Nano Flex
Product talk 11

Nano Flex: a history of water repellency

As with so many of our products, it began with a problem, or at least the attempt to identify a solution to one. In this case, the questions revolved around how to dress in unpredictable weather, and how to avoid the unpleasantness of that clammy, wet feeling of cycling in the rain. Yes, we now have the option to escape to a virtual reality tucked dryly away in our caves of pain, but what do you do if, you know, you want to go ride your bike outside? When it might rain or – wait for it – it’s already raining?

Which brings us back to the original question, put bluntly: how can we make riding in the cold and rain not suck?

 

Wet road

 

Let’s rewind the tape ten years, to a particularly nasty November in 2009, when we sat down with a few of the riders on the Cervélo Test Team. Guys who were riding through winters in Belgium, the high mountains of Spain, in Norway; in other words, guys who spent considerable amounts of time in cold and wet conditions. Pros in general, and these guys in particular, were the perfect cycling product testing Guinea pigs!

 

Thor Hushovd

 

After a couple years of engineering and testing, we’d developed a 5-phase nanotechnology treatment where we applied an outer coating of tiny, silicone fiber nanofilaments to a brushed fleece Thermoflex. The result? A fabric which offered a higher level of water protection without sacrificing breathability or stretch. If it sounds like a relatively complicated process, it was, and it was groundbreaking at the time. Watching water hit and immediately run off the fabric actually made us look forward to riding in the rain.

 

Garmin Sharp

 

Since the first days of Nano Flex, we’ve never stopped working on improving the fabrics used for our wet weather cycling clothing. Though we’re not quite there on our goal of bringing full waterproofness to a non-membrane fabric, and after numerous small improvements over the past 10 years, we’ve made the first major updates, which can now be seen in the 3 types of Nano Flex technology we offer:

 

Our Nano Flex 3G fabric features our proprietary 3rd generation of nanotechnology water-repellent finish and is our best all-around fabric for winter tights. It is warm, luxuriously soft, highly breathable, and offers full freedom of motion without reducing protection from the elements. While other companies are using simple chemical water-repellent finishes, we create a nanotechnology mechanical repellency to enhance a chemical DWR finish. The result is that you to stay drier and more comfortable. Nano Flex 3G can be found on our men’s and women’s Tutto Nano Bibtights (and Bib Knickers and Bibshorts), and on our warmers.

Nano Flex 3G Graphic

Nano Flex Xtra Dry fabric utilizes a tighter knit, double-layer construction, and we’ve improved the water repellency treatment to offer even more protection. This is a significant improvement in making your foul-weather riding much more comfortable and allows us to offer no-compromise pieces for all your cool-weather riding. Nano Flex Xtra Dry can be found on our men’s and women’s Nano Flex Pro 2 Bibtights, our Sorpasso 2 Wind Bibtight (back panel and lower leg), the Meno + Wind Bibtight (back of legs), Omloop Pro 2 Bibshorts, Nelmezzo RoS Jersey, and the back of our Alpha RoS Light Jacket and Trasparente Jersey.

 

Nano Flex Light Woven is a stretch woven fabric with Nano Flex water repellent finish, has better water repellency, lower air permeability, and is more packable than its predecessor. Nano Flex Light Woven can be found on both our men’s and women’s Perfetto ROS Light Jacket and Perfetto ROS vest.

 

Nelmezzo RoS Jersey

 

So the next time you find yourself checking the weather on your phone or perhaps wishfully thinking as you gaze out the window to wintery conditions, put on your Nano Flex, head out the door, and show the weather who is boss.

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11 Comments

  • cCmidcsmith says: March 12, 2020 at 14:55

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    with
    regards

    Reply
  • Xenia Bills says: March 13, 2020 at 17:16

    how can we make riding in the cold and rain not suck?
    https://supermariobros.io/

    Reply
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  • run 3 says: June 3, 2020 at 04:42

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  • Tony Tibbs says: October 7, 2020 at 14:38

    Ciao amici
    Which of these nanoflex knee warmers are the best for sub zero temperatures? Are they only for rainy days or suitable for snowy conditions as well? I’m a big guy and the sizes look like they should fit me but I’m just trying to work out what will be best for the cold winter months over here.
    Grazie Tony

    Reply
  • Hilko M says: October 26, 2020 at 17:31

    Where in the beautiful diagram comparing 3G to Xtra Dry is BREATHABILITY??

    Reply
  • abdullah says: February 23, 2024 at 03:02

    looking beautiful

    Reply
  • people playground says: December 2, 2024 at 12:25

    I’m looking forward to learning more from you

    Reply
  • klaudiyapetr says: April 2, 2025 at 09:53

    The history of water repellency in Nano Flex technology is truly fascinating—it’s like the perfect drift in Drift Boss Unblocked , where control and precision are key! This innovation has revolutionized how we handle moisture-resistant materials, offering both performance and reliability. Just as you master each turn in the game, Nano Flex masters the art of repelling water effortlessly.

    Reply
  • Metthews says: April 8, 2025 at 16:51

    Wow, the Nano Flex tech sounds amazing! I hate riding in the rain, but this might actually make it bearable.

    Reply
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