More expensive jerseys - are they worth it?

[jayonabike]

I bought a really good fitting jersey this spring. It was about £20 of eBay. I crashed on Tuesday and ripped the jersey badly. I would have been even less happy if I had spent £75 to £100 on some Assos or Castelli kit.

Rapha offer a free crash repair service on their garments
http://pages.rapha.cc/service/repair-service

 

[Kbrook]

I have two Torm jerseys, beautiful but too hot in this weather. Anyone else find that ?

 

[outlash]

The only thing I notice with the wool or sportwool jerseys like the Torm ones is that while I don't feel too hot or sticky in them whilst riding, when I take them off they've maintained a fair bit of the sweat in them.

 

[dellzeqq]

I rate Decathlon over Rapha - go figure.....

 

[SpokeyDokey]

This very same question comes up on climbing/hiking forums although I think that the outdoor mountain scene is generally far less image conscious than the cycling fraternity.

If I look at this which is £50 (you may find it for less):

http://www.rapha.cc/gb/en/shop/logo-t-shirt/product/LOT03

And I can easily find something like this which is £20 (although I just bought 2 for less than £30 the pair):

http://www.berghaus.com/mens-short-sleeve-crew-neck-technical-t-shirt/420831.html

One is a simple cotton T that will get soggy quickly and the other is a 'technical' T that is high-wicking with UPF 30+ protection and has anti-odour treatment.

No brainer which is best in my book. Useful for my bike and summer climbing etc.

I mean, seriously, Rapha list these as features for a cycling T:

• Lighter weight cotton
• Rapha logo on chest
• Slim fit
• Screen printed
• Longer-cut back panel
• Inner contrast stitching

Hmmm....some serious clutching at straws there.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Lighter weight cotton

• Rapha logo on chest
• Slim fit
• Screen printed
• Longer-cut back panel
• Inner contrast stitching

Hmmm....some serious clutching at straws there.

No kidding about that statement of yours. Lets bring out a new brand and contrast our features to Rapha's like this:

• Rapha logo on chest/ NoName Logo and chest AND inside collar. Washing Instructions sewn in on special tab.
• Slim fit/ Relaxed cut for perfect fit on and off the bike.
• Screen printed / Dye Sublimated Print
• Longer-cut back panel / Generous back panel
• Inner contrast stitching / Twin-thread dual-pigmentation stitching.

Edit: Formatting not so good, but you get the picture.
That should shame them.

 

[lesley_x]

More expensive jerseys fit me better and are therefore far more comfortable.

Luckily I get to hit the pearl izumi outlet in florida every so often and that does me. The discount you get is eye opening to say the least. I find the fit of their kit so perfect for me, I don't really buy anything else. My aldi jersey, while fine, is only used when the others are in the wash. Purely a fit/comfort thing.

Couldn't stomach paying for castelli/rapha personally. Can't justify it at all.

 

[SomethingLikeThat]

Planet X makes some very good quality stuff for the money. I have a few bits from their "365" line and they're very comfortable and nice looking.

 

[Tojo]

dhb gear from Wiggle, good enough quality at the cheap prices but the one thing I've found is the jerseys sizing is about right for me but when you go to shorts and longs they are too big...

 

[vickster]

Buy last seasons more expensive kit at a discount. Win win . That's what I always do. I think I've only ever bought one thing at nearly full price. Only because I loved the design and it was on.y available from one retailer (the very nice owner of the business did give me a first purchase £5 discount) . Of course it's been sold at a 30% discount since

I don't think castelli and rapha women's clothing is made for folks on the larger size, at least the women's kit. Not keen on the styling either. I do like Morvelo designs but have the same issues with the cut

 

[bpsmith]

Same here. Castelli gear for me, but always in the sale or on when there's discount code events.

I tend to use www.castellicafe.co.uk mostly. Their sale stuff reaches 50% at times and they are part of the UK distribution and part of Saddle Back. So it's definitely the proper stuff.

Sizing, quality and comfort at the same price as full priced cheaper brands. Result.

 

[uphillstruggler]

I have two Torm jerseys, beautiful but too hot in this weather. Anyone else find that ?

Possibly a little heavy for a full day of 30 degrees but I have the full length zip which give an option to vent. But for 90% of my riding, they work perfectly.

 

[davegreg]

At least the quality is different.

 

[pclay]

I've done it.

I have just gone and ordered a Castelli Entrata Jersey from Evans cycles. It will be interesting to see how this compares to my Chinese version of the same jersey.

 

[martint235]

I've got a few jerseys around the £50 mark mainly cos I like silly pictures on my jerseys. I've also got a couple of Planet X ones at £20. I can honestly say that if I'm setting off to ride 100+ miles in heat, my choice is purely based on which silly picture I want.

I find, unfortunately, that none of my jerseys really survive the shoulder/tarmac interface very well.