At this morning’s ride, lots of club members were sporting our new kit. For several years, we’ve had a design that emphasized blue, yellow, and white — sometimes with blue dominating, sometimes with white the most prominent color.
But this year, the powers that be came up with a new design. It’s mainly white, with black and red trim. The “legacy” club logo remains in yellow. That bothered me, because I’ve never been a fan of yellow on white. But the finished kit looks pretty good.

I showed up at the ride wearing my 2010 jersey, with blue as the dominant color. You can see it in the picture at the top of any Bike Noob page.
And here’s my dilemma: While I enjoy being part of the club, and the social benefits that have accrued from it, I don’t feel compelled to buy the latest new set of club kit that comes out.
It seems a new design comes out almost every year. Some members have every iteration in their collection. I, however, am content with one version.
Why? I’ve just got too many jerseys, that’s why. Cycling jerseys hold together pretty well, and ones that I bought five years ago are still in regular rotation.
“How many jerseys do you own?” asked a fellow club member, when we met on a ride a few months ago.
“Seven, I think,” I said. Let’s see…there’s the 50-Plus, the MS 150, the club jersey, the Hotter ‘n Hell, the old yellow one, the Penn State one, the old white and blue one, the red long-sleeved one, the summer weight short-sleeved one…why do I need another jersey?
Or should I suck it up and show my loyalty and pride in the club and pop for one of the new ones?
Ray,
Unlike you, I haven’t filled up my jersey quota yet. Since I am newer to my club than you, I popped for club kit jersey and bib shorts. As we got to the cooler months, I wanted to get the long sleeved version, but was too late for the order cutoff. I’ve approached the club about possibly ordering winter jackets for the kit [we will be riding in our local Christmas Parade, and it will be chilly out]. One must do what they feel, and what their wallet and wardrobe space will allow.
My vote is “No, don’t buy the new jersey.” I don’t get to ride too often with my neighbor’s bike club, but when I do I see a variety of jerseys from the club’s lifespan. These include riders from maybe mid-30s to early 70s in age. My impression is that the older jerseys show me how long someone’s been in the club and been cycling, and that longevity is something I admire. Besides, there’s something about cycling that strikes me as consumerism run amuck, where you just gotta have the latest and greatest…just because. I like to think the cycling is an escape – albeit a temporary one – from that and a lot else.
The person who is designing the jerseys does a really nice job. Brian makes a good point about cycling (consumerism run amuck) and the fact that it’s really easy to constantly spend money to have the latest and greatest cycling whatever. As you’re experiencing, you reach a point at which you have more jerseys/shorts than you can possibly/practically wear. I have four generic jerseys (not a club member) and I don’t recall the last time at least two of them weren’t washed and ready for use. In other words, there is no practical reason for me to buy another jersey. But sometimes it’s just fun to have something new and different.
Now shorts are another matter. It seems I can always use another pair of shorts.
I try to limit my jersey purchases to Totally Awesome Must Haves. I have about 10 jerseys right now – and totally plan to grab a few more in the coming year (mostly rounding out my winter/cold weather jerseys).
Shorts – there’s always a need for a new pair. As long as they aren’t white.
One new jersey per year in the name of club cohesiveness isn’t too much to ask. Old jerseys are for base-layer use!