Nopinz Pro-1 Roadrace Skinsuit – Women

The women's Nopinz Pro-1 Roadrace Skinsuit is a very good option for race days, with a well-judged close fit that's going to help with aero performance and a chamois that should keep you comfortable for longer efforts too.

The Pro-1 Roadrace Skinsuit is designed to be fast and also keep you comfortable while you're pacing it on race days, and it also works out cheaper than going for Nopinz' Pro-1 bib shorts and jersey combo.

> Buy now: Nopinz Pro-1 Roadrace Skinsuit – Women from Nopinz for £149.99

Speedscalez fabric is used for the shorts, while Nopinz' Pista fabric on the arms is claimed to make it 'super-slippy', and then you've got the Chrono fabric on the torso for keeping things dry and cool.

Nopinz also gives you the option of adding number pockets to the two feed pockets which you'll find on the lower back. Not only are these 'Speedpockets' designed to help with neatly carrying race numbers in a way that's claimed to help with aerodynamics, or at least prevent the race number from adding drag, you don't have to puncture your expensive bit of Lycra with pins – you just slide the number into these pockets.

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Skinsuits aren't just for racers, though – you might just simply prefer having everything flush. If you aren't racing and have no need for these Speedpockets you can buy the skinsuit without, which is the version I'm testing. If you want to know how the Speedpockets perform, check out Liam's review here.

The two wide feed pockets are for stashing nutrition for keeping fuelled on a race day, but if you're using this skinsuit for training rides not racing, simply because you prefer the two-in-one fit and feel, there's enough space for carrying nutrition in one pocket and a gilet and arm warmers in the other, so you're prepared for any temperature changes.

The elasticated top helps keep things secure and is also reflective, great for enhancing your visibility when you're caught out as it's turning dark.

The Armadillo endurance pad supplied by Teosport is impressive for this price point. It's soft to the touch and its dimple finish delivers excellent moisture management – I never felt overly warm or damp on hotter rides.

There's a lot of stretch to the skinsuit throughout, and this helps with providing a comfy, close fit that's not restrictive. The collar is low cut, but I did find that the zip cover at the neck is a bit rough and irritated me while riding.

The legs are quite long, which is all in the name of aero gains, and it's the same for the sleeves. For a flush finish, the legs have a laser-cut hem with a silicone band on the inside. Instead of using silicone dots, though, the whole 2cm band is made of silicone which is a bit excessive and means it's overly sticky and difficult to move.

The band could also do with being a little wider so pressure is distributed over a larger area. Again, it's the same situation with the sleeves.

Value

Opting for the two-in-one skinsuit is a saving of about £25 over going for Nopinz' Pro-1 jersey (£79.99) and bib shorts (£94.99) combination, which totals £174.98.

> Read more road.cc reviews of skinsuits here

Nopinz' Pro-1 skinsuit is also considerably cheaper than the competition. The Le Col x McLaren Project Aero Speedsuit costs a huge £350. That said, Le Col did turn to McLaren's leading aerodynamicists to help develop and test the skinsuit.

Nopinz' offering is also much cheaper than more reasonably priced options such as Castelli's Free Sanremo 2 Women's skinsuit, which also has two pockets, but costs £195.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a great-fitting skinsuit that ticks all the criteria for going fast. It's very comfortable where it really matters – the chamois is certainly a good one for long rides – though I didn't get on so well with the finish at the hems or the zip cover at the neck, but for the price you are still getting a lot.

Verdict

Some minor niggles on the comfort front, otherwise a fantastic close-fitting skinsuit with a pad and pockets that'll cover you for long blasts