Editor’s Note: The Cyclist will be profiling and testing garments and technical gear occasionally. We want to spread the word on good gear for your riding enjoyment, so to that end, here is our latest post on “What To Wear”

Finisterre was bourne out of a desire to outfit surfers with technical apparel that was wrought from sustainable and recyclable materials with an aim to have as little environmental impact as possible, but have a very high degree of performance in the field. It is a small company based out of St. Agnes on the northeastern coast of Cornwall in the United Kingdom. This area is noted for its outstanding surfing which figures highly in its designs. Finisterre features sustainable technologies and environmentally sound manufacturing is a top priority. In fact, Finisterre has won several awards in these areas for its conscientious choices.

Super Fine Merino Base Layer

One of the things that appealed to me was Finisterre use of wool in the base layer pieces and the jackets that have several cycling friendly features like helmet friendly hoods, drop tails on the jackets, and very packable jackets and gilets. Now that the range has been expanded to include some technical pieces that would be a natural for cycling, Finisterre feels that reaching out to the cycling community is a natural outgrowth of its focus and philosophy.

Not that they are strangers to cycling. One of the Finisterre product testers, James Bowthorpe, recently beat the Round the World cycle record by three weeks. Bowthorpe circumnavigated the world, covering 18,062 miles in 175 days, averaging around 103 miles per day. The 31 year old from South London cycled into Hyde Park, where he left off five and half months before. So, that’s a nice testament to the ability of Finisterre gear to function on a bicycle.

 Man's Matanuska m65 Jacket

Some of the gear choices from Finisterre that would make great cycling gear choices are the Merino underwear and t-shirt pieces, but there are others which are equally, if not more, impressive as cycling kit. These include the Humboldt jacket, the Storm Track jacket, the Bise insulated vest, and the Matanuska jacket. You can check out more on their excellent website, www.finisterre.uk

So in a world filled by companies that do this sort of gear, why would Finisterre deserve a look? I think that the company delivers on a level not unlike cycling’s promise of green transportation. In 2007, Finisterre decided to pull production out of China in view of concerns over working conditions and employee rights. Manufacturing now takes place in Devon and Portugal, and at a facility in Colombia run by nuns as part of a rehabilitation project for at risk women, and more recently the company have been spearheading an initiative with a small sheep farmer to bring back a rare breed with the intention of sourcing high quality wool right on their doorstep.

 Storm Track Mk 4

That said, their gear is tested in some of the harshest conditions on Plane Earth by real people. Finisterre is using technologies that rival and surpass those in use by the big “mega-corporations. But I think that the thing that appeals most to me is that Finisterre is run by a small, dedicated staff in a quaint English coastline village that makes top notch gear. You gotta love an underdog!