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NASA-derived textiles are touring France by bike

July 21st, 2025 Andrew Wagner
NASA-derived textiles are touring France by bike
This woman is wearing an Ekoï jersey made from Outlast. The phase-change materials incorporated into the fabric help the wearer stay comfortable in any temperature. Credit: Ekoï

During the Tour de France, athletes have to maintain a constant speed while bike riding for dozens of miles through cold rains and summer heat. These cyclists need gear that adapts to the different environments they encounter. One company is using a material with NASA origins to ensure these athletes stay comfortable while taking their grand tours.

Phase-change materials use basic properties of matter to maintain a steady temperature. When a substance melts from a solid to a liquid, the material absorbs heat, and when it becomes solid again, it releases that heat.

In the 1980s, Triangle Research Corporation received a NASA Small Business Innovation Research award to explore how phase-change materials could be incorporated into textiles to control temperatures in spacesuit gloves. By placing phase-change materials in small capsules woven throughout a textile, these temperature-regulating properties can be tuned to the comfort of the human body.

While these textiles weren't incorporated into any gloves flown on NASA missions, they formed the basis for a new product, sold under the name Outlast.

Outlast has since become one of the most widely distributed temperature-regulating fabrics, found in products such as bedding, loungewear, and office chairs. It has seen especially extensive use in activewear, ranging from jogging clothes to professional sports gear.

NASA-derived textiles are touring France by bike
Spacesuit gloves have to be both dexterous enough to use tools and insulating enough to protect against the temperature extremes of working in space. Working with industry, NASA explored the use of phase-change materials for these purposes, which was later commercialized under the name Outlast. Credit: NASA

Founded in 2001 and based in Fréjus, France, the company Ekoï makes clothing and accessories for cyclists, particularly those who bike competitively. The company first encountered Outlast at the Performance Days fabric trade fair in Munich, Germany, and was impressed with its capabilities as well as its NASA heritage.

"When you say NASA, it's always impressive." said Celine Milan, director of textiles at Ekoï. "At the beginning we were even saying here in our offices, 'Wow, this technology was developed by NASA.' It's on another level."

Ekoï's Outlast line officially launched in July 2022, during that year's Tour de France. Over the course of that race, the company found it improved cyclists' performance in the event's mountain stages, where elevation changes mean wide swings in temperature. It also improved athletes' aerodynamics, as their jerseys could stay closed in warmer environments, rather than opening them to let in wind.

Today, Ekoï sells several products that incorporate Outlast materials, including jerseys, gloves, and socks. These products are internationally known for their NASA heritage. Whether engineering for astronauts' comfort in space or competitive athletes, NASA aims for excellence.

Provided by NASA

Citation: NASA-derived textiles are touring France by bike (2025, July 21) retrieved 21 July 2025 from https://sciencex.com/wire-news/514554010/nasa-derived-textiles-are-touring-france-by-bike.html
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