Long term quality and durability of cycling clothes

odessouky

I'm relatively new to cycling, and VERY new to all the lycra stuff, as in jerseys, shorts, top shells etc...

I am asking all the veteran cyclists about which make/brand has lasted the longest with them?

I'm liking the GORE models a lot, especially the long sleeve jerseys, I usually buy a mountain bike tight jersey, as the road designs are RIDICULOUSLY tight, and in my chest/torso size, the arms would probably reach the floor....



All my kit, like bib shorts, base layer, jersey etc are washed after every bike ride, which is like 2-3 times a week, plus all weekends, so was wondering which brands hold out longer in good shape with all this riding/sweating/washing...

thanks

gabriel959

Gore is pretty good and so is Assos IME.

mattsccm

Slightly lower down the price range I have found Wiggles own brand, DHB to last well. I have some bib 3/4 that are about 7 years old which get worn about 150 days a year. Looking a bit shiny on the arse and the odd stitch has come undone but that has to be good value.

odessouky

When I was referring to GORE, I meant in like them, but by no means can I buy more than one or two at the max....

They are very expensive....

Was hoping on advice on the lower end of the price range...

Tenn outdoors, altura, dhb etc....do they last?

rickeverett

Watch out

Just because some brands are highly expensive doesn't mean they are any good.


So far DHB have been the best durability vs cost wise. The poorest for me was Perl Izumi - expensive and falls apart.
Gore are good but expensive.

greasedscotsman

Check out Lusso as well. I have a couple of pairs of their bib tights which must be over 15 years old.

gethinceri

Endura worth a look.

hstiles

It definitely pays to scour Wiggle, Merlin Cycles, Dolan, Evans, etc... for bargains.

I recently picked some lovely Lusso bibs, Morvelo longsleeve jersey and Vermarc jacket for silly money. I also got a BMC gilet for <£20 from Evans.

meanredspider

Buy cheap - Buy twice.

I've had both Endura (rubbish in my experience) and DHB - neither is a patch on Assos. I know it's expensive but can be had much more cheaply if you lurk and buy carefully - and it will last and last and last - and work well whilst you're using it.

mfin

To the OP... you will get no consensus in the replies on this ...but, you have mentioned liking Gore and the chances are you won't hear too much bad said about Gore.

Mattlufcbell

I'm no veteran, but I do like dhb and Castelli. All the stuff I've got from them seems excellent, never tried gore though other than some lining gloves which are very useful. The dhb bundles on wiggle are really good value IMO. Mmmm Haribo.

curium

Another vote for dhb & endura.

rolf_f

Endura is very good (as long as you avoid the overshoes!). Generally, the more expensive stuff seems to just look a bit flashier - it doesn't actually wear or perform any better unless you make a point of buying the product for its fabric rather than its brand name. Buy cheap, buy twice was once a useful matra but is now meaningless - you can pay a lot for crap and very little for excellent stuff. I bought some Gore mitts last year. They are doing OK but there is some fading and the reflective bits don't look too durable. Otherwise they are functionally mildly better than the less attractive Aldi ones that cost 1/6th of the price of the discounted Gores. And the fabric of the Castelli Jersey I have is much less durable than that of the Aldi ones I use on the commute even if it does look nicer.

I don't mind paying more to ensure the product is made, for example, in the UK but I'm not going to fall for any manufacturers guff about how 'technical' their kit is!

Strith

My pearl izumi bibs have outlasted my castelli and gore bibs. The stitching is better IME. Other stuff is much of a muchness

cougie

I like my DHB shorts. To me they're comfier than my assos.

I also love my Aldi winter jacket - it was about £20 and its actually a better jacket than my £150 Assos one - but the Assos looks cooler ?

ai_1

I was quite happy with DHB comfort and durability until I tried a pair of Giordana that I got on sale. Then I tried Assos and found it better again in terms of comfort. Not sure about the Assos for durability as I've only used them half a season but they seem good so far. While I was satisfied with DHB, they did tend to have strands of elastic material come loose at the leg grippers and the seat definitely started wearing quicker than the Giordana or Assos. As above, you won't get a definitive answer on this. In my limited experience, the more expensive brands have been more comfortable and seem to be lasting better but that may not hold true for all brands, all models and all users!

pippi_langsamer-2

My Assos Airbloc 851 gilet gets more use than any other single item of my cycle clothing, and it looks as good as the day I bought it over ten years ago. Same goes for my 851 winter jacket and bib longs. The items- although more expensive than many other brands, have paid for themselves over and over again. I don't particularly look after the stuff as well as I should neither- tends to get lumped in with other washing and the wife has even had them in the tumble dryer a dew times.

passout

Gore stuff lasts really well. Shimano & Lusso have always been OK for me too. I've had bad expereinces with Endura shorts.

The things to watch for in terms of wear are gloves & shorts / tights IMO. Doesn't matter quite so much with tops.

odessouky

Wow...

Thanks for all the informative responses..!!

I've so far got just a few pieces in my arsenal, considering I've been cycling for under a month...

Tenn outdoor viper padded shorts: I find them very very comfortable

Gore countdown 2.0 thermal long sleeve jersey: absolutely love it..!! Hot it on a good discount.. But very expensive still

Hoping to find a discounted Gore Phantom 2.0 windstopper jacket, as I've tried it on in Evans, and like it, but I will NOT pay £149 for it!!

Can someone please point me in the direction of windstopper jackets of similar or a little less quality than the GORE I just mentioned, that will keep the wind out, and not cost a fortune!

pippi_langsamer-2

I would have a look on eBay for used (but good condition), Assos gear also.

It's too warm for this time of year (perfect for late Autumn, Winter and early Spring), but as an example:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251527410745

Or this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281334122368

Or this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/301181948234

This is the same gilet I have and is invaluable to me. Keeps the wind n cold off the chest/ torso and rolls up to nothing to pop in the back pocket if desired.

The Airbloc fabric is outstanding as mentioned previously, and will last you a lon, long time if not abused totally!

odessouky

Thanks for your suggestions and the time you took to post those links..

I'm just not very comfortable with the idea of wearing clothes someone else has been sweating in...

mmm...don't know...I'll probably give one a try and see how it goes...

odessouky

Just had a look at Assos jackets online
£300+ for a cycling jacket!!!???

Who buys Assos anyways??

Those are ridiculous prices!!!

Do they actually make you cycle better!!!

Ridiculous!!

mjbennett

meanredspider wrote:

Buy cheap - Buy twice.

I've had both Endura (rubbish in my experience) and DHB - neither is a patch on Assos. I know it's expensive but can be had much more cheaply if you lurk and buy carefully - and it will last and last and last - and work well whilst you're using it.

+1

pippi_langsamer-2

odessouky wrote:

Just had a look at Assos jackets online
£300+ for a cycling jacket!!!???

Who buys Assos anyways??

Those are ridiculous prices!!!

Do they actually make you cycle better!!!

Ridiculous!!

Of course they don't make you cycle better!

Buy a (for example), Barbour jacket it will possibly last you several decades...
Buy a jacket from (for example), TK-Max it will probably last you several years

As I said in previous post, it pays for itself after a while

(But I don't know what your looking at that costs£300- you don't need that level of gear)

odessouky

Pippi Langsamer wrote:

odessouky wrote:

Just had a look at Assos jackets online
£300+ for a cycling jacket!!!???

Who buys Assos anyways??

Those are ridiculous prices!!!

Do they actually make you cycle better!!!

Ridiculous!!

Of course they don't make you cycle better!

Buy a (for example), Barbour jacket it will possibly last you several decades...
Buy a jacket from (for example), TK-Max it will probably last you several years

As I said in previous post, it pays for itself after a while

(But I don't know what your looking at that costs£300- you don't need that level of gear)

very true... I have a Barbour Chelsea SportsQuilt that I wore ALMOST every day in autumn/winter, and its still going strong, for 4 years now...RRP£119, and I got it for £69 off amazon...

But that's a piece I wear to go out in, so there is functionality AND good looking aspect..

When I am buying cycling clothes, I suppose I do care they should look good, but they r still intended for sports etc...not going out..!!??

And the £300 were the windproof jackets on the Assos website....??

And by the way....They are the only brand who showcase their clothes on a ridiculously funny looking model...in SHADES!!??



:roll:

pippi_langsamer-2

odessouky wrote:

Pippi Langsamer wrote:

odessouky wrote:

Just had a look at Assos jackets online
£300+ for a cycling jacket!!!???

Who buys Assos anyways??

Those are ridiculous prices!!!

Do they actually make you cycle better!!!

Ridiculous!!

Of course they don't make you cycle better!

Buy a (for example), Barbour jacket it will possibly last you several decades...
Buy a jacket from (for example), TK-Max it will probably last you several years

As I said in previous post, it pays for itself after a while

(But I don't know what your looking at that costs£300- you don't need that level of gear)

very true... I have a Barbour Chelsea SportsQuilt that I wore ALMOST every day in autumn/winter, and its still going strong, for 4 years now...RRP£119, and I got it for £69 off amazon...

But that's a piece I wear to go out in, so there is functionality AND good looking aspect..

When I am buying cycling clothes, I suppose I do care they should look good, but they r still intended for sports etc...not going out..!!??

And the £300 were the windproof jackets on the Assos website....??

And by the way....They are the only brand who showcase their clothes on a ridiculously funny looking model...in SHADES!!??



:roll:

Chavs wear (fake), Burberry, so I forgive Assos for their dodgy ad's.

There is no fake Assos. Depends on how much you cycle I guess. If it's a way of life, £150 on an 851 jacket is feck all if it will last you +10 years (as mine has). What's £150 / 120 months?

I can't really say much more- not trying to talk you into something you are unwilling to afford, but I can assure you it is a worthy investment...

It's certainly function over form In the cycling world...

gsej

Pippi Langsamer wrote:

odessouky wrote:

Pippi Langsamer wrote:

odessouky wrote:

Just had a look at Assos jackets online
£300+ for a cycling jacket!!!???

Who buys Assos anyways??

Those are ridiculous prices!!!

Do they actually make you cycle better!!!

Ridiculous!!

i have 3 pair of assos shorts. They don't make me cycle better, and they were more expensive (between 2x and 3x more than the various other pairs of shorts which I still have but never wear. I'm not faster with them, but there are a lot fewer moment during rides when I have to shove my hand down my pants to straighten my junk, and almost no weeks when I have to stop riding because I have saddle sores. So they're worth it for me. The aldi stuff is a lot cheaper per unit - but it's undignified to have to rearrange oneself every few miles and on a century it hurts like fuck, so I think, in term s of pence per mile, assos is worth it. Your mileage may vary of course......

schweiz

How much you choose to spend on cycle clothing is all relative to how much you value cycling in your life.

Over the years I ridden in all kind of kit from my very first Le Coq Sportif jersey 20-odd years ago to my current kit which is pretty much all Cervo Rosso. I've bought Castelli, Santini, Gore, Pearl Izumi, Adidas, Lusso, Endura, Altura, Aldi, Specialized, Shutt, Craft, Rapha, Assos and probably more. As a teen I used to save up my pocket money and later Saturday job money for the best I could afford. I tried cheap kit and I quickly learnt that it was false economy. That being said, the likes of wiggle have raised the bar with dhb kit and it always seems to good reviews.

I ride regulary (8000-10000 km/year) and my riding is a mix of commuting, club rides, racing, track, long (100 km +) solo rides, Sportives/Gran Fondos and a bit of mountain biking thrown in for good measure. I ride my road bike 4-6 days a week from March/April through to October, ride track through the winter and get out on the road when there's no snow and ice.

What matters to me most is comfort and luckily, I no longer have to save up for a couple of months to buy my cycling kit. My current Cervo Rosso shorts are the comfiest I've ever had. I've pretty much dispensed with chamois cream unless I'm doing several long days back to back and for me the extra expense is worth it over cheaper brands. My club kit is Pearl Izumi. It's 4 years old now and the pads are wearing thin but the kit itself has been good. Not the best, but good. Assos is very good quality (although I found the pads too thick) as was most of the Rapha stuff I owned (although I did experience a few problems around 2009-10 with quality which is why I stopped buying it). The only kit I've worn once and never again was a pair of Aldi shorts which I bought for commuting. The pad was in the wrong place and I was uncomfortable on both the way to and from work which was about 13 km - after one day I gave them away to the charity shop so cost per ride on those shorts was a lot more than more expensive brands! I find that the pad in the shorts lasts about 2 years for use on longer rides and will do another couple of years for commuting/crit racing.

With jerseys, there are many jerseys that are more durable but I tend to find the fabrics are heavier and are not so comfortable to wear on summer days. I used to have cheaper commuting jerseys but to be honest, I just wear the same quality of jersey all the time now. I have a couple of jerseys that I keep for 'best' but they last several years even though some get a little damaged by safety pins from race numbers.

So you pay your money and take your choice! You can spend a lot of money. As above, IME the 'premium' brands are generally better but there's still bargains to be had, like my Aldi winter gloves. Mix and match, find what works for you and treat yourself to some nice kit if you can. At least then you can make your own mind up!

Father Faff

Another factor to take into account is how often you hit the tarmac. It's a real bummer ripping your expensive lycra to shreds....