Albion alternatives for roadies
I’m a roadie who’s been wearing Albion kit for the last 4-5 years but over that time the brand has gradually been focusing more and more on the off-road and adventure scene, which makes sense as it’s the big growth area in the industry. Most of their current range is oriented to this but, as I’m not doing ultra-long adventure rides, I don’t need extra pockets in everything etc.
Although I love their kit and ethos I’m coming to the view that, for those of us whose priority is going fast on tarmac, I may need to switch brands as my Albion kit starts to wear out.
Any suggestions for brands with a similar quality and ethos to Albion? I like clean aesthetics, functional design, and would probably steer away from the big, high-fashion labels like PNS, MAAP, Rapha etc. Albion isn’t cheap so I’m not put off by paying higher prices for good quality although I’m not bothered about paying a big premium just for a name. I’m not a racer and most of my rides are up to ~100km with the occasional longer adventure (300km is my longest). The ideal would be a small brand making cool and high-quality but understated kit for regular riders.