There must be something in the crystal clear glacial run off in Scandinavia, as every product that hails from those shores is often unmatched in both looks and performance so when the Copenhagen based Pas Normal Studios burst onto our radar, we had high hopes.

We’ve been putting some serious hot weather miles into their Escapism collection which combines rugged versatility with an unerring mission to create technically perfect apparel combined with visionary aesthetics to define modern cycling in a different context. It sounds like the outcome of a late night brainstorming session but we’ll forgive that and focus on the kit instead.

Pas Normal call it ‘hybrid surface riding’ and we call it gravel but we can all agree that the gravel has given rise to a whole new wardrobe of kit to lust after, so we’ve toiled away to see if it’s any good.

Escapism Light Bibs

£240 | Buy from Pas Normal Studios

Highs: On bike fit, Comfort, classy looks

Against: Price, some might want more pockets, likely too hot in some conditions

The Escapism Light range from Pas Normal is the brands gravel range with more of a focus on raceday performance that combines abrasion resistant stretch woven fabrics with breathability and sun protection to keep you performing at the highest levels in the toughest of environments.

The bibs utilise a four way stretch woven fabric which we found to be very supportive without feeling restrictive which was very welcomed towards the end of long days in the saddle. The main fabric is ‘nano brushed’ on the inside which adds a further degree of comfort too and is slightly thicker than the brands road focussed Mechanism bibs as well as the MAAP Training Bibs we reviewed previously; we’d be confident that these bibs could handle a narrow British bridleway without issue. Being slightly thicker does mean they are little warmer but we never overheated even in temperatures nudging 30c. If you’re regularly barrelling through the deserts of Spain on two wheels then your mileage may vary.

Some brands choose to festoon their gravel specific kit with more pockets than you know what to do with (we’re looking at you Pearson) but Pas Normal have exercised a degree of Scandi restraint and equipped with Escapism Light bibs with just one pocket on the right leg; it’s an ideal size to stash a few bars for easy access when riding hard. Some might baulk at a single pocket but we rarely use more even if riding all day.

Pas Normal have equipped the Escapism Light bibs with their signature 4 layer pad with antimicrobial properties; we had no issues with the pad and found it to be comfortable on a range of rides from all day epics to shorter more intense efforts where we found ourselves perched on the saddle nose.

The legs feature a raw cut finish rather than a hem of any kind which sits almost flush with the skin and is held in place with fairly minimalist printed silicone grippers.

A lighter weight material is used for the bib straps which we found to be very breathable and offered excellent comfort; there’s a generous amount of stretch in the straps but we would have liked them to be a touch longer. The sizing of the shorts part was excellent as was the on bike fit but we could’ve benefitted for a tiny bit more length in the straps when off the bike.

There’s no ignoring the price here, £240 is a wince inducing amount of money for a pair of shorts but as we’ve found with other top end kit you really do get what you pay for in terms of comfort and performance and it’s the same story here. Expensive, yes but mighty good.

Escapism Light Jersey

£175 | Buy from Pas Normal Studios

Highs: Fit, super breathable, looks great

Lows: Race fit might not be to everyone’s taste, shallow pockets

The Escapism Light jersey follows the same philosophy as the bib shorts with the use of ripstop pattern to fend off any foliage that might want to rip a hole in your new kit and while the material shares a similar look to a tent, that’s where the similarities end. The semi mesh structure is super lightweight and hold it up to the light and you’ll see the grid of tiny squares with the different thickness of fabric being used. This open mesh construction means the jersey is very breathable, perfect for high intensity efforts in hot weather.

Elsewhere, it’s a very minimalist jersey with the traditional three pockets on the back with additional zippered valuables stash and a full length YKK Vislon zipper up the front. Due to the cut of the jersey it can be tricky to retrieve things from the pockets as they sit quite high but we soon came to terms with this. A printed silicone gripper around the hem prevents them from riding up any higher.

It’s the fit of this jersey that really appeals to us; it’s exceptionally well fitting throughout, a slightly shorter front means there’s no bunching when riding and extended sleeves devoid of grippers don’t restrict movement. It’s clear to us that Pas Normal have taken lessons learnt in the design of their road going kit and applied them here as it’s really a road jersey designed for the rough and tumble of gravel.