I see your sock game and raise it to skinsuit.

Not only is a skinsuit the only appropriate thing to wear on the track/cyclocross/crit course, it instantly let’s everyone around you know you are a total bad ass.

I was told when I first started track I needed to get one. So the club order was placed, and a few weeks later, shiny new club suit arrived! An hour later, I crashed it at RAW Track. Luckily it was an after the race slow speed crash. The skin suit was fine. But at that moment I realised I needed more than one. That way I would always have a good club race suit and other training suits. Makes sense!

The next suit to join the collection was the RAWTrack skinsuit. I believe a Paul craft design. The only way to get one was to win it. Boom score!

But after my first Christmas carnival I realised 2 skinsuits were not enough.

At this point Google was deployed. Searches like cool skinsuits, ugly skinsuits, custom skinsuits were done in my spare time. Note, put the uber safe search on when googling at work. The results were not always what I expected.

My first ‘cool’ purchase was a bright pink skinsuit. It belonged to Emily Kachorek a pro cyclocrosser from the states. Her then team, gheto cross had some amazing kit, so I contacted her and got a skinsuit mailed out.

That was the ah ha moment. Most skinsuits were custom/one off. Companies couldn’t make money off such a niche market.
If I wanted a cool skinsuit I would have to ask for them.

My collection started! I got a Custom ugly Christmas jumper skinsuit made up.  Then Cycling Canada was selling extra stock from the olympics, so i had to get one of those too.  I joined a new cylcling club, naturally that meant 3 new suits (long sleeve, short sleeve, speed suit).  I started with the Boss Racing Development NRS Road Team… new suit.  Then as I prepared for Canadain Track nationals last year I got a solid black speed suit, and a club suit from the team I would be racing for in Canada, National Cycling Centre Hamilton.   Then to my suprise when I got back to Australia, NCCH got new 2015 kit.  Darn, had to buy new kit!

Still keeping an eye out on forums I found Korina Huizar a track racer in the states.  She was doing a kit order as a fundraiser.  Totally sweet kit, so I asked if she was doing skinsuits.  She said if I could get 10 ordeded she would.  Challenge accepted! Eventually we got 10 people to get skinsuits.  WIN!

Next was The Australian Cyclocorss Magazine.  They did a suit order at the start of the year.  And like I mentioned earlier, the only acceptable thing to wear in a cycloss race is a skinsuit.

Slowly the world is catching up.  Recently I bough not one but 2 awesome skinsuits online from Ten Speed Hero, and didn’t have to beg for them.  Attaquer has started stocking skinsuits, and I’m keeping an eye open for Kern cycling.

But be warned! skinsuits are a difficult piece of kit.  There is no hiding in one.  Unless you are a pro rider, all you have to do is breath and you look fat in photos.  Also, fitting.  most people dont waer the same size bib and jersey.  It is best to try one on before buying.  I have the issue where if it fits my legs it’s baggy up top.  But don’t be discouraged.  A well fitting suit (read super tight) will be beneficial when it comes to any times events.  and just incese you were wondering, out of all my suits, the Nine-O ones from Canada fit the best.  They have enough give in the legs so they aren’t too tight, and the top fits like a glove.  It also has the bonus of being my racing teams speedsuit!

I now have more kit than I need/can wear. And a reputation for having cool skinsuits. I get called boring when I wear club kit. I’ll always keep my eyes out for cool kit bu for now I’m happy with my current collection.   Here is a selection of (most I think) my skinsuits.