personal experience or from a mate’s mate?
Bought a cheap jersey once and they don’t wick or breathe, but they do stick to you and stink! Also, bought cheap nicks once and they sucked too. Once you wear decent gear, you never go back. May as well, cos there’s plenty of good bargains out there if you look.
I have a couple of the Vintage Velos woollen jerseys which I know aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. I’ve ridden them through a Perth summer and a Central Victorian Winter and they were outstanding. If the heat is humid though, I don’t think they perform as well as a Lycra jersey.
Jase - you spent how much time building up your bike and now you want to skimp on kit?
the china knockoff stuff fades faster and the knicks go transparent with less than a year of regular use (which is a lovely look if you are following someone).
As nexus said, it pays to buy better quality gear both from your experience on the bike (even more so after proper kms) and how long it lasts. the materials used are quite different between the knock-offs and the real deal. there are deals a plenty of good knicks/jerseys if you look around.
i got a knock-off cervelo kit and while it did cost me $50 incl shipping, the knicks were only good for secret spandex/my shorter commute within a few months. the jersey doesnt breath as well as modern kit either (but again works for commuting) and the zip has crapped out. i dont regret the purchase, but with your online ninja skills you’ll find something better for a comparable price.
you get what you pay for…
Nikcee/Nexus - appreciate the feedback, all points noted. Ive invested in a decent pair of Pearl Izumi Pro bib shorts (LBS closing down sale) and picked up a set of cheap nalini Gerolsteiner bib shorts as well, so the important bits will be taken care of. I decided to take a punt on the knock off stuff as i think it will be appropriate for the riding i do, even if they do fade/go transparent i think by then i will have gotten my money’s worth!
As said, you get what you pay for, so im not expecting the world with the knock off stuff, will do a bit of a review once in my hands and once ive got some kms in them!
cheers boys
jase, those dhb knicks i bought from wiggle a month or two ago are pretty good for the price. they were about $60 from memory and are as good as (actually, they’re better) the $120 pair i bought from a well known apparel store here in vic. i know $120 still isn’t much for knicks, but i’m a tight arse and would get dizzy spending $220 on assos knicks…
edit - these ones - Get Your Wiggle On | Cycle, Run & Outdoor Shop | Wiggle
I’ll weigh in now, my china Maccas kit/other cheap kit is more comfy than my more expensive stuff and I find the jersey better than my descente ones. Time will tell though! Plus it’s a million degrees over here everyday so it doesn’t really matter what you are wearing, you still feel like you are riding in a pressure cooker.
my china kit is fading much faster than my other kits, and i wear it about 50% less. (have had it for 2 months tops, and i reckon the bibs will last another two at best)
cheap plastic zip on the jersey, stitching isn’t very flash. bibs will be reduced to secret lycra around easter.
I’ll add my 2c.
Have a chinese GIANT kit and the jersey is not usable if it’s over 20 deg. It just doesn’t breath.
Bibs were massive so I can’t even wear them to give an opinion.
Some pretty good value jerseys out there as has been said. Just look around.
The crap stuff comes nowhere near to the good stuff.
otoh - i find the same dhb knicks to be comparatively less comfortable (better than the china knicks, worse than most of my other knicks). the biggest thing with knicks and jerseys is that no one brand fits all body types as well (not surprising given they are designed to be worn tight and there is quite the spread of body types).
for me castelli and sugoi are preferred… giordana and dhb not as much. its not that they suck, they just arent as comfortable. ymmv!
Same here. I have 2 sets of dhb nicks and they don’t fit as well as my others. Tight on the top of the thigh, loose on the bottom and the chamois bunches up which is a pita! IMO, Santini are good bang for your buck or get some top shelf ones (EDIT: i.e. Rapha etc) when they are on special.
I really like my Capo bibs. That’s all.
I really like santini stuff. It can be found for good prices too.
I have an assos jacket, and it’s the least worn item I have. But it is pretty well put together.
Nikcee, sound advice again,
I’ve tried lots of brands (I mean lots), and Primal knicks come out on top for me everytime.
i’m generally a picky with jerseys. i don’t want to pay a lot of money to become a (slow) moving billboard for some fucking euro-bank.
fucking jerseys, how do they work?
The first time both you and Benzy told me this, I was in disbelief. How could a company that makes such horriblelookingkitsbe that good? But all signs point to them being bad graphic designers, but good kit manufacturers!
Primal occupy the same bottom rung on the style ladder as Rigid Bloke. Spewful design!.