The Symphony cycling apparel collection from Pearl Izumi packs in the best of the company's fabric technology to keep you comfortable on the bike when riding in warmer weather. Although summer has long passed, at least in the Northern Hemisphere, the Symphony collection will come in handy for those Hawaiian riding vacations or even those spin classes that keep you in shape over the winter.
The Pearl Izumi Symphony Short combines ELITE Transfer fabric for superior wicking performance with the Ice-Fil cooling fabric of Pearl's In-R-Cool technology. This fabric combination not only works to keep you cool, but offers up UPF 50+ sun protection for those long summer rides. With the autumn heat wave we had here in the Bay Area, the cooling Ice-Fil fabric gave some relief on my otherwise scorching rides through the rain starved hills.
The ELITE 3D Chamois remains comfortable even after long hours in the saddle. The super wide, elastic-free waistband keeps everything nicely tucked in, preventing you from getting that awful bike short induced muffin top when you lean over your handlebars.
As the bike short legs are gripper-free, they do tend to ride up as you ride. I can not be certain, but the riding up may actually be caused by my wearing a size larger than I should. You can choose between three inseam lengths (short, regular, knicker) in the bike shorts. The regular has an 8" inseam, while the short, or cut as Pearl Izumi calls it, has a 6" inseam.
The women's Symphony Jersey is made from the same ELITE Transfer fabric with In-R-Cool technology. Instead of the usual three rear pockets, Pearl Izumi created a 3-in-2 kangaroo pouch scenario with a hidden third pocket for safely storing your phone, keys, or money during your ride. Both the bike shorts and jersey have reflective elements to help with visibility.
For those of you that may not have purchased Pearl Izumi products in the past year or so, they seem to have completely changed their fit profile. I used to wear an XL (yes XL) in Pearl Izumi cycling jerseys and jackets, with a L in bike shorts. I am now my usual Medium size in both.
The Pearl Izumi Symphony Jersey retails for $90, the Symphony Shorts for $110, both available now.
