Though it might look like any other cycling kit, this new Scott apparel is . The secret ingredient is a special fabric designed by that employs both carbon yarns and a ceramic coating to add abrasion resistance.
Scott says there’s no way to quantify how much more durable the fabric is than standard stretch materials used in cycling kits. But a shows the fabric to be outrageously strong. In the clip, a swatch of the carbon fabric withstands more than a minute on a belt sander with little more than slight abrasion, while a swatch of nylon lasts less than three seconds.
The fabric is used in the shoulders and legs of the new kit, the areas that are most likely to impact the road in the case of a crash. Whereas standard nylon tends to rip immediately when a rider lands on the asphalt, exposing bare skin to painful cuts and scrapes, the high-impact fabric in the RC ProTec should withstand crashes and prevent open sores.
Scott has a two-year exclusive with Schoeller on the new material. The kits will go on sale later this fall.
Read about our other Gear of the Show winners from Interbike 2014.
Jersey, $125; Bibshorts, $145,