Mettle Cycling Team Kit - Road 2019 - Rapha Custom
Photos by Ben Guernsey
It’s always the most exciting (and most labor intensive) part of the season for our racing team. Well, besides the actual training…New Kit Day is here and we’re proud to unleash this kit upon the world.
We’ve been working on this design and concept for over 6 months and the process has been long, studied, and not without it’s difficulties. So many years of kit design behind us continue to inform how important it is to select colors that can be accurately reproduced. Having partnered with Rapha this year, we got in on the ground floor of the custom program and worked across time-zones to get this one absolutely perfect.
The goal was not only to turn some heads, but to bring some more conceptual pieces to the team’s identity.
THE SPIRIT ANIMAL HAS LANDED
We set out to create a creature from scratch, possessing qualities derived from an expansive library of fables, mythology, and science fiction. Working with the extremely talented Cameron Stewart, we settled on a canine-based character that drew upon more obscure legends and the dynamic nature of Lone Wolves and Pack Dynamics. Our riders are able to win by themselves making our team tactics even more effective with less communication.
ALL HAIL GULONVARG
The traits of Gulonvarg are an amalgamated fantasy; reflective of Mettle’s collective squad. Able to cooperate as a small horde and calculate the next move like a pack of wolves; quiet until prodded; capable of trampling creatures much larger than itself…Fangs for blood. Horns for perseverance…
…and gray, old-man eyebrows just like the late Der Booster.
RAPHA CUSTOM
It’s no secret Rapha have grown their capabilities over the last several years, expanding their reach from being perched atop the pedestal of cultural authority to a more inclusive and approachable brand. In doing so, they’ve enriched the American culture of cycling and brought on board a newer generation of riders that identify with their ethos. Blending the need for a better approach to individual identity with the best possible cycling wear in the world resulted in the new custom program. We have chosen to print our design onto the Rapha Aero Jersey and Pro Bib Shorts along with a vest classy enough for all future kit iterations. Lastly, a Long Sleeve Rapha Training Jersey available to anyone that digs what we’re doing right now.
METTLE AS FUCK
We’ve always had an ambiguous overlap with the hardest of musical tastes and it was inevitable it would find it’s way to the surface. If every time you see this kit a little Meshuggah or Decapitated start playing in your head, you’re doing it right.
OUR PARTNERS
Could we BE any luckier?! This crew of partners are cooler than the other side of the pillow:
RAPHA - Rapha Custom - Seriously, just look at that kit…
LOMBARD STREET TATTOO - Jesse (Owner of LST) is all about the community and she’s help fund us over the last 2 seasons as well as spread some damn find ink and artistry across the country.
MAVIC - From top to toes, pure white hot fire.
LTRMN - Providing our squad with only the finest in cannabis products. Recovery is real and if you’re not recovering like us, you’re not recovering at all.
EASTON - Components and good vibes provided by our friends north of the border.
NUUN - Cramp-killing, gut supporting, hydration. There is no substitute for what Nuun does for endurance athletes.
SRAM - When we shift, you’ll know…
CYCLEPATH - Saving us from ourselves for the last 3 years.
