Ex-pro cyclist Mr David Millar fuses traditional tailoring with technical fabrics to create our new favourite cycling brand .

“I’ve split my career into three parts,” says Mr David Millar. “One being the pre-ban [in 2004, for taking performance-enhancing drugs] and chapter two, the renaissance. Chapter three starts with its own story, and hopefully it’ll transcend my cycling days.” It would take something rather special to overshadow a professional life that includes four Tour de France stage wins and an emphatic comeback from his doping ban. “I’ve seen some pretty dark things by any standards,” says Mr Millar. “To have survived that and come out the other side and make a difference. I’m very proud of that.” But his new cycling clothing collection might just mark a personal best. The result of a year’s graft with innovative Italian brand Castelli, Chpt. is a line that teams performance with sartorial acumen.

Mr Millar, who gained the nickname Le Dandy when he first rode in Le Tour because of his discerning attitude to attire – “I always wore my caps backwards, but flipped up,” he says – seems to be adjusting well to life post-cycling. It’s over a year since he said goodbye to the pro peloton at the Vuelta a Espana, a race in which the Scottish-born time-trial specialist won five stages during his 17-year career. “My life still revolves around the racing season,” he says. “So it’s in a quiet time at the moment. But when you move to the commercial side, it keeps you busy.”

Chpt. was created, he says, with a simple goal in mind. “Primarily, to make clothing that I would wear as a retired racer.” Ironically, many of the fabrics in the collection are more innovative than the materials he benefited from as a pro rider. The 1.61 Rocka, for example, is lighter than any yellow jersey he wore. “The Lycra we used is expensive and unsuitable for racing in 40ºC heat,” says Mr Millar. “I wanted to use similar materials and modify them so they didn’t have to be like a body suit, and so we could add some flair. It’s about creating beautiful, technological cycling clothing.”

To execute this mix of style and technical know-how, Mr Millar used a specialist team comprising his tailor, Mr Timothy Everest, and the brand manager of his former sponsor Castelli, Mr Steve Smith. “Castelli is the most cutting-edge when it comes to performance cycling apparel,” he says. “Steve Smith is behind some of the most ground-breaking gear of the past eight years. We wanted to create something he’d wear and I’d wear. We’re not trying to compete with anybody. We’re creating something new.”

Although his designs are innovative, Mr Millar wanted Chpt. to have a timeless feel, so he found himself referencing iconic menswear. The button collar on the 1.21 Race-Fit jersey is a case in point. “There are homages to classic clothing, such as motorcycle jackets and old racing overalls, with the button collars,” says Mr Millar. “At performance level, it’s a hassle having to do up buttons. But now I’m not racing, I just think it looks better.” He also likes the red and green 1.61 Rocka jacket because it reminds him of old military or aviation jackets. And the neat wrap-around collar? That was down to Mr Everest. “His cutter Lloyd worked on it,” he says. “It’s a simple way to close the collar, even when you’re wearing gloves.”

For Mr Millar, traditional tailoring and racing apparel go hand in hand. “The only thing that comes close to the level of tech that’s required for cycling gear is bespoke tailoring,” he says. “Centuries of craftsmanship, skill and knowledge go into a bespoke suit. It’s all designed for a specific purpose. It’s problem solving. Which is what we do with cycling clothing.”

This is a theme that continues when we ask Mr Millar who he thinks will wear Chpt.. “Anybody, really,” he says. “I don’t care if it’s a novice rider or a seasoned campaigner. But I think a guy who has some sartorial knowledge and, off the bike, may wear clothes that are tailored or thought about. I want to create cycling clothing that matches the standard off the bike. We’re not doing mass production. It’s limited. We’re catering to those gents who fancy something different.”

To give us a deeper understanding of Chpt., we asked Mr Millar to talk us through five key pieces from his collection. Read what he has to say, below, and click on each product to find out more.

“The material we used for this weighs 50g/sq m, so it’s one of the lightest you can get. It almost feels like silk. We wouldn’t be able to use this in racing because it’s too light to hold the print of a sponsor. There are three pockets on the back. On the inside, there are two netted pockets for holding both your arm and leg warmers.”

“This is an undershirt without arms, so it’s more comfortable. Because of how light it is, if you put it and the short-sleeve jersey on, it equates to wearing one normal jersey, which helps in the warmer months. The pattern is like a reveal on the lining of a suit. We put all the data – speed, altitude, cadence – from one of my stages at the Vuelta a Espana in 2014 into an algorithm to get that effect.”

“These are probably the best cycling shorts you could possibly make. Castelli once designed some with hardly any seams. I wanted to get back to that and use the highest-quality Lycra we could get. It’s almost compression-like when you wear it. The trend with straps is thin. However, I wanted them to feel a little thicker, like proper braces. The shammy inside the shorts is what I used when I was racing.”

“My old sponsor, Fizik, gave me some socks about six years ago. They seemed to last for ever. I told Steve [Smith, Castelli brand manager] that we needed to find these socks. It turned into a two-month pursuit. Fizik had changed its supplier and the factory had nearly shut down, but we found out how to make them. They have a ceramic thread in the base, so it’s nigh on impossible to put a hole in them. The gripping material has a semi-compression effect. You can wear them with anything, whether it be jeans or a suit.”

“We were having a problem with cutting the collar on this, so we went to Timothy Everest and his cutter worked on it. It’s a really simple way to close the collar. Steve Smith had to persuade Gore to make the green and fire-red interior. It doesn’t usually do this two-tone colour scheme. The material we used to make this is 20 per cent lighter than pro race fabric.”

**Fit Your Bike Properly **

It doesn’t matter what bike or clothing you have – if you’re positioned incorrectly as you ride, you’ll look like a muppet. Get your saddle and handlebars fitted in the right position at a local club or shop. You want to look a bit fast.

Have A Cohesive Look

Your bike should look good leaning against a wall. You don’t want two different coloured wheels, for example. And think about how your clothing works as well. It should all go together. You wouldn’t wear a mismatched suit off the bike, would you?

Take Your Helmet Off...

…when you’re not on your bike. That’s a rule.

Use Your Gears

Often you see people in way too big or small a gear. If you’re aiming for, say, a 90 revs per minute cadence [an optimum, fast pedalling rate], then keep it constant and consistent, between 80 and 90. That’s what gears are for.

Go Modern Or Retro

Factor is my current bike brand. It’s crazily cutting edge. In my opinion, you either go down this route, or you go retro with a nice classic steel bike, traditional and thought about. With the older bikes, like a classic car, you can work on them and it’s a talking point. I’m not really an in-between person.