February 26, 2018 – Founded in 1983, Garneau’s first order was for custom cycling clothing, and this company believes that all riders, not just the Pros, deserve the cycling kit and bike that defines them. While materials have evolved and technology has advanced refining the process, Garneau’s commitment to delivering quality custom cycling, triathlon and Nordic clothing remains true, and creating s custom kit is part of its DNA.

With this belief in mind, the Dreamfactory lets you “live your dream” by providing customization options for one of Garneau’s aero road, road, triathlon, cyclocross or even fat bikes! As fall was just around the corner, cyclocross was in the air, so a custom Course skinsuit with a matching custom-painted Steeple Elite was just what I needed to receive the Garneau Dreamfactory treatment and thereby live out my dream.

Although the task may seem daunting for those who have never designed cycling clothing before, the Dreamfactory staff makes it incredibly easy. Their communication is topnotch, prompt and very helpful – exactly what you need when designing your own custom kit and bike. What really stood out for me was the excitement of both departments – clothing and bicycle – when going back and forth with me on my vision. Each individual at Garneau I spoke with was genuinely excited to help me make my custom kit and bike a reality.

When it came to designing the Steeple Elite’s frame paint job, it was simple to bring my ideas to life. The custom Dreamfactory website allows you to effortlessly pick your make and model and then start painting your dream. With four colour-zone options and 25 colours to choose from, thousands of combinations can be created, making the bike distinctly your own.

After I settled on Option 3, which allowed me to completely customize the bike’s colours, I went to work using Dreamfactory online tool to simulate various colour combinations. As a fan of bright and high-vis colours, I quickly went to work creating the brightest, loudest frame designs I could imagine. With the online tool, this is so easy and fun to do! In the end, I toned down my design and settled on a matte-finish metallic midnight-blue base colour with a metallic crystal-blue accent colour and a neon-yellow logo colour (in keeping with my high-vis affection) with a slash of white for the intricate inner decals of the fork and rear seatstays.

Tested by the Canadian Olympic Team and developed in collaboration with Alphamantis Technologies, an aerodynamics company specializing in cycling, the Course skinsuit is designed to slice through the air. Wind tunnel testing has shown that this suit is capable of shaving up to one second per kilometre off when compared to other suits.

When taking into account the length and level of difficulty of the season’s most important races, these saved watts could prove most precious in the final sprint. The Course skinsuit is truly an evolution in racing kit. With the full-length detachable jersey, seamless inner leg and three floating back pockets, the Course skinsuit is as practical as it is aerodynamic. Its fit walks the fine line of being snug but comfortable.

The design team was super-easy to deal with. I began with an idea, provided some photos that I drew inspiration from and the Garneau team took it from there and provided me with multiple design options to choose from. In the end, the Garneau team was able to quickly deliver two designs based on my ideas. Once the design was finalized, it was a simple process to sign off on the proof over email, and two weeks later, my fancy fast custom skinsuit was on my doorstep.

If you’re looking for high standards in terms of aerodynamics, comfort, ventilation and compression, the Course skinsuit is a great choice. Taking it to the next level, designing your own bike, Garneau really lets you to “live your dream.”

Steeple Test report here.
Garneau Dreamfactory here.