Never Stop Improving
The things we do for comfort….
If you’re not moving forward, you’re falling behind. This is as much true in racing as it is in business. And it’s why we are constantly looking for ways to improve our product. Epix releases updates to our apparel every year, and sometimes more than once per year. Whether small tweaks to existing styles, or totally new items- we never stop developing. And the key to successful product development is extensive and rigorous testing. We take a scientific approach to our product testing and separate tests into 3 categories:
– Durability Machine tests
– Fit tests
– Wear tests
It all starts in our testing lab, which consists of a few workstations of machines that never stop trying to destroy stuff. We test for material durability in several ways; chlorine baths to simulate the effects that swimming in chlorinated pools has on fabrics over time. Abrasion tests, which simulate the effects of the apparel coming in contact with abrasive surfaces, such as race belts, velcro, saddles, and even rubbing against itself. UV tests check for the UV protection offered by various fabrics. Stretch tests determine how well the material returns to form after thousands of stretches. Finally, color fastness tests are done
on fabrics to determine how well they respond to sublimation printing under various conditions. We also ensure all of our fabrics are free from toxic chemicals by using only certified non-toxic materials.
“How does moving a stitching line 1 inch affect the fit of your tri suit? Does increasing the size or firmness of the tri chamois improve comfort?”
Fit tests
These are a quick fitting test of a garment which we are working on improving (or a totally new prototype). The fit test is normally done at the factory by testers who’s measurements match our fitting chart. We look for problem areas of discomfort, over-tightness, loose or bunching fabrics, overall sleekness and basic function. At this stage, we normally only test at one size. Full size range/extreme size testing is done on the wear test stage.
Wear Tests
Sometimes you don’t know if your tri suit has a pressure point until you’ve been wearing it while riding for many hours. This problem is solved with wear testing. Once we are confident that we have a product that is ready to be put through the paces, we work with a team of athlete testers who swim, bike, and run in our prototypes. This includes our sponsored pro athletes who compare the comfort and fit across various iterations of the prototypes as well as other brands. We also ask reputable product review outlets such as Tririg to give their opinion on our finished product. The wear testing process normally takes several months and involves tweaking the product as potential problems are revealed. How does the apparel perform in saltwater vs freshwater? How does moving a stitching line 1 inch affect the fit of your tri suit? Does increasing the size or firmness of the tri chamois improve comfort? How to best accommodate the widest range of body types? These are just a few of the typical questions we answer via the testing process.
Analyzing customer feedback
Despite a rigorous testing program, once in awhile we still miss something. This is why we take feedback from our customers very seriously. Our customers are also our best source of knowledge when it comes to what to develop next. This is demonstrated in our latest round of GoFierce Pro-Edition apparel set to launch for 2019 season. We took the feedback from our customers and athletes as the basis for the product improvements that have been incorporated into the apparel.
Epix tri chamois offers the highest amount of foam padding in the industry, which a variable thickness up to 8mm on the sit bone and forward regions. This is because we felt in large part competitor pads never felt comfortable enough during long rides or full-distance events. A benefit of molded pads, and why you see them increasingly in triathlon, is because we can control the mold density in key areas of the pad. Much like you see some cycling pads have firmer area’s near the sit bones, for triathlon, we can tailor the density to best suit triathlon-specific applications- ensuring a pad that provides support while also being crucially flexible during the run. The key is maintaining sufficient padding to relieve saddle pressure and keeping your feet from falling asleep. A chamois is not, by design, to be a soft Cadillac to an otherwise uncomfortable seat or seating position. Your apparel works in tandem with a well fitted and comfortable bike.
In general, keeping moisture away from your skin is the best way to keep it from breaking, which creates chaffing and sores. A good tri chamois will have the same functionality as most high-end cycling chamois have- a construction which allows moisture and humidity to escape. This is especially important for triathletes as you’re wet when emerging from the swim, hence the skin is immediately softer and more susceptible to chaffing. You can tell if your chamois has moisture-wicking function by checking if there are clearly-defined channels within the pad for moisture to escape, as well as a dimpled texture underneath the top layer. Some pads are pierced with small holes- this can also be effective. The Epix molded chamois is a good example of a quick-dry construction. If you race in very hot/humid conditions, this is especially important for you.
The GoFierce Aero Tri Jersey is our personal favorite. Though the short sleeve 1 piece tends to get more popularity and you see more of our Pro’s racing in it, our development team tends to wear the GoFierce Aero Tri Jersey more than any other product.
comfort of being just a top allows us to pair with tri shorts or cycling shorts depending on the training load and its currently the lightest sleeved jersey we make – so if you’re looking for the best hot-weather sleeved top for the bike this is it. Gen 2 pictured to the right showed our marked improvements in front material – zero collar, and improvement on fit. 
Aero Wick replaces the original Askin material on the sleeves – providing a tighter “painted on” fit while not increasing the tension of the sleeve. The lighter weight Aero Wick is more stretchy and dimpled – resulting in quicker drying and improved aerodynamics as well.
Our new Kite material on the rear panel was a big change that required us to tweak the pattern numerous times.
and getting our pattern just right to ensure a perfect fit without added tension pulling on the sleeves, arm pits, or hips can be terrible. Each time we update a material, though it might seem simple, each new material has a different level of stretch that can often be a dramatic change in the shape of the panel before stitching. We are sticklers for ensuring the fit and feel Epix is known for – and the results in the Generation 3 jersey is the same perfect fit with the drastically lighter and more breathable new material. You’ll tell the difference immediately.
already used in GoFierce product lineup as the side panel material. The result is improved moisture management along with a more personalized ” painted on” fit on the arms. Aero Wick has a larger stretch than our previous Askin material – which gave us some pattern challeneges during prototyping but with the appropriate tweaks we now have an even better sleeve that can curve and contour to more athlete’s bicep shapes. Aero Wick is significantly lighter, even when wet, while retaining the same SPF protection as our original Askin sleeve – a winning combination.
e’re pretty happy with the results! We sourced an entirely new material, Kite
, which is significantly lighter weight, quicker moisture absorption, and faster drying than the Air Mesh it replaces. It is thinner, but still retains SPF protection and strikes the balance we were hoping for and the fit/feel we wanted.
