CHAMPION S/S Tee “ALL-STEEL”

2025/3/24 木村まさし

This is the third season of our bespoke CHAMPION series. Thanks to you, it’s been very well-received and remains a popular item in both Tokyo and Nagoya. For this spring and summer season, we’re delivering a collaboration with CHAMPION on a highly versatile heavy-ounce T-shirt, featuring a message from Circles.

STEEL is Real

While carbon fiber has become the mainstream material for sports bikes, I personally love bicycles made from chrome-molybdenum, or Cr-Mo (commonly known as chromoly).

These are what you might call steel bikes. People often say they are "heavy" or "prone to rust," but I think that’s only when comparing them to other materials.

Chan-mai, Sales, Charcoal, 151cm, Size L

In terms of safety and longevity, a Cr-Mo bicycle is a more reasonable choice than any other material.

A well-made steel bike can be ridden safely for decades. In fact, the first Cr-Mo bike I ever owned was a 30-year-old one given to me by my uncle.

I used to treat it quite roughly, so the rear end got bent, but I repaired it and kept riding. Cr-Mo frames and forks can usually be restored to riding condition even if they are bent or severely dented, because they can be repaired or replaced.

Big-Taki, Photographer, Blue, 174cm, Size L

In the unlikely event of a crack, it won’t snap suddenly; more often than not, it will give you a warning by making a sound you can notice. It’s a very forgiving material.

And, even if it eventually ends up as scrap metal, it can be recycled back into steel.

With its robustness, longevity, safety, and capacity for repair and recycling, it’s a material packed with truly sustainable elements. These are characteristics that the latest materials, like carbon, simply don't have.

Uno-chang, Logistics, Heather, 176.5cm, Size L

Yes, I believe that steel bikes aren't just nostalgic, classic vehicles—they remain a realistic, best-choice option today.

There's no denying that a sleek, beautiful steel bike is always stylish and something to aspire to.

For this T-shirt, we’ve used flock printing to feature the “ALL-STEEL” graphic, which captures this sentiment. I look forward to bumping into fellow steel bike lovers around town or out in the field.

About the Body

The T-shirt body is made by CHAMPION. It is a short-sleeve shirt with a dry feel, made from 100% sustainably sourced American cotton produced with the environment in mind.

Featuring a relaxed fit with unique ACTION STYLE sizing—a generous width in the body and sleeves paired with a slightly shorter length for a balanced silhouette. The garment-wash finish gives it a worn-in, comfortable feel from the very first wear.