A few days ago I woke up to an email that I’d been hoping for but realistically wasn’t expecting to receive. I had been selected to join the 2020 Pactimo Ambassador Club, and I couldn’t have been happier.
Looking back at my order history it seems that I first discovered Pactimo around May 2018, I’d been cycling for about 20 months by that stage and only owned one “good” set of kit which I’d bought to ride L’Etape London in 2017 (I figured a £20 pair of bib tights from Amazon probably wouldn’t cut it for a 150km). Needless to say it was time for some more bibs and jerseys that would keep me comfortable on longer rides, particularly as my wife and I would be driving down to Portugal with our daughter for a wedding in the summer (with my bike). We were planning to take about a week to travel down so that we could keep time in the car to a minimum on any given day (our daughter was one at the time) and, as the route planner, I got to tailor our stops including a couple of nights in the Pyrénées and a night in Serra da Estrela – perfect for some awesome cycling!
I wish I knew how I found Pactimo but the truth is, given that I was still relatively new to cycling with a young child at home and my wife on maternity leave, I was probably just browsing any site I could find for some good quality kit on sale! My first order was a pair of bibs and two jerseys, all of which I still use today (although the bibs are about due to be replaced).
Now, two years on, the vast majority of my cycling wardrobe is Pactimo. I think it is rare these days to find a brand which makes consistently good products across their entire range which are durable, look good, sized consistently and (possibly most importantly) priced fairly but with Pactimo that is exactly what you get.
By now you’re probably wondering who Pactimo are, where they are from and, if their kit is so good, why you haven’t seen it in your local bike shop or popular online retailers.
Well, Pactimo sprung onto the scene in 2003 based out of Colorado focusing on custom cycling apparel. Since those early days the company has sold millions of garments and supported teams and individuals all over the world. You can check out their full story here.
As for why you haven’t seen it in your LBS? The only place you can buy Pactimo apparel is directly from their website, which is how they keep their prices down and customer service high.
I think it’s also important to mention all of the work they do for good causes throughout the world, most obviously demonstrated at this strange time by their support to the COVID-19 effort. In the UK, Pactimo are supporting the NHS by selling this awesome jersey and donating £25 from each sale to supporting NHS staff and, in the US, they have recently announced that they will be donating 10,000 medical masks to healthcare workers in Denver and NYC along with other support groups such as the Denver Rescue Mission and Samaritan House.
So, if you’re in the market for some quality new kit and don’t want to break the bank in the process, go and check them out. Delivery is free over £70 and, if you use this link, you’ll get 20% off your first purchase. I look forward to seeing some more of you #ridepactimo soon!
WCT
West Country Triathlete 