Cycle clothing...dull, dull, dull

Mr. Bifidus

Hi all

Having come from a snowboarding background, where technical clothing typically has really contemporary, exciting designs, I'm now ready to buy my first set of mountain biking clothing. Trouble is the choice really is p*ss poor!

Just look at this list of rainwear jackets at Evans and here at Wiggle...dull!

I'm not after anything too in-your-face, just something that isn't plain black, white, blue, red or green. Is it just me or does cycling clothing design need to be dragged out of the 80s?

There is this, but suprise-suprise, it's BMX clothing :roll:

Can anyone suggest any cycling clothing brands that may be suitable...if they exists?

Thanks,
Mr. B

tsenior

i think you should buy this

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=47440

Anonymous

Royal and animal make some "normal" looking stuff.
I couldn't give a rat's arse about fashion, but I don't want to end up looking like a mid-life-crisis runner or "athlete"

.blitz

tsenior wrote:

i think you should buy this http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=47440

OMG my eyes

If you want exciting and contemporary, have a word with Mr.Dodd on the MBUK forum

Most MTB gear looks the same when it's covered in mud and everyone knows black is the fastest.

Anonymous

If you want stuff similar to snowboard clothing you need to be shopping where the freeriders, downhillers and BMXers shop.

No use using the regular shops that just sell XC lycra and commuter junk. You want grungy baggies and the like .

Mr. Bifidus

tsenior - that is a little eye-searing, but getting there!

yeehaamcgee - will take a look, thanks. I'm definately not into fashion by any means - it's just that if i'm going to be spending over a hundred quid, I want something that looks good as well as being functional

.blitz - fair point

deadkenny - any recommendations for those types of stores (online)

shx8000

I'm a big fan of both Fox and Royal. http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Larg ... elID=56603
Used to be big into my skating and still tend to wear similar style clothing. loose and comfy.
Do have some smarter clothes though, got to at my age.

Have noticed some odd fashion things going on recently. Lads riding in skin tight denim jeans, short sleeved shirts, with buttons up the front, little plimsoles and massive ear rings. Wearing baseball caps instead of helmets. Load of them the other week doing the final D/H bit of the monkey trail. :roll: :roll:

Anonymous

shx8000 wrote:

I'm a big fan of both Fox and Royal. http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Larg ... elID=56603
Used to be big into my skating and still tend to wear similar style clothing. loose and comfy.
Do have some smarter clothes though, got to at my age.

Ditto apart from the smarter clothes bit. Well, I do own a suit, but it's purely for weddings and funerals

tsenior

Ditto apart from the smarter clothes bit. Well, I do own a suit, but it's purely for court appearances

delta5

Sugoi make a few decent off-road clothes like this. Unfortunately most of their cycling clothing looks very roadie-style. Also not very easy to find in the UK, and not cheap when you do, but it is top quality (Canadian, iirc).

miss notax

Think yourself lucky - the range for girls is equally as rubbish but a lot SMALLER

Oh, and of course it's a good job that I always want to ride in something pink and flowery to attack some really technical singletrack.... :? :roll:

shx8000

Haha. My missus has exactly the same problem. Always bitchin and moaning about all the biking gear being light blue or pink.
I bought her a Specialized Myka Elite for Christmas. Came in white. So as if to prove a point, she has bought pink pedals, bars, grips, chain stay protector etc etc. Wish she'd make her mind up.

miss notax

shx8000 wrote:

Haha. My missus has exactly the same problem. Always bitchin and moaning about all the biking gear being light blue or pink.
I bought her a Specialized Myka Elite for Christmas. Came in white. So as if to prove a point, she has bought pink pedals, bars, grips, chain stay protector etc etc. Wish she'd make her mind up.

Ahhh, but that's HER choice rather than having to buy it because it's the only option!!

(and lucky lady getting a bike for Christmas!!)

shx8000

Agreed. Only now she's pointed it out, I realise how limited the women are. Unless they are built like blokes.

Good article in MBR about Women specific equipment.

supersonic

Snowboarders like those designs because snowboarding seems more of a lifestyle. And a place to show off, and say 'look at me, aren't I cool?'. Of course this never happens in MTBing...

When I ride on the trail I don't care what I look like and wear a golf suit. But if there was something I wanted to avoid it would be looking like a snowboarder, ie standing in front of a cannon full of lurid paint and logos while a colourblind fashionista lights the fuse.

bike-a-swan

Giro have some pretty bright designs, especially helmets.

This place has some jerseys that aren't the usual red/black/white/blue- http://www.thecyclejersey.com/shop/

Northwave do some more interesting designs...

Anonymous

supersonic wrote:

Snowboarders like those designs because snowboarding seems more of a lifestyle. And a place to show off, and say 'look at me, aren't I cool?'. Of course this never happens in MTBing...

When I ride on the trail I don't care what I look like and wear a golf suit. But if there was something I wanted to avoid it would be looking like a snowboarder, ie standing in front of a cannon full of lurid paint and logos while a colourblind fashionista lights the fuse.

There's got to be some happy middle ground somewhere though.
I quite often stop off somewhere on the way home to grab a bite to eat, I don't want to look like a mong, at either end of the scale!

supersonic

I look like a mong anyway, so no harm done hehe.

And wearing SNB clothes would make me look more like a mong. I should sue some of them for retina damage.

ddraver

Almost everything Ive got is black as it does nt end up becoming brown after a few months or so....

But then I ski in black trousers and a green jacket so maybe I'm just dull dull dull.....

Anonymous

Well I look like a mong too, but I try not to emphasise it!

supersonic

This is the best snowboard clothing I have seen:



Though that bra wouldn't fit me.

blister pus

the moment you put a big plastic mushroom on your head it's all over.

just remember that

supersonic

My helmet is a proper mushroom, must put a pic up lol.

I remain convinced though that the reason snowboarders wear rose tinted goggles is to cut down on glare from monstrousities like the hideous Quiksilver 'Last Mission':



Would be your last mission if you came near me wearing that, I'd shoot you.

IDave

At least if you got lost in a blizzard, Mountain Rescue would have no problem finding you!

Anyway back to the OP's point, have you checked out some of the DH Jerseys on CRC, like these ones from Thor

miss notax

supersonic wrote:

My helmet is a proper mushroom, must put a pic up lol.

I remain convinced though that the reason snowboarders wear rose tinted goggles is to cut down on glare from monstrousities like the hideous Quiksilver 'Last Mission':



Would be your last mission if you came near me wearing that, I'd shoot you.

Ha ha ha ha ha....

I agree with whoever mentioned the happy middle-ground - not wearing head to toe black, but not looking like a childrens tv presenter either!

jay12

most dh and fr gear is good looking.

take a look at royal, troy lee designs and fox

Anonymous

supersonic wrote:

This is the best snowboard clothing I have seen:



Though that bra wouldn't fit me.

Hey, that's me, on the right!

I suppose the really gaudy coloured snow clothing could be useful if you've gone off piste, and need to be found by rescuers. Still looks completely w*nk though.

I've seen a website somewhere that had a list of some of the most hideous skiing and boarding clothes ever seen

MountainMonster

yeehaamcgee wrote:

supersonic wrote:

This is the best snowboard clothing I have seen:



Though that bra wouldn't fit me.

Hey, that's me, on the right!

I suppose the really gaudy coloured snow clothing could be useful if you've gone off piste, and need to be found by rescuers. Still looks completely w*nk though.

I've seen a website somewhere that had a list of some of the most hideous skiing and boarding clothes ever seen

I'm in the same boat as you, I think all that clothing from the board world is gawd awful. Only people who should be wearing that stuff are under the age of 15. Same goes for Ed hardy wear in casual life.

The all black and simplicity is what I actually like about MTBing, because I then don't look like a billboard while out and about.

wobbem

Personnally I often wonder how downhill racers and x country racers can wear such real ghey colour schemes, black does it for me all the time. 8)

mrfmilo

??

Anonymous

^^ Fu**ing hideous