A Tough T-Shirt Made for Biking Anywhere, Yours for $120

The Kitsbow shirt’s “Topo” design shows a stylized topographic map on the back. Jakob Schiller/WIRED

In Macklemore’s song “Thrift Shop,” he spins a lyric in reference to a $50 Gucci T-shirt: “That shirt’s hella dough.” I wonder what he’d think about Kitsbow’s Ride Tee-Topo, which is more than double the price at $120?

I agree that 120 clams is shit-ton of money to fork over for a T-shirt. But don’t pass judgment on its worth until you use the thing. This ain’t no cheaply made cotton import from China with a logo slapped on the front. Rather, it’s a blend of Merino wool and polyester that’s made in Canada and designed to last forever.

Now that the weather is heating up, the Kitsbow tee has quickly become my favorite commuter piece. It wicks sweat incredibly well, most likely thanks to the material blend. And with wool in there, the shirt fights off stink even after a couple of uses. I also dig the understated, collar-less design and topo screenprint, which are plenty nice for an office environment, but also make you look cool whipping through traffic or out on the bike path.

Kitsbow is principally a mountain bike apparel company, so the shirt has some nice MTB-specific details like reinforced nylon shoulders that keep it from getting ruined when you wear it with a heavy pack. That and it’s made strong enough that it won’t tear if you eat a mouthful of dirt on the single track. I’ve yet to go over my handlebars while wearing it, but there’s a lot of summer riding yet to come.

Jakob Schiller/WIRED