Capo Cycling Apparel: Atlas and Modena Kits

Capoforma have been making the PEZ house kit for years. Capoforma isn’t only a custom brand though, they also turn out a few slick stock items. Here’s a look at the new Atlas and Modena kits ready for the rest of the Summer.

Fresh out of the wrappers, Upland Sports Group sent two different sets of skins that have several different features as well as a pretty different look.

click the thumbnail at athe top for the large view

The Modena set is basic black and white “GT” Theme…

While the Atlas set up comes with a bit more movement in the pattern as well as more complex fabric and build.

Starting at the “tops” the Modena are a simple slick design that makes a pretty effortless statement. Raglan sleeve (for dorks like me that means a sleeve that’s cut in a shape that goes under the arm and up to the neck line instead of traditional cut sleeves that just go round the shoulder) that’s a cycling staple.

The front stripe is off set and the rear goes down the middle. No big switch up at the pockets, 3 standards…

The Fabric for the jerseys is a work horse staple 135 gram “mini-perf” (my term) that is extremely soft.

That’s a pretty big contrast to the mix of fabrics that are easy to see in the Atlas Jersey.

The Atlas Jersey features Mesh Arm Panels and “Capo Carbon” as a main fabric. Capo Carbon is a Poly yarn with a 5% carbon weave that not only gives you an SPF 50 but adds both Anti Static and anti Bacterial properties. This is Capo’s top of the line and while the fabric is also soft, it’s more substantial while breathing extremely well. I’ve noted after several washings that while the fabric is a fairly open weave it’s got really good durability and that’s aided by the fabric as well.
Both the Modena and Atlas have a gripper bottom, and you can see the fabric differences a bit better side by side.

The stitching is also a bit different and easy to note from the outside.

The Modena gets a standard hidden seam, while the Atlas uses the bold “flat stitch” seam.

The differences are just as easy to note from the inside as the flat seams still lay flat, while the hidden stitch seams leave a little fabric roll inside.

But while you might think one would be more comfortable than the other, neither are felt in use… The Modena jersey can be made this way without worry because the fabric is so soft… The Flat stitch is the way to go on a jersey with a bit more bold styling like the Atlas…

Ah I almost forgot the third fabric on the Atlas Jersey. The Atlas line is all-in type gear and Upland spec’d a stronger and more stretchable fabric for the pockets that really does a great job of expanding but still holding loads of stuff snugly…

The Modena and Atlas bib shorts also suite different tastes.

Both have a taper V mesh shoulder strap for freedom of movement…

And both have flat leg hem and slim-ish gummy Leg grippers…

The Atlas bibs are cut differently than the Modena and also feature full 240 gram high compression fabric, where the Modena have the 240 gram fabric placed in the side panels and use a 210 gram fabric for the rest.

The Atlas and Modena also differ a bit in stitching.

You can see it from the outside (above) that the Atlas use a flat stitch for the short as well, and from the inside the difference is more noticeable.

The shorts are also notably different where it counts. They both feature MLD (multi layer density) chamois, but come in two variations…

The Modena have a triple density (10-7-5 mm thickness) chamois that has a lighter amount of padding with very good flexibility. It’s an easy choice for folks that prefer mid-light level padding and good movement.

The Atlas chamois goes with the same theme as the jersey and short fabrics and construction. It’s a quad-level, higher density build with a pattern that allows for a lot of movement without bunching. It’s fitting in Capo’s top of the line kit and is also the chamois that Pez use for our house kits…

What you don’t see is that this is a two piece anatomic cut that uses perforated open cells that make it breath better than you think it will.

Both the Modena and Atlas shorts feature a chamois fabric that has silver ion threads to create an anti microbial surface to keep crotch critters to a minimum…

Capoforma complete the kits as well with gloves, caps and of course Capo’s pretty popular multiple styles of socks (featuring not just length but fabric, style and color options).

The gloves’ nicest feature so far this year is a reasonable amount of padding with a soft, sheer and breathable top and some VERY well vented palms…

That’s That
Like I said, we’ve been using Capo for years at Pez and I still have everything left from the very first kit several years ago (except what I’ve crashed out).

I’ve also made mention of the fact that while we use the Capo stuff for the house design (Capoforma supply a load of teams and custom shop orders), I’ve been a fan enough of the gear to spend more than a couple of dollars every year buying a few more colors and styles.

The Atlas is the top shelf here, it’s got more features, higher end fabric, more complex construction and a lean toward greater performance and durability. That said, it’s the Modena Kit that gets the comments and has generated a bit more forum chatter because of the clean styling, lower profile chamois, softer fabric and bit more comfortable fit.

Both of these kits are well made and honestly I like em both… Longer hauls and tougher tempers make me grab the Atlas and the Modena is the easy choice for a bit more low key function (which probably suites a lot more of us than we would admit).

Modena Jerseys suggested retail are $80 and the Atlat run $150. The Modena Bibs are $140 and the Atlas $210. Socks are $20 or less and the gloves $45…

You can find em at retailers all over the place and you can see more of the several lines and inquire to their team and custom selections by visiting them at Upland Sports Group’s web site.

Have Fun,
Charles Manantan

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