Ekoi

by Paul Horta-Hopkins · 22/07/2015

Ekoi

Paul Horta-Hopkins

Preview of shoes, helmet and glasses from French brand Ekoi

Ekoi may not be a name you have heard of before – I know I hadn’t – but after receiving samples of their sunglasses, helmet and road shoes first impressions suggest we may be hearing more of them.

Ekoi was started back in 2001 by JC Rattel, he has over 20 years experience working for brands like MBK and Vetta before starting his own brand. Ekoi produce clothing, shoes, helmets and sun-glasses and have a big on-line presence in Europe, where they support many of the biggest cycling sportives and Fondos. It’s not just the amateurs that like Ekoi’s product, pro teams AG2R La Mondiale, Europcar and SUNWEB can be seen using their products in some of the biggest races.

Head to toe Ekoi, the VeranClassic team are sponsored by the French manufacturer

As well as offering a huge range of designs and styles, Ekoi have a custom option available for many of their products that allow you to add a personal touch to your kit. This is a nice little touch and doesn’t add to the overall price. Speaking of prices, as an internet based business Ekoi’s prices are very competitive, and with many sales and offers, you can pick up a bargain.

So, that’s enough about the brand, what have we actually got our hands on? First up are a pair of Perso Evo 2 sunglasses. These come in a protective case, with a choice of clear, amber and Photo-chromatic lenses, and a soft bag. With a choice of 10 different lens types/colours and a similar amount of colours for every other part of the glasses, the combinations are endless. Made from TR90 Grilamid the frames are light, 29g and hypoallergenic.

Ekoi Perso Evo 2 sunglasses come with a multitude of lens and colour choices – I wish I had been a bit more adventurous!

Next up is the Ekoi Ekcel Magnetic helmet as worn by Blel Kadri of Ag2r-La Mondiale during his 2014 TdF stage win. The Ekcel Magnetic is also the official team helmet for the AG2R La Mondiale team. The reason for the ‘Magnetic’ in the name is that Ekoi have used a magnetic closure on this model of helmet, making one-handed operation a breeze. Custom colours are also available on the Ekcel Magnetic.

The Ekcel Magnetic helmet uses a magnetic closure and can be customised

Finally we have the Ekoi R2 shoe, which we briefly mentioned in our recent shoe guide. These glossy white beauties have a 6mm thick, 3K carbon sole that accepts 3-hole, Look style cleats. Closures are via Ekoi’s own Atop closures, a rotary dial system with Kevlar cables and a velcro strap for the fore-foot.