Replica kits from China on ebay

Steve_b77
Steve_b77 Posts: 1,680
edited August 2010 in Road buying advice
Does anyone have an experience of these?

What are they like for the money?

I need a team jersey for the 'team day' on my London 2 Paris ride in july and they seem like a bargain at £30 for eh jersey & shorts.

I'm expecting Aldi levels of quality, are the shorts better than the afore mentioned Teutonic supermarket?

Comments

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    I've got a jersey. Won't be buying another...
  • bendertherobot
    bendertherobot Posts: 11,684
    Bought one a few years back. Arrived, tried it on, stuck it in the charity bag.
    My blog: http://www.roubaixcycling.cc (kit reviews and other musings)
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  • Steve_b77
    Steve_b77 Posts: 1,680
    That'll be a no then :wink:
  • flanners1
    flanners1 Posts: 916
    I bought a BMC Squadra Mondo kit, pretty happy with it tbh (not in same ball park as Rapha, Strutt and real Assos stuff), it sizes up a little small The Assos wording is upside down on the rear logos on the shorts :roll:

    Overall not bad, short's chammy is good as well.
    Colnago C60 SRAM eTap, Colnago C40, Milani 107E, BMC Pro Machine, Trek Madone, Viner Gladius,
    Bizango 29er
  • leeroy72
    leeroy72 Posts: 330
    I have a l/s jersey and it is almost impossible to tell the difference! :D
    Find your limits...and then exceed them frequently
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Mmm fab - designer bags !

    I've a couple of ebay kits - ok not up to rapha or assos levels - but far better value for money. They do come up slightly small but not as bad as some cycling makes.

    Perfectly acceptable quality - just check on the photos that logos are the right way up !

    FWIW - I've a lot of aldi running kit - its better than some of my branded kit that's 4x the price.
  • Bar Shaker
    Bar Shaker Posts: 2,313
    I would rather wear a plain set than a set that people would see was a knock off.

    I would not be looking like a team rider so much as trying to look like someone who could afford the team kit.
    Boardman Elite SLR 9.2S
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  • I've bought a few pieces from Ebay to be honest.

    The Livestrong jersey & shorts I bought are perfectly acceptable and a comfortable fit.

    The Team Sky jersey & shorts do look a little 'knock off'. The shorts are a decent fit but I went for the XL jersey (I'm a 40" inch chest and that was the recommended size) and its very loose fitting at the front.

    I suppose you get what you pay for! but their not bad if you don't want to pay £140 for the official jersey & bibshorts.
  • I've just took a gamble on a black Francaise Des Jeux jersey from Hong Kong off ebay.

    Though it is still to arrive I am already setting myself up for a fall and am planning buying a new one. Hope I am pleasantly surprised and the quality is good but my natural pessimism is already getting the better of me. Must not make snap decisions on Ebay...

    Lovely looking top as well , never even knew FDJ did them black till I saw it.
  • mike ives
    mike ives Posts: 319
    I rcently bought some team replica kit off ebay - a bargain. And better than my other kit too.

    I paid £35 incl. postage for a short sleeved top (with full zip) and bib shorts. Excellent kit and it arrived in five days as they suggested.

    I like a bargain!
  • nferrar
    nferrar Posts: 2,511
    I really can't understand why people would want to show support for a team by buying rip-off gear that only puts money into the hands of a Chinese factory owner (and a few pennies for the kids probably doing the sewing). Why not actually support the cycling industry?
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Where are the proper kits made ? I know I've bought genuine team kit in the past that was of crappy quality.

    I'd rather get cheap kit than fund some marketeers xmas jolly TBH.
  • Karl2010
    Karl2010 Posts: 511
    I bought a Cervelo 09 kit just recently for 35quid. It arrived in 7days from China.

    I ordered XL bibs & XL jersey. Both fit well.

    The chamios in the bibs is realy good aswell.

    Only thing is i washed them one a 30 degree wash as soon as i got them and the black ink has run slightly making the white part of the jersey/bibs seem a bit dirty in color.
    (like a dirty white). So id suggest using one of those COLOR CATHERS that have been advertised on TV recently.

    Im happy for 35 quid.
    Infact i regret buying my Gore Sonic bibs for 150 quid. Wish id have saved my money and got the replica kits.

    Im gonna get the HTC kit & Astana one i think.
    Then ill have enough bibs and jerseys, and wont have to buy any more untill the ones ive got fall appart.
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    I got a pair of bibshorts to add to the single pair I already have. Took a bit of a gamble on the sizing and went with large which is OK, should have maybe gone down to medium. Not had chance to wear them yet but the chamois feels good to the touch, how the vital parts of my body will judge is still to happen.
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • milese
    milese Posts: 1,233
    I bought a 09 Cervelo Kit for about £32 from China, with bib shorts and full length zip.

    Quality isn't the best, but its comfortable, seems durable and I dont think anyone would tell its a knock off unless they get far too close to me.

    I wanted a cheap set to commute in, and at that price its pretty unbeatable.

    Make sure you go by the sizing measurements and not the size letter.

    I'd defo buy another set, rather than spend 3 times as much on a genuine set.
  • Ginjafro
    Ginjafro Posts: 572
    You can buy a kit "bundle" for less than £33 from Cycle-clothing.co.uk, which comprises a jersey, padded shorts and even fingerless gloves! My experience with them is good. They produce decent quality and great value cycle clothing.

    http://www.cycle-clothing.co.uk/ProductBundles/13/cycle-essentials-pack-i.aspx
    Giant XTC Pro-Carbon
    Cove Hustler
    Planet X Pro-Carbon
  • I will put a vote in for cycle-clothing uk.

    They did our cycling group kit and very nice it is too..

    _mid_83955.jpg
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    Wish I knew about them earlier. Never mind, if a woman can have infinitely more pairs of shoes than she can wear theres nothing wrong with a cyclist having three pairs of bib shorts.
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • Velonutter
    Velonutter Posts: 2,437
    My mate bought their HTC outfit and brought it around at the weekend.

    First impressions seems very good, they use YKK zips which are the top zips, the top fitted brilliantly and the seams were every well made.

    The shorts seem to have an excellent padding, but that needs to be worn a little more before a proper opinion can be made.

    I'm that impressed I am buying the FDJ Black and Blue outfit, where else can you get a full kit for £25, even if it only gets used on the turbo, then it will still be worth it.
  • I got a short sleeved Saxo jersey for £17. At that price I thought it worth the risk and I was quite prepared for it to be rubbish.

    It's actually very good indeed. Looks perfect. Good shape. Nice fabric. Full-length zip. No complaints at all.

    Unfortunately, a large (my size) tag was attached to a medium jersey, so it's a little snug. Seller is sending me another large jersey without even wanting the medium back!
  • simon_e
    simon_e Posts: 1,706
    A colleague of mine bought a Cervelo jersey (2009 IIRC, with Lifeforce logo) from China/HK recently and is happy with it. I don't know if he's spotted that Vittoria is spelt Vittorio on the sleeves and front panel. He has since purchased the HTC jersey & bibs, though it also must be 2009 as Columbia is higher up on the front. He hasn't mentioned the quality of the bib shorts. Both times the items arrived quickly enough with no issues.
    nferrar wrote:
    I really can't understand why people would want to show support for a team by buying rip-off gear that only puts money into the hands of a Chinese factory owner (and a few pennies for the kids probably doing the sewing). Why not actually support the cycling industry?
    It's up to you whether you want to give your money to either copycats or Castelli/Nalini et al. But what difference is there? AFAIK these companies don't have ethical trading/Fairtrade statements and auditing practises to ensure your favourite team kit isn't being stitched by 8 year old kids doing 14 hour days for 45p.

    Everyone buys PCs, mobile phones, clothes, kids' toys or car parts made in China so why draw a distinction when it's cycle clothing?
    Aspire not to have more, but to be more.