Got to look at the 2011 spring summer range today, well it actually carries through to the end of the year. It's fair to say they've done a pretty good job on the kit for both men and women. Decent price points on the range of jackets from around £90-£160 including some nice zip off arm style gilet's. There's also a nice pair of waterproof shorts at £75 and jersey's coming in at just short of £40. I think the cheapest short with liner was around the £55 mark. My question to you lot i suppose is, is there room for Northface to succeed alongside the likes of Gore, Endura, Polaris to name a few? The Northface stuff is obviously higher in price than the comparisons, so will these high price points put you off buying? The brand has a huge following in the outdoor wear market already which surely stands them in good stead, doesn't it? I'd be interested to know if you'd buy the stuff because you're already a believer in the quality of Northface clothing because you wear it for other outdoor activites? Chip away ladies and gent's. . .

I might have read that post if you'd included a couple of line breaks, maybe some other punctuation, a smiley here or there etc.

If you'd started to also slag off muslims or TJ I would have really paid attention. 😆

Is this market research?

Sorry gee, this is for you. . . . 🙂

i can see them doing well. I haven't actually bought any of there clothing but i would rather buy quality so price wouldn't put me off, i would just have to save for a while.

i don't have much loyalty to a particular brand, so personaly would give it go.

there success in general outdoor clothing means i think they have the finances to succeed.

I already have faith in North Face gear through camping, walking and snowboarding.

To be honest, I'd be far more inclined to trust them than a lot of the established cycling specific clothing brands.

tl/dr

joking….

I like TNF stuff so if they are making decent biking clothing then I'll probably buy some.

Endura stuff seems to fall apart and gore is way overpriced and not that well designed IMO. There is easily room for northface. Lots of outdoorsy people know and trust it.

No grum, just a few questions to fellow cyclists. I like the kit but it's so effin expensive, and personally although i've had Northface products myself in the past I'm wondering whether they'll just be out priced by the already established brands. My market research will be in the shape of a poll in Friday's mail shot by the way. 🙂 that smiles for you gee.

Roomster – OK thanks for that. I read the post properly and actually it's more interesting than I first thought.

IMO Northface kit built a reputation around technically innovative and very capable kit. Their original Mountain Jacket was expensive but lovely and I still have one that I bought back in 1997. I've used it for everything; mountaineering, DH mountain biking (which is where it's employed now for winter use because it's so bloody tough) casual and even work use.

A few years after I bought this jacket and wore it for casual as well as outdoor use, I noticed a lot of other outdoor enthusiasts doing the same. Well why not, the stuff looked good and as well as performed well.

Then it all got carried away and people you'd never see out in the mountains started wearing their stuff and I think Northface cottoned on to this aspect of fashionable/rugged/outdoorsy/urbanite kit and decided that since no one was actually using their clothing for what it was originall designed for there was very little need to develop their kit to be technical capable. Sort of like the 'chelsea tractor/Range Rover/sloan ranger' equivalent of the outdoor clothing world and they kept the price high as well. At which point I largely stopped buying it.

Gore seem to have a much better position in the market, and in my mind at least, occupy the space that NorthFace once did; so technically capable kit, fit for purpose but also great to wear, if not a little pricey.

As always there is a limited range for us girlies. Personally I have always preferred outdoor brands for biking tops, can't be doing with jerseys with rear pockets and all that elastic.

Outdoor brands tend to be far better at wicking. I had a recent moan about my Sombrio tops – as lovely as they are, they just do not wick and, yes, girlies do sweat!

Gore is my fave for jackets, both windproof and waterproof, and also waterproof shorts. Sugoi is good quality as well.

But I really do think the prices have gone through the roof, some baggies cost £100!! Tops can be £60.

At the end of thday, I'm more interested in technical clothing, what it looks like has to be secondary.

HTH.

I wouldnt buy NF again for 2 reasons -1) had some quality issues in the past – agreed their old kit from the 90s was / is awesome – my westwind tent is still amazing 15 years on as is my orig 'guide' jacket… 2)however its become a chav wannabe brand now in my opinion and for that reason i wouldnt buy it… Plus the amount of abuse i got from the canadians i knew whilst doing ski seasons for wearing my 'North Farce' jacket kinda put me off…!

I think its not seen as that 'core a brand now amongst the guys i know who are rather excellent rock / ice climbers around canmore etc… if the price was right then i may give it a look but that NF logo would have to be very small!!

paul

A high street brand making cycle clothing?
15-20 years ago tnf was a product that was worth searching out not now though. Still quite like Dougie though.