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Should You Wear Team Kits?

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42x16ss said:
I don't wear team kits but I like it when kit snobbishness backfires.

Yesterday I raced at my local crits (Balmoral Club in Brisbane) and Jonathon Cantwell showed up to race A grade.

Lower graded guys started turning up to sign on during the race and there were three or four people who turned to their mates and asked "Who is that w@nker racing in the national champions kit?" There were a few red faces when they realised it was the national crit champ :D

Lol. I saw him there too. It was a pretty convincing win, he stopped pedalling with 100m to go and rolled across the line first... and that was after chasing down a 200m break on the last lap. If there was any doubt who he was beforehand, there was none after.
 
Polyarmour said:
Lol. I saw him there too. It was a pretty convincing win, he stopped pedalling with 100m to go and rolled across the line first... and that was after chasing down a 200m break on the last lap. If there was any doubt who he was beforehand, there was none after.

Yeah, it was pretty impressive! There are only a few guys around Brisbane who can really push him. It was funny seeing the sign on for A grade - about 10-15 guys saw Cantwell and the wet track and turned around :D
 
May 24, 2010
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Yeahright said:
I agree, guys all over the world wander around in their favourite football team jersey or basketball team singlet but it seems that certain people seem to take offense to cyclists wearing team kit. Here in NZ most guy wear some sort of team kit. Why? not because they are trying to look pro, but generally because they like the kit. The far bigger tossers in my book are guys who mock people for it.

Buy and wear what you like I say. Guys who ridicule others for wearing team kit need to get a life.
Thank you, agreed.:)
 
Feb 16, 2011
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I think part of the reason why team/champ kits can be frowned upon in cycling has something to do with the location of where cycling takes place: public roads. You don't have a kickabout with your mates at Old Trafford with Wayne Rooney. You get to ride on the same roads used by elite racers and in bunches that often feature professional riders. There's a perception that you're somehow closer, or part of the same set, so professional rules with regards to clothing have to be followed. You would look like a mug if you rocked up to your off-season Sunday bunch ride and there was Thor, Cadel, Fabian, or one the many WC track cyclists like we have in Oz. (All ya gotta do around here is shake a tree and an aussie world track champ will fall out of it.)
 
Apr 6, 2011
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I remember a winter club run when I was in the Brereton Wheelers in the UK, we were on the road from Uttoxeter to Ashbourne (late 80s) and down the road in front of us was a guy dressed in KAS gear. One of the guys on the run shout back "look at that tosser, who does he think he is? Sean Kelly?" We caught the guy and discovered it was Sean Kelly's Irish team mate, Martin Earley.

Lesson learned, I rarely if ever wear trade kit. (Daz, I wonder if you are still riding?!)
 
Archibald said:
funny story - with a group at Roubaix this year. Chatting with a bunch of us around the bar the night before doing the "Challenge" and this guy is all good. Riding the next day, I'm next to him at one point so begin chatting, he blanks me. Then back at the bar that night he's all friendly again...
Ha! I've experience the same thing with a few people. I obviously dunno if this guy snobbed you off or not, but I've noticed that some people change personality as soon as they get on their bike. :D They very suddenly clam up and get very serious. I'm not sure if it's because they, a) are all gung-ho, and think that riding isn't the time for any chat, even when spinning; b) are suffering from lack of fitness; c) are cranky because they're riding crappily and slow; d) are scared of riding on the road with cars, or close to other riders; e) just don't enjoy riding that much; or, f) all of the above or something else entirely.

I used to occasionally ride with a guy who seemed very 'pumped' to be going for a spin, showing lots of enthusiasm on the phone before hand, and right up to the moment we started pedalling, when he would suddenly clam up and put on his 'game face'. We'd ride for nearly 2 hours without him barely saying anything, then, as soon as we stopped at the coffee shop he'd change back to his Mr Hyde personality and talk "pumpedly" about how good the ride was and how much he enjoyed it.

Another guy i sometimes rode with ran a shop. When I spoke to him at his shop he was always pretty bubbly, but as soon as he got on his bike he'd barely mumble a word. Sometimes I'd be thinking, "jee, what did I do to p1ss him off?" Then, if I was at his shop two days later, he was all perky again. :D
Go figure
 
Jul 18, 2010
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NashbarShorts said:
Should grown men wear FULL team kits, including gloves and socks?

I'll agree, probably not. But what I find amusing and IRONIC, is that usually the ppl who feel strongest about this issue, are CLUB cyclists...

These are the ppl who joined a local club, by paying the membership fee. It was not based on any merit or ability. They were not "selected" or "invited", or chosen based on results. Instead, they paid a membership fee, then were directed to the club's website. And then they whipped the credit card out and bought the COMPLETE club kit -- even down to the matching socks and shoecovers.

Now, they wear the kit religiously. Everytime you seem them, they are dressed to the hilt. Socks, shoecovers (seriously, is there any argument to EVER wear shoe covers??), gloves, windvest, even cap under their helmet.

And yet they laugh when they see somebody wearing a 'team kit'. "Look at that dork!" :rolleyes:

I personally have nothing against what people wear. They should feel free to wear whatever cycling attire they choose with the exception of any shorts that are past their shelf life and have become the equivalent of Fredericks of Hollywood due to the unfortunate transparent nature of the years worn and now transparent lycra, in areas where what is exposed is enough to have you falling off the back of the group.:eek: (Sorry for the run on sentence.:eek:).

Now as far as club kit is concerned I personally draw the line at bibs, jerseys, jackets and wind vests. Regardless of what a club member chooses to wear they are by wearing their kit, promoting and representing their club. If they choose to go the whole nine yards and wear it all, go for it. It's their money and their right.
 
Jul 18, 2010
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skippythepinhead said:
Wear what you want. But don't expect me not chuckle to myself when I pass you on your road bike while I'm on the MTB and you're rocking the US Postal shwag.

...and if you're on your road bike and someone in a team kit passes you on their mountain bike with knobbie tires will that make you want to sell all your cycling kit and gear on eBay???;)
 
Feb 2, 2011
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Okay, I think I've figured this out. You should NOT wear team kits if you are a pro, or championship jerseys if you have not won them (but have the opportunity by being in the race, or potential to be in the race.) Andy Schleck shouldn't ride around in a Liquigas jersey, Kobe Bryant shouldn't walk his dog wearing a Chicago Bulls sweatshirt. American football players that haven't won a Superbowl shouldn't walk around wearing replica Superbowl rings of teams that they have not won a championship with...for some strange examples.
You can break this down to other levels of cycling if you want. If you race for a local team, and are a Cat 1 racers or so, maybe you should wear YOUR own team's kit/product. But, if you're just an avid cyclist,fan/suppoter/enthusiast, or not a pro, then there should be little reason why not...including championship jerseys. You might be a fan of the race, or someone that has ethnic heritage associated to their jersey...hence the flags and the nationalistic association with cycling. Your parents/ancestors might be from Poland, so you might like the Polish team/Polish champ jersey, or whatever. This is pretty present through all other sports...fans/supporters...or just people that want to make a statement, like "hey, I really enjoy cycling and this jersey is a lot more appealing to me than a plain coloured kit!"
 
Jul 27, 2009
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Trevor FCR said:
Okay, I think I've figured this out. <snip>

Not yet you haven't ;)

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?id=6007&pg=fullstory

The Kit. Your jersey must match your shorts, which must match your arm warmers, which must match your socks. But under no circumstances should a replica pro team kit or a national/world champion kit be worn unless you’ve earned it. The only acceptable team kit is your own club kit. Retro wool kits are sometimes acceptable, but even that is iffy.

To look cool if you don’t belong to a club or a team, wear a stock Castelli or Assos kit but don’t mix and match. To be Euro-cool, wear the kit of an obscure European amateur team, but only if you have a story about how you spent the winter riding with them in Majorca to go along with it. Please, no century jerseys (I’m going to take some heat on that one), nothing with cartoon characters on it and never, under any circumstances, go jersey-less. Especially if you are wearing bibs.
 
The rubbish that goes on around here (Melbourne, Australia) is guys wearing kits with high-end bike shop logos all over them, pretending they're sponsored riders. :p It's ridiculous. Then, they all go training together in their matching gear as if they're a pro squad. YOU LOOK LIKE IDIOTS! I'm talking about mid and low-level club riders, maybe mixed in with a few A-graders.

High-end shops usually do sponsor a handful of riders ("sponsorships" range from anything from just a free kit and discounts on tyres, to getting a bike at cost, up to a loaner bike, right up to a few guys around town getting a free bike to keep), but along with this small group of guys, they'll be another 100 riding around with the same kit, pretending they're sponsored. :D

Does this happen OS?
 
Story goes....

A young-ish guy was riding around Melbourne in January a couple of years ago, wearing a full CSC kit and riding a carbon Cervelo, when he stopped to buy a drink at a kiosk on one of our most popular cycling routes (the Mordialloc Kiosk, for the locals reading this). The guy buys his Coke, cracks the can, has a long sip, then turns around to see half a dozen CSC pros -- who'd just lobbed in Aus for the Tour Downunder -- sitting at the kiosk, all looking at him. Legend has it that the kid said nothing; was very embarrassed, so he got out of there as quickly as possible.

You've gotta ask yaself: would YOU wanna be that guy? :D
Not that there's anything wrong with that.
 
Feb 25, 2010
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Captain Serious said:
Story goes....

A young-ish guy was riding around Melbourne in January a couple of years ago, wearing a full CSC kit and riding a carbon Cervelo, when he stopped to buy a drink at a kiosk on one of our most popular cycling routes (the Mordialloc Kiosk, for the locals reading this). The guy buys his Coke, cracks the can, has a long sip, then turns around to see half a dozen CSC pros -- who'd just lobbed in Aus for the Tour Downunder -- sitting at the kiosk, all looking at him. Legend has it that the kid said nothing; was very embarrassed, so he got out of there as quickly as possible.

You've gotta ask yaself: would YOU wanna be that guy? :D
Not that there's anything wronf with that.

Dude that is so awesome! He should've gone to the pros and start chatting with them :p
BTW, was it you ? :p
 
Captain Serious said:
Story goes....

A young-ish guy was riding around Melbourne in January a couple of years ago, wearing a full CSC kit and riding a carbon Cervelo, when he stopped to buy a drink at a kiosk on one of our most popular cycling routes (the Mordialloc Kiosk, for the locals reading this). The guy buys his Coke, cracks the can, has a long sip, then turns around to see half a dozen CSC pros -- who'd just lobbed in Aus for the Tour Downunder -- sitting at the kiosk, all looking at him. Legend has it that the kid said nothing; was very embarrassed, so he got out of there as quickly as possible.

You've gotta ask yaself: would YOU wanna be that guy? :D
Not that there's anything wrong with that.

LOL!! brilliant!

it's like a football fan meeting his heros while wearing a team shirt, so dunno why he'd be embarrassed to go say hello.
I guess there's maybe a difference between a fan and a poser?
 
Nov 30, 2010
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Captain Serious said:
Story goes....

A young-ish guy was riding around Melbourne in January a couple of years ago, wearing a full CSC kit and riding a carbon Cervelo, when he stopped to buy a drink at a kiosk on one of our most popular cycling routes (the Mordialloc Kiosk, for the locals reading this). The guy buys his Coke, cracks the can, has a long sip, then turns around to see half a dozen CSC pros -- who'd just lobbed in Aus for the Tour Downunder -- sitting at the kiosk, all looking at him. Legend has it that the kid said nothing; was very embarrassed, so he got out of there as quickly as possible.

You've gotta ask yaself: would YOU wanna be that guy? :D
Not that there's anything wrong with that.

I would have scuttled off with my tail between my legs too. Someone with a bit more about them would have gone up and got their signatures all over his top and made a small fortune on Ebay.

I spose that's why I don't wear team kits. I don't want to appear to be trying to belong to something I don't.