Kit Review: ‘Instant Slimmer’ by Eroe.cc

Instant Slimmer: Jersey £73.50, Gilet £64.

This is not a potion, a powder, or a tablet. Neither does it require you to banish pies and pastries from your plate and adopt a diet of salad and mung beans (though the occasional mung bean salad would not hurt). This is the “Instant Slimmer” range from Polish brand Eroe and is nothing more than a healthy optical illusion.

We all know that black is our friend. There may also be something clever going on with the cut of this kit. Either way, as far as the mirror is concerned (if not the scales), I put this on and I am slimmer. 

Job. Done.

If some fancy R&D produces a Version2.0 that also makes me weigh less I will then happily sing from the rooftops and proclaim the search for the holy grail over.

As we know, cycling kit comes in three types: budget, mid-range, and premium. At 80 Euros (£73.50) for the jersey and 70 Euros (£64) for the accompanying Gilet this sits slap-bang in mid-range.

(Sneaky mention for the socks, too, which at a totally bonkers 6 Euros are the best bang-for-your-buck cycling socks I’ve ever owned!)

So, the jersey.

The fit is sleek and slim, without being excessive; this is kit for normal people. The sleeves, I love, stretching down towards the crook of the elbow but with a cool black and white stripe on the reverse of the cuff.

So roll them up, or leave them long and black, or (my favourite), roll one of them up for a bit of character. This is a nice feature and gives a little customisable edge to your look.

The jersey has a feel of quality. Bearing in mind the price, the quality is even a little surprising; not the shiny cheapness of bad Lycra, this is edging up towards premium territory. The zip and the collar, the stitching, the pockets with added reflective strip: all good.

The accompanying Gilet follows this same pattern. It’s a lightweight item, not one for the wet and cold but for the slight chill of spring or autumn. Light windproof panels give way to mesh and stretch.

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A good gilet has to be snug and clingy, and the stretch in the material here means there is no chance of catching the wind and ruining your aero credentials. And being lightweight it rolls up to nearly nothing and slots in your pocket.

On the bike, it looks ace!

Size wise, I usually hover between medium and large – at 1.82 metres and 80 kilos – and the medium, for both jersey and gilet, works beautifully for me.

At this price, I would be hard pushed to recommend better value cycling kit; for fit, form and function Eroe are punching above their price point. They do a nice line in patterns, colours, and statement kit, but if you’re in the market for minimal, you don’t want to spend fortunes, and you like the idea of looking a bit skinny, Eroe might just have you covered.

Website: www.eroe.cc