I think you get the option of having it removed by blowtorch or knife.
That's what happens when you don't have the NHS 🙁
Our club kit is a hot mess and I never wear it. When I decided to get a skinsuit for racing I made my own design based on the main colours of our kit. The commissaires don’t mind and I get to...
Is the skinsuit for road racing or TT. Rules are clear - For TT no trade advertising but otherwise anything goes. For Road, under BC rules, if you are riding for a club it must be in their BC approved kit. We have normal blue kit and nice white inverted summer kit. The white kit can't be raced as it's not BC approved. Our ladies team (TW1) race in a third red variant which is approved too.
I've seen comms pull up riders not wearing the correct kit. IF you don't win, nobody will mind but if you do ... 😉
My worst faux pas was to race in a gilet, as I'd just got off a plane, had terrible jet lag and forgotten my jersey. Took a long time to live down the triathlete comments. And it was silly hot too!
both may have upped their game now but at the time both were specced by the club because it was cheap….
Endura offer a wide range of stuff, and the better stuff is good. Can be a bit of challenge with minimum order quantities though if everyone wants a slightly different style of jersey, though.
I’ve seen comms pull up riders not wearing the correct kit.
It's for road racing and crits - I've spoken to the comms at my local races about it and they're happy enough. It's obviously my club, just a cleaner design.
This thread is a strange read and just reinforces my belief that clubs, other than the chocolate biscuit or used for hitting things variety, are not for me. Therefore club kit is not important to me.
A few of us sat around a table and came up with this. No-one needs to ask where we're from but often do as a conversation starter. I sometimes forget I'm wearing it and then I'm surprised when people know where I'm from. The shorts aren't standard club kit. On events with lots of people it's handy being able to see where your mates are from kms away.
I’m not a clubby kinda guy, so not very and I didn’t even realise it was a thing for some people.
@edukator is looking quite rugged... top top too 😉
Our club jersey is really nice, but I haven’t bought it as it’s pretty pricey and I am losing weight so £85 for 6 months doesn’t seem great value. We don’t do shorts.
I’ll probably get one next year when I get to
my target weight.
On events with lots of people it’s handy being able to see where your mates are from kms away
That's a good point actually. Our yellow and blue sunburst makes it really easy to spot rider photos in event galleries amongst a sea of red and black.
Not especially but this reminds me I must get some new road kit. Need some new stuff anyway and it's a bit of support for the local bike shop and club.
I'm not much of a 'joiner'. I manage roughly one after work club ride a year and I've never made a weekend one. But still, I'm glad they're there and am happy to pay subs (which now I think of it may be overdue).
Kit itself looks okay. Nothing wrong with a bit of local pride, and when I wear it, basically, I'm happy to walk round with the name of the small town where I live emblazoned on my arse.
Can be a conversation starter for what that's worth, soemtimes randomly - wondered why I was being asked directions to some place in town when I'm 30 miles from home - ah yes. 'Cause I've got the name of the place written all over me.
Also means you get a few unearned shouts on the very rare occasions I do events or, even rarer, races. And actually for me that really does make a difference that's worth the price of the kit.
Only downside is that when wearing it I do feel I have to behave - no sailing through red lights etc - but hey you can't have everything.
Couple of times I've had to call back fellow ride captains for trying to run red lights in club kit. 🤦
More interesting debate about going off piste on club off road rides. Solution adopted appears to be to not wear club kit on off road rides. Though I think we get 40 out on a Monday night over 2-3 groups, pretty obvious who the big group is round here.
I tend only to wear club kit when racing or when I've not done a wash and its the only thing clean... but as @MoreCashThanDash says, if I'm wearing club kit I'm careful not to ride anything too cheeky.
I like our club kit colours too, the skinsuit isnt brilliant quality but at the speed I'm ploughing round a muddy field it's not doing me any harm!
Why wear matching kit if you don't have matching bikes ??
I have (and mostly tend to wear) club jerseys. I also have a few pairs of club legs (bib shorts, bib longs), which I wear because they are supremely comfy. They're pretty discrete though (black, with white text and side stripes), so noone cares (or even notices, tbh) if you wear plain black shorts, which loads do. I would say that 95% of our club riders do wear some sort of club jersey on rides though, but this isn't out of the ordinary in road clubs.
We're currently on our 4th kit supplier in as many years and I'm a bit fed up of it, especially as the recent one screwed up sizing so I had to return my order. Full credit to our previous supplier (Tactic) though - I dropped the bike on tarmac last weekend, and while I had road rash under the shorts, there wasn't a mark on the lycra. Utterly amazed!
Fortunately, we have a pro rider as club patron and they are kind enough to donate a load of their unwanted kit to the club, so our kids are kitted out like world champions!
If you leave the club do you still wear the jersey?
I've not been a member of Cambridge CC since 2008, but still wear the club jerseys / gillets when I ride as they're pretty much the only roadie kit I have.
Daern - we may be in the same club. I hear rumours that we are considering another change of supplier... I do try to get club kit as I race, but minimum order quantities from some suppliers mean that getting skinsuits can be a bit of a hassle if not enough people want them.
I do try to wear club kit if i’m doing club related stuff - not just club rides or races but stuff like riding out to help at an event.
It's pretty obvious why there are rules on club kit for competition (particularly for road racing). If you are not competing, wear whatever you like.
Club kit is very important as it means our secretary gets to politely reply to irate drivers who were held up momentarily by a member somewhere :0)
minimum order quantities from some suppliers mean that getting skinsuits can be a bit of a hassle if not enough people want them.
IIRC, Provision, who are our club supplier have a minimum order based on cost or total number or items rather than having to buy X of the same garment. Makes it easier to manage the stock and orders, on the flip side they are pretty bloody expensive!
I might be just a mountain bike riding cretin, but why do you have to wear the same gear as someone else when you're racing?
Also, why all wear the same stuff on a Sunday bimble?
I really don't get it.
Road racing is (should be) a team sport.
why do you have to wear the same gear as someone else when you’re racing?
As above, road racing is a team sport.
Also, why all wear the same stuff on a Sunday bimble?
I really don’t get it.
It's not that complicated. Some people like to show their support for the club they belong to when they are out on a club run. It's also a good way of promoting the club to potential new members.
There are thousands of people all wearing the same shirts on a Saturday to go to the pub and watch TV...
I feel slightly uncomfortable when 2 people accidentally turn up for a group ride in matching helmets, so the notion of all turning up wearing the same clothes on purpose to show we are all bezzy mates or a bit pro couldn’t be any more cringe making.
It does all make road riding sound a bit serious, but each to their own.
...the notion of all turning up wearing the same clothes on purpose to show we are all bezzy mates or a bit pro couldn’t be any more cringe making.
Fair enough, but that's not really got anything to do with a discussion about wearing club kit.
I can see both sides of the argument. When on a road bike with the club, I want to represent the club, be easily and quickly noticed, and work as a "team" to keep the pace up etc (even when just on a Sunday club ride). I see wearing a kit as part and parcel of this.
MTB is more about escapism for me. I can't abide being out in big groups (2 or 3 is fine), its about exploring new trails, immersing myself in the surroundings and the technicality of the trail, and heading for the mountains. Its definitely not a 'club' sport for me.
Totally agree with above^
I actually love my road club kit, we all think it looks good. Plus it's good visablity colours (red with yellow band, ok maybe it sounds sh1t, but it's nice!). It's an awesome club, and proud to be part of them.
But roadie time is very different to MTB riding.
tthew - Are you in Weaver Valley then? How come we never met? (or did we??) I was in them about two years or so ago. Stopped going as i lost interest in the roadie side of things.
It does all make road riding sound a bit serious, but each to their own.
That's because it is serious 110% of the time.
It’s all very Golf Club, I’ve always said road cycling is the new golf
I've mentioned this on other threads but the flip side to "seriousness" is a bit of club ethos and £2 race entries because people turn up (usually in club kit) to marshal and do timekeeping not £50+.
Having said that the MTB club/'not a club just a forum, honest' also has jerseys and does a huge amount of work for local trails and access. So I'm happy to think that jerseys are generally correlated with good things.
Tangentially relevant bragging: rode 100 miles yesterday, on a workday by linking up my commute and joining a club run afterwards, cycling clubs rock 🙂
It’s all very Golf Club, I’ve always said road cycling is the new golf
Wearing pro team kit is the new golf. Club kit goes back decades and decades. The rules and rituals surrounding the wearing of it go back before the begining of time !!
It’s all very Golf Club, I’ve always said road cycling is the new golf
My road club has been around for nearly 100 years.
My road club has been around for nearly 100 years.
Same here, and it's full of people who simply enjoy cycling in all its varieties, casual cycling, road racing, TT, off road, touring, track, Audax, etc. There are a couple of thriving weekly kids coaching sessions doing cross and MTB skills, with plans to launch a third group.
A lot of club members wear club kit, some people don't, but it's really about enjoying messing about on bikes, not clothes. I'd run a mile from golf, as would most other club members, I suspect.
tthew – Are you in Weaver Valley then? How come we never met? (or did we??) I was in them about two years or so ago. Stopped going as i lost interest in the roadie side of things.
Yep. I'm the off road secretary, if you're still not interested in road riding. 🙂👍
You may never have met me. I rarely go on the road club runs as, frankly, I find the group discipline and lack of awareness of other road users utterly embarrassing. Probably a topic for another thread.
I rarely go on the road club runs as, frankly, I find the group discipline and lack of awareness of other road users utterly embarrassing.
I think it's the same within any club, TBH. In ours, some groups are very strict, with an expectation of good quality group riding, whereas others are very relaxed indeed, with a club run consisting of small groups of riders scattered over half a mile of road. Personally, I just pick the group that suits my needs (faster end, strict group discipline) and ignore the rest even though a little part of me cringes when I see them out and about!
Yep. I’m the off road secretary, if you’re still not interested in road riding.
Have sent you a PM.
Anyway, my DHB speed pro's arrived, Very nice, with little golf ball dimples on the front & side of my quads - marginal gains eh!
I used to be a very active member of my local club for many years. I'm still a member, and still wear the kit at times, but I don't ride with the club anymore. I just see it as a way of supporting and advertising the club. No harm in that is there?
