Will I look a fool wearing team branded kit??

rodgers73

I've been searching for a nice looking cycling top for a while now. I'm quite depressed by the lack of imagination shown in the design of anything under £30, despite me not really wanting/needing anything high tech.

I ended up upping my budget and found some team branded stuff on Wiggle. It looks lovely but I literally know nothing about pro cycling and the teams involved. This one has Movistar as the main logo, but to be honest this could be the kit of the crappest team going for all I know, or the cycling equivalent of wearing a Man Utd top.

Are people who wear this stuff for everyday riding seen as poseurs or am I no worse than the bloke playing 5-a-side with his mates wearing a Barcelona top??

I have no illusions about my fitness and skill, I just want a top that looks good!

skyd0g

Wear whatever you like & can afford. (although make a note to avoid TDF leaders jerseys and ones with World Cup bands on).

Also have a look here:http://www.prendas.co.uk/default.asp
The Santini gear is great quality at a reasonable price.

Garz

You will look the part in a nice kit, some will sneer with unforgiving bike snobbery and some will breeze past you with cheap aldi mismatch gear. It's all part of being a cyclist so get on with it and enjoy, who cares what others think.

MattC59

Wear what you like, football fans wear their team's kit !
If you really want ot p*ss some people off, wear one of these

I think it'll be fairly obvious that you're not the world champ and you're clearly not trying to pretend that you are, so what's the issue ? :roll:
My opinion......... F*ck 'em if they can't take a joke !!!

RowCycle

This one?
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/nalini-movistar ... rsey-2011/

Looks good, I'd wear it. Actually almost doesn't look like a team jersey compared to some.

ForumNewbie

From my point of view I'd feel a bit self-conscious wearing any pro-team colours as I am not a racing cyclist or even a fast cyclist - doesn't really matter whether it is a Movistar kit or Team Sky kit.

carl_p

Wear what you like. Personally I think the Movistar kit is one of the nicest out there for 2011. I suppose the only thing is pro kits often advertise the make of bike ridden by the team, which often isn't what you've got

Pigeons in flight

+ 1 for Prendas. IMO the latest team kit is a bit tacky (with a few exceptions, such as Eustatel) but that's just my opinion. Wear what you think looks good (but I'd draw the mine at the maillot jaune!)

rodgers73

MattC59 wrote:

Wear what you like, football fans wear their team's kit !
If you really want ot p*ss some people off, wear one of these

I think it'll be fairly obvious that you're not the world champ and you're clearly not trying to pretend that you are, so what's the issue ? :roll:
My opinion......... F*ck 'em if they can't take a joke !!!

Seen a lot of tops with these stripes on them - they denote the rider is the world champion? Current only or a previous winner also??

rodgers73

RowCycle wrote:

This one?
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/nalini-movistar ... rsey-2011/

Looks good, I'd wear it. Actually almost doesn't look like a team jersey compared to some.

Yes thats the one! Lovely...

slip210

completely with garz on this, do a regular run to work and some mornings i have this old guy breeze past me wearing mismatched kit. (this is when doing 18mph) dont think his mismatched kit bothers him too much as he wishes me a cheery good morning.
Wear what you like, if you see a good kit and u like it, wear it. Dont let others dictate what you should wear, ride etc. :P

rodgers73

I'm currently clothed entirely by Aldi!

Bar Shaker

The Movistar top is made by Nallini... top quality gear. I really like the style too.

Keith1983

The British Heart Foundation do a nice looking red top, it's about £45, but you're doing your bit for charity too! I do like the world champ colours though! I say wear what you like. I've recently purchased Adidas GB bib shorts and top off the internet, I'm blatantly aware that I have never ridden for team GB I just like the colours!

sparkins1972

I personally don't go for anything that has big logos on it, but that is a nice looking jersey - can see why you like it. The only thing that would put me off is one of the reviews on Wiggle suggests it doesn't have silicon grippers on the bottom hem that can mean they ride up a bit when riding, which personally I find annoying.

LeicesterLad

I wear the Wiggle team jersey (black and orange) because it looks beaut, it fits great, its £22....Ok so im a walking (riding) advert for wiggle when im out on the road, but to be fair, ive never had a problem with Wiggle, Ever, so wearing their name makes sense to me...Just wear what you like, if others want to sneer, F*ck 'em, don't give the snobs a second glance, it isn't worth it. My only advice as others have said would to NOT wear the Yellow TdF Jersey, or the rainbow jerseys. Main thing is keep riding, have fun. 8)

Pross

rodgers73 wrote:

MattC59 wrote:

Wear what you like, football fans wear their team's kit !
If you really want ot p*ss some people off, wear one of these

I think it'll be fairly obvious that you're not the world champ and you're clearly not trying to pretend that you are, so what's the issue ? :roll:
My opinion......... F*ck 'em if they can't take a joke !!!

Seen a lot of tops with these stripes on them - they denote the rider is the world champion? Current only or a previous winner also??

Current champ only but past winners wear the bands on their sleeves forever.

As others have said if you are comfortble and like a top just wear it. I've never experienced this sneering attitude some people reckon there is to branded kit. The only person I've seen get stick was a guy wearing full Cervelo team kit in a race and riding several grands worth of Cervelo bike but that was more down to the way he was trying to blame everyone else for getting dropped on the first corner!

outcastjack

RowCycle wrote:

This one?
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/nalini-movistar ... rsey-2011/

Looks good, I'd wear it. Actually almost doesn't look like a team jersey compared to some.

go for it, you then have an excuse to get a Pinarello to match

meanredspider

The good thing about a lot of team kit is that it's pretty bright so you can be visible without the Hi-Viz that so many more serious cyclists are frightened of. One of the best from my POV is the TdF King of the Mountains shirt with its huge polkadots. I couldn't wear one because I'm too big to be fast up hills but a mate does (who is lightning up hills which helps) and it's great from the visibility POV. Anyway, again, lots of folk on here will get upset by him wearing it (especially as he's a test rider for one of the biggest bike companies).

I wear a LiveStrong shirt/lid simply because my son has cancer.

Bar Shaker

I have loads of the Livestrong stuff too. Jersey/bib, tee shirts, jacket, helmet. I like the colour scheme, especially the 2011 Jersey and bib as the back is white and yellow, so very visible to drivers.

It is becoming popular though, so you may not be the only rider wearing it.

shm_uk

As a roadie it's critically important to wear a replica jersey from a major tour - e.g. the yellow, green or polka-dot from Le Tour of French, or replica world champs shirt, and so on.

This way, not only will you look like a bit of a fool, you'll also pi$$ off all the up-themselves cyclists dribbling on about not having earned it or some such nonsense.

:twisted:

ollyridesfirst

Wear whatever you want and don't listen to anyone else who tries to have a go about it. If they don't want to wear it, so be it....

I personally wear things that i like the look of and personally wouldn't wear something i didn't like. For instance the biggest and most successful team in the world is HTC, but i wouldn't wear this years (or last years) kit as i don't like it....the 2009 kit however is brilliant.

There's only 1 rule though, and that is to NOT under any circumstances mix and match different team kits! Couldn't think of anything worse than someone with a Sky jersey on and Liquigas shorts......it's like wearing socks with sandals!

Keith1983

OllyRidesFirst wrote:

......it's like wearing socks with sandals!

Where can I get some SPD sandals? Preferably in pink and yellow? 8)

I do like the livestrong stuff and being Nike I'm sure the quality is good, the only problem being that it's very expensive. I also don't see the point of buying second hand as this will not benefit the charity. I have unfortunately had family members lost to cancer and so woudl like to support the charity. It would also be nice to see some Livestrong in different colours as I don't like black and yellow kit!

antfly

Smart jerseys are hard to find but this one looks pretty good in the black IMHO.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/colnago-sportsw ... ng-jersey/

greasedscotsman

Pross wrote:

The only person I've seen get stick was a guy wearing full Cervelo team kit in a race and riding several grands worth of Cervelo bike but that was more down to the way he was trying to blame everyone else for getting dropped on the first corner!

Seems a bit harsh. OK, Thor hasn't had the best of seasons so far, but there's still plenty of time for him to win something big...

Bar Shaker

Keith1983 You are right about the price (can't remember exactly but bib and jersey was over £150) but the quality is excellent.

That does make it 50% more expensive than the Nalini Movistar kit though!!

I also like Nalini stuff and their own 'Protectione' logo'd stuff is really cool. I bought a jersey and bib in a Spanish cycling shop about 4 years ago in white, rey and red Nalini colours and it's still one of my favourite outfits.

This Nalini winter top looks uber cool





ETA - My only other rule is not wearing clothing that names bikes other than the one you are riding.

neilo23

My bike frame has the World Champion's stripes painted / stuck on it by the manufacturor so everyone assumes that my talent deteriorated quickly after winning the World Championship and I'm too ashamed to wear the jersey.

Bar Shaker

B*ll*x just looked to buy that '70 top and can't find it anywhere in the UK

whitestar1

Garz wrote:

will breeze past you with cheap aldi mismatch gear.

Oh I like my "cheap" Aldi kit and it aint mismatch either!

Monty Dog

The people who wear Livestrong kit knowing that they have personally contributed to one of the biggest sporting frauds ever must make them really proud!

I've had a world champs jersey for years - an unbranded one - wore it in a race once for a bit of a laugh - somebody did try to imply I wasn't entitled to wear it.

My Colnago also has a custom paintjob with the rainbow bands - many makers have used the rainbow bands to denote previous World Champs victories for many years - it only appears to be a recent phenomenon in this country that somehow people believe this to be disrespectful rather than celebrating our great cycling heritage. If you go to Italy for example, people all ride in their favourite team kits.

ollyridesfirst

Monty Dog wrote:

The people who wear Livestrong kit knowing that they have personally contributed to one of the biggest sporting frauds ever must make them really proud!

How so???