Pro Team Kits

hawkwing

Question from someone new to cycling :
Is it ok to wear a full team kit of a 2009 Tour De France team if you have never even been in a race and are very new to cycling or would more experienced cyclists laugh at you?Would it be better to buy non-team clothing at first?(i was thinking of staying away from KOM jerseys etc as i think it may be best to leave them for the guys who win them??)

Jawgap

More experienced cyclists will give you a much more reasoned answer than I could, but I think the short answer is "no."

I'm a recent convert to cycling but instead of wearing a team strip I picked the scheme that went with the bike and bought generic kit.

However, I've just bought my first "retro" jersey:-

http://www.prendas.co.uk/details.asp?ID=2383

That might be more acceptable than buying a team kit in the way people buy soccer or rugby jerseys.

Caroline_ie

You can wear what you want, everyone makes mistake. Chances are though that if you are new to cycling you're not a climbing god just yet, so you will get slagged off.

Freds are people too.

crashoveroid

Hey wear what you want want i know some really good cyclists in Cork and they all wear pro tour clothing and no one says a word if you like it wear it.

Jip

Well here's something I've been pondering, is it ok then to wear a pro kit if you actually work for that company, i.e. Garmin, CSC, etc etc ?

zzzzzzzz

hawkwing wrote: »

Question from someone new to cycling :
Is it ok to wear a full team kit of a 2009 Tour De France team if you have never even been in a race and are very new to cycling or would more experienced cyclists laugh at you?Would it be better to buy non-team clothing at first?(i was thinking of staying away from KOM jerseys etc as i think it may be best to leave them for the guys who win them??)

Go for it - provided it's not that horrible ag2r kit... personally i'd draw the line with national/world champs jersey/KOM/yellow jerseys etc.

Lumen

Joking aside, being criticised on fashion grounds in a non-ironic way by another recreational cyclist for wearing particular clothing is a pretty tragic state of affairs.

I honestly doubt the pros give a flying feck whether you wear their kit. They'd probably take it as a compliment.

tunney

hawkwing wrote: »

Question from someone new to cycling :
Is it ok to wear a full team kit of a 2009 Tour De France team if you have never even been in a race and are very new to cycling or would more experienced cyclists laugh at you?Would it be better to buy non-team clothing at first?(i was thinking of staying away from KOM jerseys etc as i think it may be best to leave them for the guys who win them??)

you'll probably get pushed off your bike and beaten with pumps ( no is the answer)

blorg

You can do whatever you like but as a general rule more experienced cyclists don't tend to wear current ProTour team kit. Defunct or more obscure teams are fine as this gives the impression you have a detailed appreciation of the history of the sport

DJsail

tunney wrote: »

you'll probably get pushed off your bike and beaten with pumps ( no is the answer)

Wat away to go, especially if those ''performance'' thread girls are involved, listen you can wear what you want but be prepared for any slaggin that may follow, i.e. Q: Why are you wearing the Liquigas Kit? A: It saves me from wearing a high vis jacket etc. etc.

Probably best to stay clear from jerseys like the polka dot unless you can tackle Cork's Pat's Hill without breaking a sweat though for fear of encountering the above demise!

Raam

The polka dot jersey is possibly the worst one out there. Did anyone notice Pellizoti in the tour? Cos it was bloody hard to miss him. Even his bike computer had the dots.

hawkwing

I was thinking KOM,Green,Yellow etc were to be avoided alright. Might go for the bombardier kuota '09 from bobshop (and learn a bit of german:o.)

DJsail

Class, if it didn't make me look like a complete spanner as I huff my way up the Sally Gap I'd wear that every day!

ednwireland

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_(bicycling)

fred
1) n. a person who spends a lot of money on his bike and clothing, but still can't ride. "What a fred -- too much Lycra and titanium and not enough skill." Synonym for poser. Occasionally called a "barney".

hmm that'd be me then (overweight, new carbon bike just arrived........) where's me milram jersey

Chips Lovell

I'm saddened that the real meaning of fredliness is slowly being lost.

DJsail

To my horror I may be turning into a Fred! Does my want of a KOM jersey make me one or does the practice of wearing one to work, on a spin, to bed etc.

ednwireland

el tonto wrote: »

I'm saddened that the real meaning of fredliness is slowly being lost.

sandals, beard ?

Lumen

DJsail wrote: »

To my horror I may be turning into a Fred!

Some form of Fredness is impossible to avoid. Just choose your flavour wisely.

ednwireland

no thread on fred is complete without

DJsail

I thought I had that photo burned!

bcmf

Raam wrote: »

The polka dot jersey is possibly the worst one out there. Did anyone notice Pellizoti in the tour? Cos it was bloody hard to miss him. Even his bike computer had the dots.

Still its a whole lot better than this



http://11.media.tumblr.com/HNMmoOPtKpnknzutYEEGQtHVo1_500.jpg

blorg

ednwireland wrote: »

no thread on fred is complete without

Yes, now if he was in retro kit all would be well.

lukester

Anyone on here ride a Trek and wear full Discovery kit? In the Ringsend/Pearse St area?

blorg

el tonto wrote: »

I'm saddened that the real meaning of fredliness is slowly being lost.

Found this analysis today via a comment on Bike Snob.

DJsail

lukester wrote: »

Anyone on here ride a Trek and wear full Discovery kit? In the Ringsend/Pearse St area?

Also seen this chap alot around Malahide unless its a new cult forming and there's loads of them, all credit to him though if he's happy, why not

ednwireland

lukester wrote: »

Anyone on here ride a Trek and wear full Discovery kit? In the Ringsend/Pearse St area?

lance - early training ? in disguise

lukester

ednwireland wrote: »

lance - early training ? in disguise

Erm, I think not. How can I put this kindly..he looked a tad over race weight.

Quigs Snr

The trouble with wearing a polka dot kit, for example on a sportif ride, is that you better be bringing the pain on the hills, because if I see you (and I am sure I am not alone here), I will be coming after you to see if you can walk the talk.

Many moons ago I once foolishly turned up to a club ride wearing a US Postal Yellow Jersey that I got on Ebay. I got absolutely crucified, it was as if I had given the rest of the bunch doping products that made them quicker and more agressive. Fellas would be launching up the road and others would roll up to me with comments of the "I wouldn't let them away with that...champ" nature ! I learned my lesson, it was one of my first club rides. I almost felt sorry then a year later for a newbie who turned up with world champion stripes... never saw him again after that.

DJsail

That's the same chap alright but be careful what road we decide to take here, if we start taking the p*** out of lance's traveling fan club we leave ouselves open to the accusing eyes of the Euro-police and God knows none of us will survive!

Go on big lance!

blorg

DJsail wrote: »

Also seen this chap alot around Malahide unless its a new cult forming and there's loads of them, all credit to him though if he's happy, why not

Yes, there are more than a few guys on Treks who wear Discovery kit, it is a bit of a classic one all right.

EDIT: Note Discovery is defunct so the kit is technically allowed according to the rules.

ROK ON

@Blorg. Thanks for the link.
I have graduated to being an uber-fred.
This is the 1st time in my life that I have been an uber anything. Fantastic.

Question; why is pro team kit so derided on training spins. In most other sports people tend to train in replica team kit.

blorg

ROK ON wrote: »

Question; why is pro team kit so derided on training spins. In most other sports people tend to train in replica team kit.

Probably as most serious cyclists are in a club and would train (and certainly race) in their club kit. It's actually illegal to race in pro team kit in an open race (unless you are a member of that team.)

ROK ON

@blorg- not sure. Any rugby, hurling training that I have been at or seen, the athletes train in replica and keep the team gear for the weekend - ie the real thing. This is not the way in cycling it seems.

robs1

jesus guys. now i feel nervous i have my full astana kit but i have to say i got it because a driver told me one day that because i was wearing dark gear that he did not see me.and im not that fast.but anyway i wanted to get brighter gear and lampre was a bit to bling for me

Zipp101

Question-Are team edition helmets allowed?

Also whats the deal on socks,bidons,caps etc.? Surely they are acceptable.

Raam

Zipp101 wrote: »

Question-Are team edition helmets allowed?

Also whats the deal on socks,bidons,caps etc.? Surely they are acceptable.

Some say, only if you ride for the team. I'll just point out that I am currently riding for High Road, Lampre, Credit Agricole, FDJ, CSC, Veredistein, Brooklyn, Liberty Seguros, Kaiku, Bic, Mercier and Mapei. It keeps me busy.

Zipp101

robs1 wrote: »

jesus guys. now i feel nervous i have my full astana kit

Could be a lot worse.Could be that hideous South-Dublin CC kit.Everytime I see it gives me the shivers.

DirkVoodoo

If I see a jersey I like, I buy it. It's my major concession to fredishness.

My rule though, carried on from other sports, is that it is not acceptable to wear a complete kit. Mixing of kit is ok in my book (Dirk's guide to euro, it's soon to be a best seller).

I want that liquigas kit!

Chips Lovell

robs1 wrote: »

jesus guys. now i feel nervous i have my full astana kit but i have to say i got it because a driver told me one day that because i was wearing dark gear that he did not see me.and im not that fast.but anyway i wanted to get brighter gear and lampre was a bit to bling for me

Don't sweat it. When it comes to fashion advice everything is a little bit tongue in cheek around here.

I will say though that unless you were cycling with no lights at night, it is the drivers responsibility to see you rather than you to be seen by them. Next time someone says something like that to you tell them you'll buy new gear when he gets a day-glo car.

Deisetrek

robs1 wrote: »

jesus guys. now i feel nervous i have my full astana kit but i have to say i got it because a driver told me one day that because i was wearing dark gear that he did not see me.and im not that fast.but anyway i wanted to get brighter gear and lampre was a bit to bling for me

Welcome to the nerds club , I too have full Astana kit ( ebay Hong Kong's best!) , Discovery channel full kit , Cantina Tollo full kit and recently bought the full Francaise Des Jeux kit ............also ride the dreaded Trek . Do what I'm going to do for the Sean Kelly , wear a balaclava

Esroh

ROK ON wrote: »

@blorg- not sure. Any rugby, hurling training that I have been at or seen, the athletes train in replica and keep the team gear for the weekend - ie the real thing. This is not the way in cycling it seems.

I know with our club the tradition(unwritten rule) is that you should wear either jersey/jacket or shorts because of the club sponsors. It is their money that makes it so affordable. Ours is Santini and I could never replace all the club gear I have with Pro team stuff

zzzzzzzz

Esroh wrote: »

I know with our club the tradition(unwritten rule) is that you should wear either jersey/jacket or shorts because of the club sponsors. It is their money that makes it so affordable. Ours is Santini and I could never replace all the club gear I have with Pro team stuff

I don't think any sponsorship money in our club goes towards the gear - maybe I'm wrong - but it seemed like normal prices (if not slightly expensive) when I was buying it as far as I can remember.

Bazzo26

Zipp101 wrote: »

Question-Are team edition helmets allowed?

Also whats the deal on socks,bidons,caps etc.? Surely they are acceptable.

Absolutely, In fact you'll look like less of a novice. To reiterate what someone said earlier, do not ever buy a KOM or World Champions jersey... unless you want to look like an eejit....or you are a world champion.

If your part of a club you should really get the team gear. If people see you out on the road a lot a local company/bike shop might sponsor you some money to have the name on the jersey

McTigs

I'm also new to cycling (well commuting for nearly 25 years between school, college and work.... but just got my first road bike)

I had no idea cycling was such a minefield of style faux pas or even that another cyclist you met on the road would give a fiddlers what you were wearing.... or whether you had racked up enough miles to qualify to wear a certain jersey.

i read the euro rules and blushed (i never noticed the pie plate on my commuter bike before and now i cringe every time i see it)

the fred thing i get... it's probably like the guy who takes up golf, buys a five grand set of clubs and can't drive past the ladies tee... of course he is gonna be ridiculed.

are plain black shorts ok?

Esroh

Most of the stuff on this is Tongue in Cheek but i reckon the style police will never let you away with Black Socks:D

eggie

I wear whatever I like, couldn't give a bollocks what people think. If they were so cool they'd be making money from cycling instead of trying to ridicule people.

robs1

thats it ,full astana gear tomorrow with black socks.trek bike ,livestrong helmet,yellow wrist band .its happening people its a fred revolution

triv88

McTigs wrote: »

I'm also new to cycling (well commuting for nearly 25 years between school, college and work.... but just got my first road bike)

I had no idea cycling was such a minefield of style faux pas or even that another cyclist you met on the road would give a fiddlers what you were wearing.... or whether you had racked up enough miles to qualify to wear a certain jersey.

i read the euro rules and blushed (i never noticed the pie plate on my commuter bike before and now i cringe every time i see it)

the fred thing i get... it's probably like the guy who takes up golf, buys a five grand set of clubs and can't drive past the ladies tee... of course he is gonna be ridiculed.

are plain black shorts ok?

Lance tweeted this youtube link oh his site,pretty cool video with some great observations and tips etc.Hope it helps

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn29DvMITu4