The recent post about being visible got me thinking about jerseys in general. I think it’s time the Bike Noob got some new duds. The newest jersey I own is almost two years old. And most of my jerseys lack…je ne sais quoi… panache.
But what to get? There are always team kit jerseys. I could get one for a team that competed in the Tour de France. Katusha’s is colorful. But who would I be kidding? This is the guy who leads the club B rides, then always finishes off the back — behind the slow riders. For a rider of my caliber, wearing a team jersey would be presumptuous.
Or, I could go for a jersey touting an equipment company…even a bike brand. Heck, I ride a Specialized bike…what about a Specialized jersey? But on second thought, it would look too much like a racing jersey. And would Specialized appreciate the fact that a rider as slow as I am is carrying their colors?
You can still find team kit from defunct teams. Some jerseys worn in past years are kinda cool. Some are really obscure. Many are really colorful. For example, I always liked the Mapei kit. It stands out, and not a lot of people would know what it was all about.
There seem to be lots of beer jerseys around. I drink beer. Therefore, should I wear a beer jersey? A lot of them are for obscure regional craft brewers, so they don’t appeal to me. A lot of them are overdone, in my opinion. But this Molson jersey might be a possibility. The jersey is not outrageous, Molson beer is distributed widely in the US, but it’s not that popular — it could be a nice choice.
A rock ‘n roll jersey? Here’s a Grateful Dead skull and roses jersey.
Nah.
How about going the other direction, and choosing a plain solid color jersey? Well, that’s the reason I’m thinking about adding to my collection as it is. I’ve got some plain solid color jerseys. They’re okay, but they’re boring. I want something with a little color to it. I may have found the compromise.
Jerseys that feature a main solid color, but have enough trim to add a little dash to the look. I found these on eBay. They’re new, not used, and based on recent auction prices I’ve seen for them, they’re inexpensive as jerseys go. In a few weeks, you might see the Noob sporting something along these lines — styled like bike jerseys, but not overwhelming.
What do you think? Am I too boring? Should I shoot for something entirely different? What kind of look do you like to project when you’re on the bike?
Fat Cyclist jersey of course.
Twin Six. Cool designs, American made, and they donate tons of money to LIVESTRONG. http://twinsix.com
I second this. I LOVE Twin Six jerseys.
I’ve got a couple Primal Wear jerseys I like (one’s a beer jersey).
Primal used to have some really cool, colorful jerseys…like my Illegal Alien jersey that you’ve seen me ride in. I usually go for some humor along with an outlandish design. I figured if I’m going to look dorky, I might as well do it right. It also depends on the jersey material. In Texas, cool, breathable fabric is more important than looks.
I have pretty strong views on cycling clothing, it’s generally horrible. Who wants to look like an explosion in a paint factory? Even if Lance does wear stuff like that. I tend to dress down unless I’m commuting, then practicality rules. Hi Viz and weather appropriate gear every time.
Sorry, cyclists have such bad taste in sports specific clothing!
I like the big beer big wood jersey for Arrogant Bastard Ale.. I have not seen a finer design. http://images.channeladvisor.com/Sell/SSProfiles/82000016/Images/7/canari_oaked_bastard.fandr.jpg
Club or shop jerseys are cool. You’re in Austin, right? A Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop jersey would be nice (if not expensive).
Yeah, but it wouldn’t exactly be a unique look around here. I see people with MJ jerseys on nearly every ride.
You could go for the full dork factor with the old Castorama jersey: http://www.supercycleclothing.com/ekmps/shops/sutherland/images/castorama-raleigh-s-s-jersey-1357-p%5Bekm%5D229x300%5Bekm%5D.jpg
Ouch! “Full dork” is right!
I prefer not to be a billboard for a company which doesn’t give me any of their profits and I prefer not to wear a jersey which costs as much as a fine dress shirt. That generally leaves me looking for jerseys like your last pair. Nothing wrong with those at all, in my view.
You can get some nice ones for 50% off at bonktown.com. It’s been my site of choice lately. I also recently got a nice Livestrong jersey from the Livestrong site.
What about a jersey from http://www.foska.com. My personal fave is my “test Dummy” jersey. A bit of dark humour for the 10 mile commute. My som loves his Quiky Mart jersey. Or SPAM. Thats the meat stuff not the e-mail stuff.
There’s also http://www.thecyclejersey.com for something obscure from this side of the pond.