Let's settle this once and for all; Wearing pro-team jerseys :) - Page 8

LOL, that was good.

Lucifer Scott rings the bell on this puppy. I get the feeling that plain colored jersey's seem boring to you. Does the advocate for naughtiness have opinion on the topic, or like me, has none, just an interest in discussion and observation? Interesting post, and well thought out. Seems a complex topic, opinions compiled. Live LARGE, color outside the lines . Never break the rules, just ignore them at every oppurtunity When they are perplexed, light em up and leave them gasping for your draft

I love wearing team kit, including bib shorts. They are more comfortable than non bib shorts and at my LBS the team kit is actually cheaper than the black, not that price really is the major issue. I have a fdjeux kit with jersey, short and long, bib shorts and gloves that i've acquired over 6 months, some as gifts, others as purchases. I see it very much like football stuff - fdjeux is the australian dominated team with McGee and Cooke etc, so it is as close as you can get to wearing the national team colours. In melbourne I would say well over 50% of the riders I see out every morning are in team kit, a lot in both shorts and jerseys, some just in jerseys. I also feel a little uncomfortable with the idea of wearing the yellow or green jersey etc - to me it seems a bit like wearing a replica premiership medallion or superbowl ring - it should be reserved for the champion.

Another thought reflecting some other posts - don't you think the teams make the outfits coulourful in order to sell the replica stuff? The teams want you to buy up!!!

I wouldn't at the end of the day really care too much what others thought, wear what makes you feel good, if team kit is it, wear it, if not, wear plain, but please don't be so arrogant as to impose your judgments on others.

Noooo, if I sneer I do it very politley. It has been known for me to be subtle at times E.g looking behind to make sure a shop door doesn't slam into any following persons face and then get caught holding it open for ages and ages....they just walk through as if I was a hotel doorman to which I give a sweet sounding 'thank you' and a Micky B grin.

If one 'sneers' it has to be done with a smile.

Ha ha, yep, I only follow feminist believes when and if they suit me!!!!

Diablo,

I'm part of the retro set - woollen jersey and all.
Walk the walk ??
I can't say that I'm a good cyclist though.
Just finished a training weekend - two sessions 150km each.
Both sets finished within 6 hours.
Not bad for a 38 year old - training for the Etape, ya' see.

Lim - any "real" retro guy would scoff at the idea a 38yr old could be truly retro, woolen jersey or not. I accuse you of being a retro-poser! "Walk the walk" is a shortened version of the expression "he can talk the talk, but can he walk the walk?".

Have a super time on l'Etape. Those Irish Alps should be great training!

Agree, NEVER wear the whole kit. I have 2 pro team jerseys that I love but almost never wear, because I have to admit I feel a bit dorky in them. If you are fast and can hang with the group rides, you can wear whatever you want. If you're a novice it's probably best to only wear them when you're riding alone, because otherwise nobody in the group will talk to you. Which may be fine. That's the thing about being a dork, it's usually a label others put on you. If you feel good, wear whatever you want.

Of course, the coolest thing to wear is a local club/team jersey. I don't think anybody would argue with me on that. So join a club and get some cool, custom gear.

For me, I don't think I could ever wear anything else other than a simple jersey or the jersey of my club that I ride for because if I ever get a professional jersey (unlikely), I want to know that I earned it, not just cause I bought it at some vendor. It's a question of pride for me and I want to be proud to be apart of and to wear the jersey of a professional team or a local bike club either way.

Thomas Davis

I was at a Challenge ride last Sunday, and there were team jerseys abounding. The most up to date was USPS - Berry Floor and the rider was mid-twenties. But there were the golden oldies in Domo-Farm Frites, iBanesto Cafe de Columbia, Kelme, Mercatone Uno, Linda McCartney, ONCE They were everywhere.

LOL!

I ride a Trek, not an Airborne, but I was Airborne (Infantry)!

I have only a few jerseys, a couple of them pro. I'm not affiliated with any teams in any way. I ride a lot, but let's say, fast recreational riding. I take challenges and reel riders in every once in a while. But it's not in an organized race, and I don't suffer from delusions of grandeur. Many of those riders I suspect could go much faster if they felt like it.

If I left my pro jerseys in the closet simply because I was observing some rule that pros follow or amateur racers follow, I would feel like I was basically a wooss. Simply changing my perspective gives me a couple more jerseys to wear without having to buy any more. That sounds like a helluva good deal to me.

Having just read through this entire thread with interest, there is one point that seems not to have been mentioned...

One of the reasons I thought 'serious' cyclists laughed at people in full team kit was because replica team kit tends to be over-priced and often poor quality. Not that anyone I know takes the matter that seriously. Several people in the club I ride with wear pro team colours, and there is the occasional jokey remark but nothing serious.

My own attitude is wear what you like - for me, comfort/practicality is the first factor in choosing what to wear for cycling, but if it looks good too, that's a bonus.

Personally, I don't wear team colours because I have no particular affiliation with any pro team.

That said, one jersey I always wanted but never actually bought was the Z Vetements jersey, as worn by Greg Lemond - and that was simply because I thought it was a cool design. (If anyone knows where I can get one for retro chic, please let me know)

There are several other 'classic' team jerseys I would buy - again for no other reason than that I think they look good. The black & white check Peugeot jersey would be top of my shopping list.

The only jerseys I would avoid are the yellow/pink/green/pola dot, etc. because I do think you have to earn the right to wear them - it's part of what the sport is all about.

However, I would happily wear a jersey that was yellow (good practical colour for cycling, as someone already pointed out), as long as it didn't look too much like it was pretending to be a "Maillot Jaune".

I usually wear my club jersey with non team bib shorts and plain gloves when out riding. I choose to wear my short sleeve Mapei jersey when it's too warm because i haven't gotten around to buying a short sleeve club one yet.

As for people wearing team jerseys and shorts then fine as long as they don't go the whole hog and ride team bikes while wearing matching cap, overshoes, jacket, helmet and drink from a colour coded water bottle. i think it's a tad overstated for my liking. Just my two farthings worth

i wouldn't wear one, but not because of fear that i'm being pretentious, or even a poseur.

i just don't care to wear company logos of any kind on my body, other than the actual maker of the shirt. even then, i prefer it to be minimal.