Aldi Bike Gear

sy

Just a note to say Aldi http://www.aldi.ie/ie/html/offers/offers_week18thursday08.htm

have some bike gear this Thursday. Anybody familiar with their previous offers and what the gear is like?

boomdocker

would normally describe lidl / aldi gear as cheap crap to be avoided at all costs, you get what you pay for etc..etc...

HOWEVER

i have an aldi gilet that i bought about 2 yrs ago, its been through 2 winters (and last years summer) of mtb'ing, been washed once a week during that time, and its as good as the day i got it. top piece of kit.

highly recommended.

forget about all the other crap though....................

blorg

It's a mixed bag. Some of it is great, some of it is not so great. It is generally good value and if you have a discerning eye you may do well. You can often get better quality online in the sales for not very much more money, but the best offers generally require looking somewhat out of season (I got some really great short sleeve jerseys from Wiggle for £6 each in October.) So if you need stuff now and don't mind getting down there early and fighting your fellow cyclist for the stuff (it tends to fly out) then it can indeed be a good idea.

SerialComplaint

I got the tool bag last year, but I couldn't get it to stay on the bike. It just flew off at every bump, so know it's in my backpack.

311

I bought a toolkit and gloves last year ,worth the money imo.
Cycle tool stuff tends to be overpriced in cycle shops.

cantalach

boomdocker wrote: »

forget about all the other crap though....................

I don't know about that. I got two of their long-sleeved winter jackets in their last sale in the Autumn. They've both had a huge amount of wear since, mostly road bike spins but also a number of mtb outings where they had more than a little contact with trees and the ground. They still look as good as the day they were bought, and they're very comfortable to wear. For that kind of money you can't go wrong.

sy

Thanks everyone. Will have a careful "look" at the gear.

spurscormac

Got a jacket in small, one jersey in small & another in medium.
Had a medium jersey from before, so picked up a medium again, then took another medium, which looked way bigger than the first one, so got one of that design in small, which side by side looked the same size as the first medium.
Confused yet? I was.

Also picked up the toolkit, essentially to have the saddle bag with spare tube etc in case of emergency.
Looks ok, I'll see if it actually works when I attach it tonight.

Its cheap stuff, but my other stuff has lasted a year & is still going strong, so I trust it for now.

Vélo

I got a couple of small jackets, one gilet, 2 water bottles,2 pairs of socks, triangle shaped bag and bought 2 undershorts just to see if they're any good but I'm expecting much.

The whole lot was under €60, so you can't really go wrong

Hungrycol

Aquinas73 wrote: »

I got a couple of small jackets, one gilet, 2 water bottles,2 pairs of socks, triangle shaped bag and bought 2 undershorts just to see if they're any good but I'm expecting much.

The whole lot was under €60, so you can't really go wrong

My advice is if the watterbottles are aluminium, like they look in the picture, then I'd bring them back and get another gilet instead. Sure they're fine until you go to drink from them and find that you can't squeeze the f**kers.

Vélo

Hungrycol wrote: »

My advice is if the watterbottles are aluminium, like they look in the picture, then I'd bring them back and get another gilet instead. Sure they're fine until you go to drink from them and find that you can't squeeze the f**kers.

I never thought of that.

I might just give them to my kids instead.

Quigs Snr

I am snobby with Kit. I prefer to ride Asos. However I have been sliding along the tarmac on my back several times in recent months, shredding a lot of expensive gear in the process. So I decided to swallow my pride and get some cheapo stuff for riding as outer layers in the winter, where I tend to ride with 3 or 4 jerseys, leggings with shorts, gillets the whole lot.

I got, 2 gillets (fit me nicely and seem decent), 1 pair of bibshorts (would normally not touch with a pole, but feel alright, they will be fine as an outer layer over my leggings in winter), 2 jerseys, again for those training nights in crap weather where crashes are more likely and cheaper disposable shirts are preferable as an outer layer. I picked up a spare track pump, nowhere near as good as my park tool one, but works and handy to have just in case. 2 pairs of glasses (I normally use Rudy Project, but these seem very nice too and again the clearer lenses will be handy to be used for night riding next winter where once again disposable equipement tends to be a better idea). I also got 3 pairs of socks - socks are socks right ? And a cheapo pair of gloves - not mad on the fit (I do have tiny hands though so this is a common thing for me), but they seem passable enough. The whole lot was 75 euro. I paid 140 for a pair of Asos shorts at the weekend !

Happy enough with the purchases. I have used Aldi glasses in the winter and also a Gillet I got 2 years ago and to be honest they have lasted as well as anything else I use.

That being said, for the serious stuff I will stick to my more expensive gear (shorts and gloves in particular). What I do think is interesting is the logo on the Aldi Gear, Crane Cycling, anyone else notice how its almost a dead ringer for the Cannondale logo ? Cheeky !

Ghost Rider

Yep. It's also pretty durn close to the Oakley logo too.

I got me some shorts, bib shorts, a gilet, two shirts and a pair of the glasses. The damage? Around 45 quid for the lot. You can't beat that.

Quigs Snr wrote: »

What I do think is interesting is the logo on the Aldi Gear, Crane Cycling, anyone else notice how its almost a dead ringer for the Cannondale logo ? Cheeky !

Vélo

Darn I didn't see the glasses

franglan

Went into Lidl bright and early went for a look around and to my amazement, no cycling gear, asked one of the guys working there, He was like what are you talking about? Have you tried aldi across the road.....

Got the jacket, gloves, 2 pairs of socks and the water bottle, forgot how hard it is to squeeze aluminium...

Quigs Snr

Tried mine out earlier. Glasses are great. Gloves are passable, socks are great, gillets are good although one I got has a slightly dodgy zipper. The shorts are meh... would not wear them on their own (very little support at the front, bit of a banana hammock thing going on, could not wear them at a race with children present !, will be grand in winter over the leggings though).

Jerseys are an odd fit. I got the size M and they are hanging off me, whilst the S are sprayed on. Again fine as a layer though and if they are your size ? Happy days.

brayblue24

Glasses terrific value, got shorts for me and the (11yo) lad they ok for me as a spare pair but he tried them on and walked in like he'd had a serious operation "down below" (the padding is a tad rigid), mtb shorts aok. I always buy aldi gloves cos I reckon 4 pairs of these lads a year is still cheaper than 1average pair of branded ones. You get what you pay for alright but if you have a sharp eye and get the right stuff it's a good saving.

spurscormac

Quigs Snr wrote: »

Tried mine out earlier. Glasses are great. Gloves are passable, socks are great, gillets are good although one I got has a slightly dodgy zipper. The shorts are meh... would not wear them on their own (very little support at the front, bit of a banana hammock thing going on, could not wear them at a race with children present !, will be grand in winter over the leggings though).

Jerseys are an odd fit. I got the size M and they are hanging off me, whilst the S are sprayed on. Again fine as a layer though and if they are your size ? Happy days.

Forgot about the glasses, might try to get some on my way from Galway to Donegal tomorrow.

As for the sizes - as I said earlier in the thread, got the orange shirt in small, its tight but fine (incentive to trim the spare round my waist), medium blue is just right. When I picked up the medium orange it was miles bigger than the blue.

Guess its hit & miss, my small jacket is just right.

triv88

glasses are uber cool for 3.99,with nice zipper pouch and interchangable lenses.Gloves same price as well.Don't know why da hell i bought the camping pot set!:p

oobydooby

Quigs Snr wrote: »

I got [..] 1 pair of bibshorts (would normally not touch with a pole, but feel alright, they will be fine as an outer layer over my leggings in winter),!

Naive question for you here if you're still checking this thread. In this and your other post on the thread am I understanding you right that you would wear leggings with bib shorts over them? Would that be two cushioned layers underneath you?

I've picked up leggings and bibs recently from Lidl but they're both cushioned so I was thinking I couldn't wear them together.
(I have a new Brook's saddle that I'm only 500 miles into breaking in so I could manage two cushions for now! but I want it to mould to my 'shape' and not the shape of the cushions.)

Quigs Snr

Usually, there would only be one cushion, the leggings would not have a pad, but they would be a thick thermal type so you still get some extra protection. However if I am say out on the road for my 3rd long day in a row or something like that I will sometimes wear padded leggings and shorts i.e. 2 pads. Its worth noting that it can raise your feet a tiny bit so you might have to drop your saddle a few mm, but it can make all the difference. When I had saddle sores training for the etape I used to wear 2 padded shorts every day. Still painful but bearable, just about.

If you put both on and you are comfortable then why not ?

irishmotorist

I must thank Aldi for opening my eyes. I've had shorts and tights for my cycling (depending on time of year) but have always just used a standard Dunnes fleecey sort of jacket or general t-shirt when out on the bike.

I got some Aldi stuff last week - jerseys and gilets, but OH MY GOD! The difference that it makes. Instead of the usual relentless exhaustion that I associated with cycling on a breezy day, I was actually able to make headway and cycle into the wind, rather than just trying to keep the pedals turning till I ended up going the right direction again.

It's obvious that the less drag, the easier you'll make it for yourself, but I had no idea of the magnitude of the wind resistance!