The rebirth of cycling apparel: five questions with Luigi Bergamo

by Mark Cohen

Luigi Bergamo is a modest guy. After spending 20 years running research and design at Assos, he says what he’s most proud of from that time are not the company’s bib shorts ­which some say are the industry’s best ­but a 2012 collaboration with German cycling coach Heiko Salzwedel and the Russian RusVelo project which pushed him to look at cycling performance differently. It also moved him further away from traditional kit design.

With his two-year-­old Q36.5 brand now more widely available in Canada through Alpha Velo, we exchange emails with Bergamo from his home in Bolzano, Italy, to learn more about why he left Assos and his vision for cycling apparel’s future.

You worked at Assos for two decades. Why did you leave?

Luigi Bergamo: I left Assos to start Q36.5 for two main reasons. The first was I wanted to live in my hometown of Bolzano and be surrounded by the Dolomites again. The second was that I felt a great desire to take a more experimental, even extreme approach to cycling clothing design. I needed to work outside a traditional brand structure to accomplish that.

What separates Q from other luxury cycling brands?

Q36.5 was founded to explore ideas, fabrics and construction techniques which I think could represent the future of high performance cycling clothing. To do this successfully I have structured the brand not so much as a clothing company, with all the demands of that format (different price points, continuous new lines etc.), but much more as a kind of lab for continuous, relatively unrestrained research and experimentation.

With regards to the question about quality I’m tempted to respond a little philosophically: what does quality mean? Does quality mean long­lasting or best performance? Q36.5 is trying to make the highest­performing cycling clothing on the market but at the same time we’re also a bit anti­consumerist. We think these products should be something that accompany you for a long time, that they should almost get better with time. Our dream, in fact, is to make an iconic product… a Kelly bag, a Rolex Submariner. By this we mean a product that maintains its original design principles even if the product needs to develop according to performance advances.

You’ve designed kit for 20 years. What would say about the current state of kit manufacturing today?

There’s a lot right with cycling kits these days, particularly with the lower­priced team bibs and jerseys that many riders are obliged to use for racing. There’s been a huge evolution and jump in quality of these kinds of goods over the last few years. Compared to a few years ago, the quality of the graphic design of jerseys seems to have improved vastly.

Describe your relationship with Alpha Velo?

Our relationship with Alpha Velo is product­driven. Its founder Premton first approached us simply as a cyclist who was curious about our product and philosophy. One thing led to another and he came and visited us in Bolzano and I was able to personally explain to him the product right here in the studio. He told us he wanted to open up a pop­up store and asked for our collaboration. We were happy to offer it and even happier when the project turned into a permanent store.

What’s next for Q?

We will continue to augment our network of external collaborations with different research centers. We are an extremely small company but this makes us flexible and dynamic. Because of the very high­end and often quite experimental work which we are doing with cycling clothing we find that there are a lot of research groups who are interested in working with us. For example we’re just about to begin a study into the development of jerseys that adapt to changing conditions, hopefully giving cyclists one kit they can wear in almost anything.

Q36.5 is being sold exclusively in Canada through Alpha Velo ­ a new lifestyle cycling brand. It’s available online or in store at their boutique at 431b Roncesvalles Avenue in Toronto.

Test ride

Q36.5’s signature bibs (Salopette L1 Essential, $360) reminds us of raw denim in that they are stiff and rigid at first but form­fit and comfortable after a couple wears (all fabrics used to make Q36.5 apparel are proprietary). It’s a brand founded on minimalism and innovation.

Their Longsleeve Hybrid Jersey ($340) is made with woven silver to reflect body heat and tailored to keep you warm in temperatures ranging from four degrees up to the low­mid teens ideal for fall and spring. It will quickly become a cool weather essential. There seems to be so much tech and innovation wrapped into what we test that every ride reveals something new. From integrated rear pockets that give access to their L1 Essential vest to reflective seams around the bicep and forearm. Definitely for cyclists who value quality, longevity and innovation in their kit above all else.

Mark Cohen has held strong opinions about style and sport since the start of his writing career. This has only worsened over time. He is a contributing writer to various sites currently living in the UK. Connect with him on Instagram or Twitter @mcohensays.