Sports Direct Kit...

Reane_Machine

Anyone ever bought cycling gear from there?

http://www.sportsdirect.com/cycling/cycling-clothing?dcp=2

£12.99 for full length tights and £14.99 for bib shorts seems pretty good value. I've got a couple of pieces of Muddyfox kit and it's not half bad, wondering if there's any folks out there who have/have had these and are they worth it?

Or should I just bite the bullet and open my wallet on a pricier pair from Evans/Wiggle?

houndlegs

Not tried any legwear, but I've got a a few of the orange tops to make sure I'm seen.
They seem ok ish, a few snags and pulls in them, but I seem to get that in most clothing of this type material.
I've no complaints though,very happy with them.
And I got caught up by a guy the other week,and he said he could see me from half a mile back, so they at least work.

jay197

Well the dunlop £2.99 bottle holder is a fail. It shakes so much on the road the bottle falls out if you don't put an elastic band round the whole thing.

I bought some muddyfox camo shorts which are good with a nice pad but they are MTB ones not for road.

I bought their £19.99 helmet too which does the job and it a good fit etc.

I also got the orange muddyfox top which is excellent.

But in the long run, the more expensive gear lasts and lasts and lasts so it is actually cheaper to buy the "expensive" quality Italian gear in the long run than the budget "cheap" gear.

I moved house this month and literally are down to my last £100 pounds, otherwise I would have bought Castelli etc.

Roll on next months paycheck hehe

Reane_Machine

jay197 wrote:

But in the long run, the more expensive gear lasts and lasts and lasts so it is actually cheaper to buy the "expensive" quality Italian gear in the long run than the budget "cheap" gear.

Excellent point. I'm tempted to jump in and get a pair anyway, even if I only use them as back up for when I get caught in the inevitable Sheffield rain in my swanky Italian gear.

johnnicebutdim

Yes, I think sports direct is great value for money! I've just bought bib tights and long sleeve jersey (both Muddyfox) and I'm impressed!

I saw a post from someone recently who said that if it wasn't for Sportsdirect.com and Ebay, he'd be riding naked!

MattC59

Reane_Machine wrote:

Anyone ever bought cycling gear from there?

http://www.sportsdirect.com/cycling/cycling-clothing?dcp=2

£12.99 for full length tights and £14.99 for bib shorts seems pretty cheap. I've got a couple of pieces of Muddyfox kit and it's not half bad, wondering if there's any folks out there who have/have had these and are they worth it?

Or should I just bite the bullet and open my wallet on a pricier pair from Evans/Wiggle?

Corrected that for you You get what you pay for, bite the bullet, it's better value in the long run and you don't have to spend a fortune.

JamesB5446

I got an awesome full susser from there. Can't wait to try it out.

TKF

When I began cycling after a 20yr hiatus I bought a load of Sports Direct (Karrimor) kit as I didn't know if I'd be cycling for long and didn't want to waste money. Everything was fine. Well, apart from the waterproof jacket which was like wearing a bin bag. But apart form that the shorts, tops and gloves were fine at the time.

I've since bought "proper" stuff and the difference is night and day. The old stuff hasn't fallen apart but the quality of the materials is so much nicer to ride in and the SD kit has been resigned to the back of the cupboard.

jay197

Welcome back to cycling TKF

notnot

I've got the padded muddyfox shorts. Just bought a second pair on Thursday - £10 and seem comfy enough when riding. They're not exactly stylish, but I don't think I'd look much better in expensive skintight shorts

AchillesLeftKnee

Got a couple of pairs of Muddyfox lycra shorts from Sports Direct as backup in case of laundry fails. The pads are one piece affairs so tend to bunch up a bit, the lycra's just lycra, the grippers grip. They're hardly great, but for seven quid you can't knock 'em really. I wouldn't want to go any great distance in them because of the pad, but they're fine up to a couple of hours as long as you're in and out the saddle.

Flâneur

Tried 2 pairs of muddyfox shoes, both ended up being returned as they didn't like being unclipped from a pedal

Flexisurfer

sa0u823e wrote:

Tried 2 pairs of muddyfox shoes, both ended up being returned as they didn't like being unclipped from a pedal

That's got to be an issue between your pedal and cleat surely?

I purchased the carbon road shoe and for the money I can't fault them. They're light we'll vented and the ratchet pulls them up nice and tight, the ratchet is also replaceable.

deadfall

I started with a few pairs of the muddyfox shorts from sportsdirect and thought it was great. Then I got some DHB bib shorts and realised just how crap it is.

andy 3654

I have 2 of the shorts and one set of tights and they suit me fine. Just to echo what has been said you do get what you pay for but i dont think there terrible.
Having said that the water proof jacket is not breathable even though it says it is.

Flâneur

Flexi, didn't have an issue when we put them on my friends specialized shoes, may have been the specific shoe or just really bad luck

redvee

Others have said Dunlop Flash trainers soles are stiffer than Muddy Fox shoes.

philbar72

Got 3 pairs of the muddy fox shorts . They are basic, but are fine for journeys up to 2 hrs. Great value.

declan1

My cycling kit consists entirely of stuff from Lidl, and one Jersey from a charity shop. All pretty good, but the shorts don't have a very good pad. Can't complain for a tenner though.

andy 3654

I just got their new bib tights and the padding is much better than the older range they have going to try it out tomorrow so will let you know how it fairs up.
I paid £27.99 for it.

Reane_Machine

Brilliant, thanks all.

Picked up a couple of pairs yesterday, they seem alright, can't wait to try them out.

That being said, I will be mourning the passing of the warmer weather that just requires shorts...

andy 3654

Be interested to see how you get on with them.

Graeme Jones

I have the 12.99 muddy fox tights the pad is poor and you wouldn't want to wear them without some padded or in padded Lycra underneath. I wore mine the other day with my bobbed shorts underneath and it did the trick without it looking like I'm wearing a nappy lol!
They are fairly warm and think they will get me through the winter.

From a construction point of view they aren't brill but for 13 quid I would get s pair even just for back up

simon_masterson

I had a feel of the shoes when I happened to stop by during my lunchbreak, and was not remotely impressed. They may cost £30 (the RRP is risible; as if they would ever charge that), but the road shoes felt flimsy and weren't very stiff. Not a chance I would part with my money for such junk....

I haven't tried the clothing, but if it's anything like the shoes I wouldn't bother. For slightly more you can get DHB and similar; my only pair of bibshorts are Club Roost ones I bought for £30 (half price apparently), and I finally succumbed to longs and just bought a pair of DHB unpadded Roubaix tights for about the same.

smidsy

Bought tops and bottoms and shoes when I first started.

I now have lots of other stuff and the MF gear is in the bin.

Buy cheap by twice.

feelgoodlost

I bought some MF kit when I first started cycling again, after about a 7 year break! While it's not the finest quality, it does the job for commuting. I've slowly started to buy some nicer clothing for when I'm out on weekend rides but I don't see the point in wearing your finest jerseys and tights just to get to work and back.

For the price, you can't really grumble. It does the job. I would agree that the shorts become pretty uncomfortable after an hour or so.

Reane_Machine

That is something that seems to be a regular issue.

Safe to say they will do for now and may be worth asking for nicer stuff for Crimbo.

I'll ride them until the crotch is going see through though, so beware in a few months if you're out in Sheffield.

andy 3654

Just rode 55 miles in MF bib tights with no problems, the real test will be in time.

jay197

Reane_Machine wrote:

I'll ride them until the crotch is going see through though, so beware in a few months if you're out in Sheffield.

Don't worry Reane your crotch can't be as ugly as this

Laura2507

I got some ladies MF tights earlier this year as id only just got back into cycling so didnt know if i would stick with it, and also as im losing weight didnt want to keep spending a fortune whilst i dropped sizes. They have been great really considering the price, and they have kept my temperature right, regardless of hot or cold weather. I even went for a ride in a downpour last week and they were the better part of kit! The MF jacket is neither waterproof or breathable and blows up like a balloon but better than just one jersey layer to keep u warm for short journey - again didnt want to spend too much money just yet.

Actually just ordered some more MF tights in next two sizes down.

andy 3654

Glad your enjoying it and getting some great benefits from it so congrats on weight loss and good luck with the new gear.