ALMANAC

Almanac Cycling, Edit 02

Rider wearing a pale sky blue Universal Colours jersey with brown bib shorts

Edit 02, Cool Light

The blues I keep coming back to when black feels too easy.

Autumn 2026, 3 looks, 9 pieces.

I wear a lot of black on the bike, probably too much, and lately I have found myself looking for a way out of it that does not involve suddenly dressing like a racing team. Blue should be the obvious answer, except most cycling blues are either navy or so bright they seem designed to be visible from another county. The colours here sit in the much nicer space between those two: washed-out sky, slate, the pale blue you get on a clear cold morning.

Once I started saving them, the rest of the Edit came together almost by itself. I like these colours most when there is very little competing with them, so the bibs stay dark, the socks stay simple and the jersey gets all the attention. The exception is the first look, where a brown bib turns out to be much more interesting than the black pair I would normally reach for.

Rider in a sky blue Universal Colours jersey paired with Heavy Bark Brown bib shorts

Look 01 of 3, Sky Blue / Bark

I came for the blue and ended up liking the brown even more.

The sky blue jersey was the piece that started this look, but the brown bib is the reason I kept it. I first pictured the jersey over black and it looked fine, which was exactly the problem. The bark brown makes the blue feel softer and a little less like cycling kit, and once I saw the two together the black version felt impossible to go back to. I would keep the socks white and leave it there.

Credits

Rider wearing the Albion Traverse Jersey in Slate with black bib shorts

Look 02 of 3, Slate / Black

Somewhere between blue, green and grey, which is exactly why I like it.

Albion calls this Slate and I cannot think of a better name for it. In one photograph it looks blue, in another almost green, and in flat light it settles into grey. That uncertainty is what makes the colour interesting. The jersey itself has enough character too, especially with all those pockets, so this is where I stop trying to be clever and wear it with black bibs and white socks.

Credits

Rider wearing a light blue PEdALED Element Long Sleeve Jersey with dark bib shorts

Look 03 of 3, Light Blue / Black

A summer colour that somehow makes more sense to me in October.

Light blue usually makes me think of hot weather and short sleeves, which is why I like this long-sleeved version so much. I can already picture it on a cold, bright morning when you leave slightly underdressed and spend the first twenty minutes waiting to warm up. Black underneath, nothing more.

Credits

All Cycling Edits →