Words and Photography James Ion
Fūjin (風神) is the Japanese Shinto God of wind. He is said to carry a sack full of wind that he unleashes on the world. A storm in winter, and a gentle breeze in summer. He looks scary but he is the balance between destruction and creation. His influence can be seen across modern-day mythology and artwork and has reached as far as Utrecht in the Netherlands to inspire a new range of GRVL clothing.
Fujin Gravelwear is the brainchild of Jop Schuring who in 2021 decided that there was not enough GRVL-specific kit available, or at least nothing that appealed to him “I started developing kits somewhere around 2019, just for fun to be honest then an opportunity arose to give it a go and in 2021 I started Fujin. 2023 saw the launch of the first full collection, and this years Off Grid collection is the biggest yet”
Fujin Gravelwear offers a kit “for every surface” and it is safe to say that it sits somewhere between all-day comfort and adventure riding to more intense race situations. The range offers loose-fitting GRVL Tees, bibs with plenty of storage, wind vests, base layers, and standard and lightweight jerseys.
“I do all the designs myself. It is the part that I most enjoy. I try to work exclusively with high-quality European stock fabrics, so it is always a big puzzle to make!”
Job contacted me to see if I would be interested in reviewing the kit, so, as with all reviews, full disclosure - I did not pay for the products, and I have not been paid to review them, this is an honest and unbiased review based on what I found on a series of rides.
The kit I received included a standard jersey a lightweight jersey, a long-sleeve jersey, a pair of GRVL Bibs, a GRVL Vest and a GRVL Tee all in Size M.
It all arrived in secure packaging and neatly presented in individual ziplock bags. First impressions were good as you could feel and see the quality, however the material of the bibs felt exceptionally thin. With Bibs, you want a hardwearing material as they have to do a lot of work, so it was concerning that they might not be up to the task, but once I put them on all concerns were gone.
The fit and feel of the Bibs were a highlight of the kit, the lightness of the fabric made it feel almost like I wasn't wearing anything! What I thought might be a negative turned out to be a big positive as the material moves with your body and acts like a second skin.
As with all my reviews, I rode a 100km endurance ride, an intense interval session and a generally relaxed ride. On all the rides the Bibs performed great, with no chaffing or rubbing, and the pad was comfortable on the longer ride and during the intervals. The straps sat well on the body and the grippers kept everything in place.
Being GRVL Bibs, there was enough storage to take extra gels, bars or bananas with two mesh pockets on the legs and a zip pocket on the rear for more valuable items.
blows
The first jersey I tried was the Lightweight Jersey, which was good as my first ride was in 30+ degree heat.
The jersey is made of a very light mesh material, that despite its thinness manages to keep your dignity. As I said I was trying out size M as this is my usual size, I am no skinny mountain climber and probably am carrying a bit too much extra timber, but most of the time an M sits just about right, however, this is where the jersey loses a few points with me as the fit was not perfect. It sat a bit too short for me and was quite tight across the shoulders leading to a large open neck.
Now, sizing is very individual, so I would always recommend trying a few sizes. Fit aside, the jersey itself was very well made and kept me cool despite the high heat, it also looked really cool with a few nice design features on the arm and the rear. And once on, like the Bibs it felt comfortable and light, t, and the only issue was that I had to pull it down a few times, however, if I had a size L I imagine this would have been an issue.
Another issue with fitting, was the long-sleeve jersey, overall the fit was snug and comfortable. Still, it was let down with the length of the sleeves, again this is a very personal thing as not everyone has the same body type, and it is a bit nitpicking as the only issue was that the sleeves bunched a little on the forearm. However like the bibs the materials used are very comfortable and smooth to the touch, and the text design on the back looks cool which is always a bonus.
Where fit was not an issue was the standard jersey and vest. Both fit to size and sat really well. The vest had a tight fit so it wasn't flapping around at speed, because aero matters even on GRVL. The double-ended zip is a great addition and it allows for easy access to your rear pockets and can be used to cool off without having to unzip the whole thing.
The Jersey I tried in burgundy was very well fitted, tight where it should be but not constricting in any way. It looked cool as well and matched the vest.
Overall the kit from Fujin is of good quality. Whether racing, on an adventure, or simply going for a spin the range has you covered. The sizing in the lightweight and long sleeve jerseys resulted in some lost points and I would recommend trying different sizes in these items, however, the rest of the kit fit to size.
The materials used are comfortable and hard-wearing, especially the bib shorts as it felt like a second skin, and if you did have an accident, Fujin offers a crash replacement service, so they have you covered!
OVERALL SCORE: 3,5
STANDARD JERSEY: 3
BIB SHORTS: 4
GRVL TEE: 3
VEST: 4
LONG-SLEEVE JERSEY: 3
LIGHTWEIGHT JERSEY: 2
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At GRVL Magazine every product is put through its paces on our test course - 100 km ride, Interval Session and Gentle Spin to see how the products perform in different situations. The reviews are conducted by real-world riders who look for things that they want in a product. All reviewers offer an unbiased opinion based on their experiences with the products that are backed up by facts, however, reviews are by their very nature subjective and not definitive and should be seen as a guide only.
What the GRVL Magazine scores mean
Good scores are more common than bad, because, fortunately, good products are more common than bad.
Exceptional 5/5
Very Good 4/5
Good 3/5
Average 2/5
Poor 1/5
Appalling 0/5
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