huge demands cycling places on the body and the clothes we dress it in.
TESTED: Men's Attaquer All Day gear
Cycling is a sport where pain is not only anticipated, but welcomed, and discomfort is something that we’re all too accustomed to accepting without question. Sometimes we’re even proud of that—this isn’t lawn bowls, after all.
But innovative design is about questioning the status quo. It’s about striving for solutions to problems we didn’t know we had. Attaquer have asked themselves if it’s possible to make longer rides more comfortable… And even though veterans like me long ago accepted the pain and suffering of our sport, the brand set out to not only to prove us wrong, but to hit some lofty sustainability goals in the process—aiming for 100% recycled fabrics across the range.
And they damn well did it.
Fit for purpose
Attaquer’s new 2023 All Day bib shorts for women go on like a second skin—albeit a tight, compression fit kind of second skin. The highly stretchy fabric provides a lot of coverage, reaching around the waist and well up behind the thoracic, providing a sense of support for the low back, which tends to ache when the pedals cop a lot of rotations. The leg grippers give a very firm hold to keep everything in place, with the legs reaching fairly close to the knee, depending on your height. Each and every panel has been strategically shaped and flat-lock sewn to provide the upmost contouring and body-hugging compression goodness, so putting them on instantly gives you that delicious fresh legs feeling.
The chamois is an Attaquer signature women’s specific piece that provides pretty significant padding across the main saddle contact area that tapers off at the edges. One of the thicker and denser chamois I’ve tried, it performed great for long and short rides and held up with no chafe or discomfort in the toughest possible conditions, including hours riding through torrential rain and 200 kilometre-days in temperatures between 30–40 degrees. When I’ve hit the gravel, the additional comfort has been more than welcome, providing plenty of cushioning to literally save my ass.
Going cargo
I got my hands on both a pair of the straight up All Day bibs and a pair of Attaquer’s All Day Cargo bibs, which use the same design and features, but with additional carrying capacity. The All Day Cargos have two main leg pockets sitting on the mid to outer thigh area made of durable, fine, stretchy mesh (so you can see what’s in them), and two surprisingly deep, stretchy back pockets (in a similar position to your jersey pockets) made of the same material. It’s easily as much carrying capacity as the average jersey, if not more, and plenty of room to securely and comfortably store all the spares, food and gadgets you need for an all-day epic.
This was my first time using cargo bibs of any brand and I was a little worried that stashing bigger items like my phone would feel heavy and uncomfortable on my quads—not the case! Thanks to the cargo pockets, I could quickly and easily pull out my phone to document my trip around Sri Lanka, and it was fantastic to be able to stash things in a hurry, be it food, gloves, rubbish, whatever, only barely taking my hands off the bars. It took all of ten kilometres of cycling to completely convert me to the All-Day Cargos and they’re now the first thing I reach for for any ride, road, gravel, or MTB (they’re pretty handy under a pair of trail shorts, too). They’re just the perfect thing for gravel racing: you can keep your nutrition on hand without compromising control or concentration.
It wouldn’t be a review without pointing out any shortcomings of the bibs. To be honest, I’m stuck finding one, but a note on the fit. It’s the same as Attaquer’s Race series—that is to say, it’s form-hugging to achieve compression that has been proven to reduce sensations of muscle soreness (and it feels great). This kit probably wouldn’t suit anyone looking for a relaxed cut.
Testing conditions
It’s worth mentioning that I thoroughly abused the All Day kit I was given to test, subjecting it to horrible weather and riding conditions including a concoction of suncream, sweat, smog, rain, zinc and road grime applied and rubbed deeply into the All Day fabric several times a day. Added to this were numerous frenzied, last-minute toilet breaks where the kit was twisted and yanked at in my rush not to miss the bunch, as well as unforgiving hotel laundries where no doubt my precious gear was boiled at 800 degrees centigrade in a bleach/acid solution. Or something. In any event, the kit has held up and bounced back from every wash looking fresh as the day I pulled it from its compostable packaging.
It completely blows my mind that Attaquer have not only made the finest, most comfortable, most durable kit I have ever worn, but they’ve done it using 100% recycled, environmentally responsible materials (Bluesign and Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified). I’ve flogged these bibs for a few thousand kilometres and with premium, fit-for-purpose fabrics, flat-lock stitching, and durable construction, I expect it to last me for years and thousands more kays, saving my ass, my legs, my back and the planet in the process.
RRP: $319.95 (All Day Bibs) | $349.95 (All Day Cargo Bibs)
Attaquer Women’s All Day Jersey
In 2023, every panel of the All Day range has been thoughtfully redesigned in Australia to give the most form-hugging, body-contouring fit possible. The Attaquer women’s All Day jersey has a new race cut and a shortened front zipper for a smoother fit and to prevent wavy zipper syndrome. In addition, Attaquer’s All Day kit is some of the most environmentally-conscious on the market, made from 100% recycled materials, the All Day range comes with an impressive set of credentials, including Oeko-Tex Standard 100 (meaning there are zero harmful substances in the fabrics) and Bluesign certification (meaning every effort has been made to reduce impact throughout the value chain).
First impressions
The All Day jersey’s arms and side panels, as well as the collar, are constructed of super breathable mesh that has just enough stretch to hug the skin and provide freedom of movement. The sleeves reach right to the elbow, providing additional protection from the elements and a hugging, aero fit that screams let’s f@cking ride!.
The front and back panels of the jersey, as well as the pockets, are constructed of ultra-stretchy, lightweight material that feels satiny smooth and moves freely with the body. As a race-cut fit, it cinches every contour while providing exceptional freedom of movement. The waist is supported by a thick elasticated band that keeps the jersey firmly in place just above the hips without interrupting its nice smooth lines, and at the at the collar zip closure a tab with signature All Day branding to prevents any pokey bits irritating the neck.
Packed pockets
On a practical level, this jersey has what it takes to get you from A to Z, especially if there are a couple hundred kilometres between those two letters. My favourite feature was the incredibly deep, stretchy pockets which, although they reached further up my back than standard pockets might, were totally accessible thanks to a super strong and stretchy elastic hem. There is no risk of these pockets ever sagging. Ever. The jersey’s fit is so contoured that no matter how much crap I stuffed in my pockets, everything sat neatly packaged and firm against my back, the load spread out so my lumbar never felt tired or sore, even when carrying a pretty significant load. I went so far as to weigh everything I took in my pockets on a three-hour ride and tipped the scale at 898 grams (even without a banana) and I didn’t feel like I was carrying a thing. I’ve also given the hem plenty of durability testing, having carried a 600ml bottle of coke for 220 kilometres in the middle pocket. It didn’t wobble around or fall out (in fact I forgot it was there), and the elastic snapped back right away.
While on the topic of pockets, it’s worth mentioning that the women’s XS (and probably the XXS, although I haven’t tested it) comes with two rear pockets, owing simply to the tiny size across the back, while sizes S and up all have three rear pockets. I tested both the XS and the S, and while I usually find two pockets feels a bit imbalanced, the XS’s two pockets kept every item right where I packed it, and I didn’t notice any difference. If you’re unsure on sizing, the Attaquer website has a very cool, and in my experience very accurate tool on each and every product page to help you find the right size for you. Simply put in your measurements and it will make a solid recommendation. Model sizes and measurements are also provided for super useful reference.
Built to last
If the jersey has any vulnerabilities, it could be that the sleeve hems lack a little bit of give, which means you have to pull them over the elbow individually to get them on. This is fine once you’re used to it (and it’s a common feature of race-cut jerseys) but I do wonder what the effect of this pulling will have on the fabric over the long term. That said, it’s been unceremoniously wrenched on and off by me dozens of times thus far without issue.
The All Day jersey has survived that toxic cocktail of suncream, sweat and grime and come back from every wash rejuvenated and ready for the next round. I’m beyond impressed that recycled materials can exceed the comfort and quality of other brands, especially when paired with thoughtful and intelligent design. This is by far the best jersey I’ve ever worn and while it’s designed to go long, I’ve been pulling it on for every ride, on every bike, since it landed in my wardrobe.
RRP: $199.95
