# Team Kits - to ebay or not to ebay



## hairingtons (12 Aug 2011)

Any qualms about buying (surely rip off?) kits on ebay?

Getting back in to riding a bit, I needed some shorts quick sharpish. And of course a decent pair of bibshorts cost a fair whack. But I noticed loads of Pro Team Kits on ebay - mostly from China. I've never bought anything from China on ebay cos there's loads of horror stories, but the sellers hads hundreds of positive feedbacks. AND the shorts and jersey cost £30 total !! 

If I bought from other shops I've have doubled if not tripled that cost.

So ... 

I bought a set, thinking if they don't arrive I've learnt my lesson.

But they arrived, on time, and they seem like the genuine article. Good quality. Great insert in the shorts. Correct size. 

So...would you buy off ebay or do you think it's taking money out of LBS pockets or out of official team kit revenues even?


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## thehairycycler (12 Aug 2011)

I had this Dialemma also I've not bought anything from their yet but I may buy some shorts from the seller you used if you care to name drop? I don't think its doing them out of money because it's an absoloute fortune for a kit which if you have a fall or an accident will be ripped to pieces. I'm not sure on bib shorts and don't see any real advantage to them and have noticed you can get regular cycling shorts in team colours from those ebay sites


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## lulubel (12 Aug 2011)

It's probably fake, but if it's good quality kit, and it doesn't bother you that it isn't "the real thing", it doesn't matter.

My brother-in-law picked up a few pairs of "Skechers" trainers at a car boot sale a few years back for £3 a pair, and gave each of us a pair. He was so pleased with his find that no-one had the heart to tell him they weren't genuine, and they were comfortable and lasted well, so everyone was happy.

If it's decent and affordable, and looks OK, I'd buy it. I've never been worried about genuine as long as it does the job you expect of it.


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## vickster (12 Aug 2011)

As lulubel... the "real" stuff (i.e. overpriced branded ones endorsed by the manufacturer and team's marketing department) is probably made in the same Far East sweatshop as the fake stuff anyhow  Not like buying fake pharmaceuticals or cosmetics when all is said and done


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## PpPete (12 Aug 2011)

I got some from one chinese vendor with good feedback.... nice feel to the material, all the logos correct, except those on the sleeves were upside-down ! The "made in italy" tags made I larfff though.... couldn't spell polyester !

They were OK(ish) in use but I found they took an age to dry if the material got wet. Most of my kit is very quick drying which is good because I cant always be bothered to put a waterproof on for a quick shower...

Eventually I sold on Ebay (making the provenance clear) - and made a profit !


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## ohnovino (12 Aug 2011)

There was a review last week on road.cc of a knock-off Kuota-road.cc shirt, and they were surprisingly positive about it. LINK

I might try one of the jerseys on eBay, but I don't fancy chancing it with the shorts.


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## gds58 (12 Aug 2011)

Hi there,

I've just recently bought two lots of team kit from 'ringwise2009' on ebay. They are based in China and I cannot praise this company highly enough. Firstly a pair if bib shorts and full zip shirt will cost you about £37 including the postage from China. Secondly they have a very good sizing chart which allows you to mix and match sizes. On both occasions the stuff arrived within about 8 days from China!!! it is excellent quality with very good padded inserts in the shorts and the fit is perfect. They constantly keep in touch by email with updates on your order etc so there really is nothing to fear from buying from this company. I will be ordering some more of their 'winter' stuff very soon and I won't hesitate to recommend them to anybody else.

I will admit that it's not up to Assos quality but you will pay £100 for shorts alone from Assos so for the money I cannot fault it. As well as team kit they also do some which is without team sponsors etc.

Order with confidence and I'll be interested to hear from you if you do and are pleased with your stuff too.

Graham


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## gaz (12 Aug 2011)

Just by DHB stuff from wiggle. Good quality but doesn't break the bank


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## Ludwig (12 Aug 2011)

I think there has to be moral, ethical and safety issues about buying anything fake and your money could be going into organised crime if you buy fake goods.


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## gds58 (12 Aug 2011)

Ludwig said:


> I think there has to be moral, ethical and safety issues about buying anything fake and your money could be going into organised crime if you buy fake goods.



Oh for gods sake get a life mate. We're talking about cycling clothing here. It's not being sold as the genuine article so there's no problem. I think you're watching too much crap television and I hardly think that 'fake' gear is part of organised crime. Nowhere does it purport to be the genuine article so you have no right to make such ridiculous accusations. Like I said, get a life!!


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## gds58 (12 Aug 2011)

Ludwig said:


> I think there has to be moral, ethical and safety issues about buying anything fake and your money could be going into organised crime if you buy fake goods.



I've just read your post again and for the life of me I can't imagine what 'safety issues' there would be by purchasing 'fake' goods from China to use for riding your bike in!! Please enlighten me, I await your reply with interest.

Graham


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## Banjo (12 Aug 2011)

Ludwig is right , a lot of fake stuff is brought in by criminal gangs.

I wouldnt consider buying a fake bike but probably would buy fake cycling team clothing.The Genuine stuff is ridiculously overpriced to the point they are ripping us off.


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## gds58 (12 Aug 2011)

Banjo said:


> Ludwig is right , a lot of fake stuff is brought in by criminal gangs.
> 
> I wouldnt consider buying a fake bike but probably would buy fake cycling team clothing.The Genuine stuff is ridiculously overpriced to the point they are ripping us off.




Oh well done!! you've actually realised that the 'genuine' stuff is a rip off. Your stupid comment at the top doesn't make any sense either. You state that 'a lot of fake stuff is brought in by criminal gangs'... brought in to where? the stuff we are talking about is being sold in China so are you saying that it's brought into China by criminals!! your comment doesn't make any sense at all, you're talking complete boll*cks mate about something you clearly know nothing about.

Get a grip of what we are discussing here which is cycling clothing. Nobody seems to care when some brainless moron walks around in a Man' United shirt with 'ROONEY' on the back when the only thing he has in common with Wayne Rooney is a solid mass between his ears.


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## the_mikey (12 Aug 2011)

gaz said:


> Just by DHB stuff from wiggle. Good quality but doesn't break the bank



+1 DHB cycling shorts are excellent.


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## the snail (12 Aug 2011)

gds58 said:


> Nobody seems to care when some brainless moron walks around in a Man' United shirt with 'ROONEY' on the back when the only thing he has in common with Wayne Rooney is a solid mass between his ears.



I don't see why you would buy fake team kit - it doesn't support the team, so why not just buy ordinary kit instead of paying extra for fake stuff?


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## gds58 (12 Aug 2011)

the snail said:


> I don't see why you would buy fake team kit - it doesn't support the team, so why not just buy ordinary kit instead of paying extra for fake stuff?



You're just not getting it are you. It's not 'Fake' team kit it's REPLICA as it's not purporting to be the real thing!! The reason that we would buy it from China is that it's massively cheaper than buying even plain kit from this country. For god's sake it's not hard to understand surely unless of course you're another Wayne Rooney!!

I really think that this topic is now done and dusted as they say!


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## Banjo (12 Aug 2011)

gds58 said:


> You're just not getting it are you. It's not 'Fake' team kit it's REPLICA as it's not purporting to be the real thing!! The reason that we would buy it from China is that it's massively cheaper than buying even plain kit from this country. For god's sake it's not hard to understand surely unless of course you're another Wayne Rooney!!
> 
> I really think that this topic is now done and dusted as they say!





The kit is fake in that they are producing it without permission or license from the brand owners .

I dont have any strong views about wether people buy it or not TBH. 

I do have issues with rude and arrogant people on forums though.


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## lukesdad (12 Aug 2011)

gds58 said:


> You're just not getting it are you. It's not 'Fake' team kit it's REPLICA as it's not purporting to be the real thing!! The reason that we would buy it from China is that it's massively cheaper than buying even plain kit from this country. For god's sake it's not hard to understand surely unless of course you're another Wayne Rooney!!
> 
> I really think that this topic is now done and dusted as they say!




Ah you must be one of these Replica racers I keep hearing about then ?


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## lukesdad (12 Aug 2011)

R Wooney is it ?


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## Shanks (13 Aug 2011)

This place was linked to in the 'post a bargain' thread - Cycle Store

They currently have a lot of 'smoke damaged' kit at very good prices. I was sceptical about it but am now on my third order for stuff and none of it has even needed a wash as there is not even a smell of smoke.

I don't buy into the organised crime link very much but am just wary that it might be a pain to return goods to China if they turn out to be c**p when they arrive.

Cheers


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## rockyraccoon (13 Aug 2011)

Shanks said:


> This place was linked to in the 'post a bargain' thread - Cycle Store
> 
> ...




Their stuff is also made in China.. warehouse and customer service are in England though


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## Little yellow Brompton (13 Aug 2011)

Shanks said:


> This place was linked to in the 'post a bargain' thread - Cycle Store
> 
> They currently have a lot of 'smoke damaged' kit at very good prices. I was sceptical about it but am now on my third order for stuff and none of it has even needed a wash as there is not even a smell of smoke.



I bought some as well, no smell of smoke, but not what I would call quality. The top fits but the arms flap in the breeze, the bib longs I though were going to be "snug" when I had trouble getting them over my calves, I eventually gave up the struggle at my knees...

I have no idea what siz they are but there is no way they will fit a 38-40 waist.


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## gds58 (13 Aug 2011)

lukesdad said:


> Ah you must be one of these Replica racers I keep hearing about then ?



I've never heard the term 'Replica Racers' so I don't have a clue as to what you mean but for your information and without wishing to sound big headed, before I retired from racing some 18 years ago I raced at International level and to a very high standard. There was nothing 'Replica' about my racing it was all genuinely me and I'm not now trying to be somebody famous, I don't need to! I'm now really enjoying having returned to cycling as a way of keeping fit and healthy having not touched a bike since that time. To be honest I have kitted myself out with some nice kit at relatively low cost as it would have been so prohibitively expensive to have bought everything I needed from this country. 

I haven't yet bought a bike or frame from China but I would definitely consider it for the same reasons. There is an awful lot that we (in Britain) could learn from the Chinese in relation to how efficiently they run their businesses etc and that is then reflected in the prices and the service I have had from them. When I raced I was fortunate to have top quality kit (Assos, Santini) provided for me at no cost to me. I will agree that this Chinese stuff is by no means of that quality but it is perfectly adequate and will do just fine until somebody wants to give me some Assos for free!!

I did think that this was supposed to be a 'discussion' forum but it seems that some people don't like to discuss things unless the others are agreeing with them!!


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## JustT (13 Aug 2011)

Ok, risking the wrath of others further, 

My only reason for not buying form china.....and before you say it, i know lots of stores use china...and i know in recession times money is tight, but I also have a concience. 

http://www.businessweek.com/2000/00_40/b3701119.htm

http://alfin2200.blogspot.com/2010/04/chinas-sweatshops-produce-gadgets-and.html

http://chinadigitaltimes.net/china/sweatshops/

these ebay sights are not put up by the average jo blog trying to earn a bob or too, but by ruthless business men cashing in on the west's need for cheaper goods.


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## Chris.IOW (13 Aug 2011)

gds58 said:


> You're just not getting it are you. It's not 'Fake' team kit it's REPLICA as it's not purporting to be the real thing!! The reason that we would buy it from China is that it's massively cheaper than buying even plain kit from this country. For god's sake it's not hard to understand surely unless of course you're another Wayne Rooney!!



Wow, someone needs to chill out!

There is a huge difference between the terms 'Replica' and 'Fake'

Replica means an item produced under licence by the copywrite owner and therefore replicating the genuine items. Such as football shirts sold at club shops on the high street etc.

Fake means producing without a licence by someone who has just copied a design.

Personally from a moral standpoint I wouldn't want to buy fake gear as if someone has put the time and work in to design something then they deserve to reap the benefit of that. Even if they are a faceless corporate giant.

As for the organised crime points, there is a lot of evidence that organised crime group fund themselves by selling fake goods, maybe not cycling gear but the point the posters were making was a fair point.

And lets not forget that copywrighted material is protected by law and reproducing logos etc that are trademarks without permission is also illegal.


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## Angelfishsolo (13 Aug 2011)

Banjo said:


> The kit is fake in that they are producing it without permission or license from the brand owners .
> 
> I dont have any strong views about wether people buy it or not TBH.
> 
> I do have issues with rude and arrogant people on forums though.


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## rockyraccoon (13 Aug 2011)

Fair points and I agree with most however explain this to me: if they are fake and copies without permissions they are illegal, right? So why eBay allows those items to be sold on the website and also provide paypal as method of payment ?


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## Angelfishsolo (13 Aug 2011)

User14044raccoon said:


> Fair points and I agree with most however explain this to me: if they are fake and copies without permissions they are illegal, right? So why eBay allows those items to be sold on the website and also provide paypal as method of payment ?



A link to one of the sites may well answer that question.


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## gds58 (13 Aug 2011)

Chris.IOW said:


> Wow, someone needs to chill out!
> 
> There is a huge difference between the terms 'Replica' and 'Fake'
> 
> ...



I'm well chilled thank you in fact positively sub zero!

Just one point that might be worth mentioning - does anybody actually know whether or not these guys in China ARE licensed to make replica kit... Just a thought!

Anyway, I'm done with this now but it was interesting to see how many of you clearly have money to waste!


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## Angelfishsolo (13 Aug 2011)

gds58 said:


> I'm well chilled thank you in fact positively sub zero!
> 
> Just one point that might be worth mentioning - does anybody actually know whether or not these guys in China ARE licensed to make replica kit... Just a thought!
> 
> Anyway, I'm done with this now but it was interesting to see how many of you clearly have money to waste!



How many of the respondents actually said they have bough or will buy genuine team kit? Please remind me.


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## hairingtons (13 Aug 2011)

thehairycycler said:


> I had this Dialemma also I've not bought anything from their yet but I may buy some shorts from the seller you used if you care to name drop? I don't think its doing them out of money because it's an absoloute fortune for a kit which if you have a fall or an accident will be ripped to pieces. I'm not sure on bib shorts and don't see any real advantage to them and have noticed you can get regular cycling shorts in team colours from those ebay sites



Hi...sorry for late reply.

The user I bought from in China was 

*2010dixiatie*
Though weirdly, he now has no items for sale. He had hundreds available last week.

There's a couple of other sellers who appear to be selling pretty much the same stuff (same teams, same photos, same brand watermark). They are:


*kuaizhi_ren *and* ringwise2009*


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## Angelfishsolo (13 Aug 2011)

hairingtons said:


> Hi...sorry for late reply.
> 
> The user I bought from in China was
> 
> ...


The fact that he is no longer selling anything could well be because ebay has banned the seller from selling the kit. They sometimes take a while to spot the dodgy sellers as the site is so large.


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## hairingtons (13 Aug 2011)

Yeah true. At least I helped catch him


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## Angelfishsolo (13 Aug 2011)

hairingtons said:


> Yeah true. At least I helped catch him



 A clever ploy buy from the supplier and stitch them up (pardon the pun)


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## addictfreak (13 Aug 2011)

I have bought both rip off kit and the genuine stuff from ebay.

You can certainly tell the difference in quality. I found that the rip off jerseys ( I have 3) arent too bad, but the shorts leave a lot to be desired.


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## gds58 (13 Aug 2011)

Angelfishsolo said:


> A clever ploy buy from the supplier and stitch them up (pardon the pun)



I bet you feel really proud


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## Angelfishsolo (13 Aug 2011)

gds58 said:


> I bet you feel really proud



It wasn't me who bought anything from them!


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## lukesdad (13 Aug 2011)

gds58 said:


> I've never heard the term 'Replica Racers' so I don't have a clue as to what you mean but for your information and without wishing to sound big headed, before I retired from racing some 18 years ago I raced at International level and to a very high standard. There was nothing 'Replica' about my racing it was all genuinely me and I'm not now trying to be somebody famous, I don't need to! I'm now really enjoying having returned to cycling as a way of keeping fit and healthy having not touched a bike since that time. To be honest I have kitted myself out with some nice kit at relatively low cost as it would have been so prohibitively expensive to have bought everything I needed from this country.
> 
> I haven't yet bought a bike or frame from China but I would definitely consider it for the same reasons. There is an awful lot that we (in Britain) could learn from the Chinese in relation to how efficiently they run their businesses etc and that is then reflected in the prices and the service I have had from them. When I raced I was fortunate to have top quality kit (Assos, Santini) provided for me at no cost to me. I will agree that this Chinese stuff is by no means of that quality but it is perfectly adequate and will do just fine until somebody wants to give me some Assos for free!!
> 
> I did think that this was supposed to be a 'discussion' forum but it seems that some people don't like to discuss things unless the others are agreeing with them!!




Thats all very interesting ! Before you start throwing insults around next time, make sure you can take some of your own medicine eh ?


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## GrasB (13 Aug 2011)

addictfreak said:


> I have bought both rip off kit and the genuine stuff from ebay.
> 
> You can certainly tell the difference in quality. I found that the rip off jerseys ( I have 3) arent too bad, but the shorts leave a lot to be desired.


I'd agree with the quality thing. Replica kit is often expensive but it's generally the best about. If you want cheap kit you can good quality unbranded gear cheaply in the UK from more reputable sores. 


I have a fair amount of 'team' kit & it was bought because it was the cheapest, or only, way to get the best performing kit. An example is Castelli (Garmin-)Cervelo kit - Castelli tight cut garments fit me very well, especially their shorts/longs. However simply don't do non-branded version of the (Garmin-)Cervelo thermal gear, the fabric weights are different as are the material finishes. As I don't mind wearing '09 or '10 kit I can easily get all Castelli high end garments at half price or less which makes them very competitive on price with the likes of DHB.

I should add I'd personally prefer unbranded kit but the premium for the unbranded kit is much more than I'm willing to pay & that's when the garments are available in non-team colours.


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## Moss (14 Aug 2011)

gds58 said:


> I bet you feel really proud



Hi gds58,

Hope you don't take this the wrong way! Because you you make some fair points; and a great deal of common sense, you also seem to have a better undestanding of buying from the far east than most of us! which can be extremely helpful to many of us on this forum! BUT, in your replies to other posts, you sometimes come across as a tad aggressive !!	Everyone is different in their approach; but we should all consider the opinions of others; even if we do not necessarily agree with them. I've appreciated your opinion on this subject; and found your comments interesting; so hope you don't mind my mentioning the manner in which you write!

Regards

M


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## apollo179 (14 Aug 2011)

gds58 said:


> I've never heard the term 'Replica Racers' so I don't have a clue as to what you mean but for your information and without wishing to sound big headed, before I retired from racing some 18 years ago I raced at International level and to a very high standard. There was nothing 'Replica' about my racing it was all genuinely me and I'm not now trying to be somebody famous, I don't need to! I'm now really enjoying having returned to cycling as a way of keeping fit and healthy having not touched a bike since that time. To be honest I have kitted myself out with some nice kit at relatively low cost as it would have been so prohibitively expensive to have bought everything I needed from this country.
> 
> I haven't yet bought a bike or frame from China but I would definitely consider it for the same reasons. There is an awful lot that we (in Britain) could learn from the Chinese in relation to how efficiently they run their businesses etc and that is then reflected in the prices and the service I have had from them. When I raced I was fortunate to have top quality kit (Assos, Santini) provided for me at no cost to me. I will agree that this Chinese stuff is by no means of that quality but it is perfectly adequate and will do just fine until somebody wants to give me some Assos for free!!
> 
> I did think that this was supposed to be a 'discussion' forum but it seems that some people don't like to discuss things unless the others are agreeing with them!!



I was interested to ask an ex cycling pro if his/her opting to buy cheap replica kit is prompted by necessity (ie being poor) or wether it is just financial sense.
I can understand a poor person buying cheap replica / fake stuff through necessity but i find a rich person buying fake stuff with all the associated negatives ( child labour , breach of copyright, criminal gangs, quality of goods etc etc) less comprehensible.
Also i , probably naively, would presume that an ex cycling pro would be the first person to stand up for the interests of professional cycling rather than advocating the other.


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## Marc78 (15 Aug 2011)

Hi

I bought a scott jersey off one of the Chinese companies on ebay and its great. Size is good, releases moisture well etc. I just wish I'd gone for the bib shorts at the same time...getting fed up of a chilly lower back!

M


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