For me, Fox Sergeant shorts. Outers garbage, in the bin within 2 months. Inners were nice but also were baggy in no time.
Good one...
Gore waterproof socks. Not in any way foot shaped. Just plain horrible.
Any padded short liner or Lycra shorts that are non-bib.
Bib-shorts just feel so much better.
On One Merino tops that shrink a full size every (cool) wash. Cheap, for a reason methinks!
Ground Effects original cotton Supertanker shorts.
Sealskin socks.
Some Kona shorts I got from Wiggle years ago that ALWAYS snagged on the saddle causing me to almost fall off.
And some Gore winter gloves that have a painful seam in the crook of the thumb. You know, where the handlebars of bikes go.
Sealskinz socks- garbage
Planet-X Windproof Gloves. They're not as it goes.
Spesh windproof bibtights. Designed for fat Americans with epic cankles. No stirrups either, so you get shit 3/4 lengths. Bib straps a horrible length too. Didn't think you could design something so bad, let alone charge £100 for it!
anything made by mavic - its just dosent fit regardless of whatever size i bought!
Pretty much every pair of gloves I've used from a number of brands. Why can't anyone make a glove with a durable finger tip area that doesn't split or wear through way before the rest shows much wear?
(recommendations?)
Planet X roubaix bibs. Might as well have just supplied them with safety pins rather than the shite zip. Again, cheap for a reason.
lol. The first pair of (non-cycling) sealskinz gloves I bought are amazing, still in use 6 years later. Everything else I've bought (2x pairs socks, 3x pairs cycling gloves) has been terrible. I swear I'm not going to give them any more money!!Sealskinz socks- garbage
Sealskinz total crap.
Another vote for Fox Sergeant shorts - so flimsy they tore in the changing room when trying them on! 😯
Lycra inner felt awful compared to my other shorts... left in a hurry!
jameso - MemberPretty much every pair of gloves I've used from a number of brands. Why can't anyone make a glove with a durable finger tip area that doesn't split or wear through way before the rest shows much wear?
([b]recommendations?[/b])
Try these then cut your fingernails and learn to sow.
I've had a pair for 3 years now. A couple of fingers have required a bit of a touch up with the needle and thread, but they're good for a few more years yet. At [url= http://www.evanscycles.com/products/troy-lee-designs/xc-glove-ec028086?utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=froogle&utm_campaign=froogle ]£10[/url], they're worth a punt.
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Love my sealskins socks!
However my Altura waterproof gloves aren't, they are gash
Surely this is totally down to your individual shape and size. I've some fox shorts not sure which but the inners are still great after about 4 years!!
In a way, as comfy as they are, bib short without a fly are the worst design ever.
All sealskinz products ive bought have been = worst
And aldi windproof bib longs , could fit two of me inside the bib part but they only come to mid calf - have stirrups too but no was i would use em. Long socks and they work for commuting on a brooks atleast.
Another vote for O-O merino jerseys. Mine's now suitable for an 8 yr old.
APF
Had two pairs of Sealskinz socks, the ones I stretched pulling them on leaked badly, the ones I rolled on carefully worked fine.
Merino wool ....cold wet expensive....many many brands tried
sealskin socks............terrible
Endura Strike gloves and Decathlon baggy shorts.
Altura attack jacket.
All the taped seams leaked and the zip fell apart after 8-9 uses
: ) I do, and can sew enough to repair bike kit and have made some basic bikepacking gear that's lasted well. But gloves, don't understand why most brands just can't make them properly / all-over durable. Split and worn seams, wearing through the tips.. tricky to repair that well enough to bother.cut your fingernails and learn to sow.
TLD, not used their kit. Will give them a go tho, ta.
Race Face Aquanot Jacket. Every zip disintegrated and was easily the hottest, least breathable bag of garbage I've ever wasted 80 notes on. Thankfully CRC were ace and refunded me. Put me off everything with the RF logo.
Sealskins? Brilliant. Waterproof and comfy. How can socks not work?
Merino? My Howies tops are going strong 4 years after I bought them. Great for all conditions; minimum care required.
Merino wool ....cold wet expensive
Maybe Sir needs a better quality outer, and a lesson in layering? How can you be cold and still sweat enough to make them wet?
Tried many brands.....worst being howies.....and all expensive
As a sweaty fellow the material wets out very quickly and when stopped holds little warmth as I cool rapidly, becomes a soggy wet cold blanket.
As for layering well tried it with gore products, omm products and event products not to mention a few windproof brands like pertex.
I have a good understanding of layering systems.....for me wool has a place but not in high aerobic sports for me individuals who sweat buckets.
See ed oxleys comments in stw article as well.
Oh sealskins have that great big hole in the top that let's water in
1) Any DHB merino base layer. I've got 2 Icebreaker merino base layers that are still going strong after 7 and 3 years. DHB merino seems to last a matter of months before holes start appearing everywhere. I bought one around Christmas 2011 and I sent it back in June last year. Wiggle replaced it but the replacement is even worse. It looks like the moths have been at it! Note to self: Stick with Icebreaker.
2) Endura Humvee's shorts - Just rubbish, which is weird considering I love the Endura Singlestrack shorts and the discontinued Endura Burner shorts.
3) Fox Livewire Jersey - I bought one of these in summer of 2009 or 2010. I spent every ride sweating like a rapist and the jersey held all the sweat (I would have been better off wearing a bin liner). I sold it on eBay after 6 weeks for a £5 less than I'd paid for it. If you need a cheap but decent summer jersey buy the Endura Humvee (Odd when their shorts are rubbish).
Wow it's amazing different opinions. I have lots of Planet X merino wool tops love them they never shrink! Must be you boys washing them wrong too high a spin! I love merino and I have lots of it icebreaker, embers merino all great stuff.
I can't think of anything super gash as shorts etc will have different cuts depending on your shape. As for someone commentinf on Aldi bib tights what did you expect you must have got change from £20! Pay peanuts get shite! !!!
I machine wash both my On One merino tops and they are fine. I put it on handwash wool and smiley faces all round.
One-One XXL green and white top from a few years ago.
The sizing was a bit off:
Now worn by nephew's Action Man, who also finds it a 'bit tight'.
Endura Singletrack gloves
[i]Oh sealskins have that great big hole in the top that let's water in[/i]
That's why I get Livestrong-style wrist bands and put them over the top of the sock. The higher socks are also better at preventing this as the water doesn't splash as much on to your leg to then run down into the sock.
And aldi windproof bib longs , could fit two of me inside the bib part but they only come to mid calf - have stirrups too but no was i would use em. Long socks and they work for commuting on a brooks atleast.
As for someone commentinf on Aldi bib tights what did you expect you must have got change from £20! Pay peanuts get shite! !!!
Sorry, 2 pairs here, both perfect. 2006 or 2007, only worn now and then in the winter but the fit is excellent and the quality fine.
I think they're designed for the more spherical individual. 🙂
Pay peanuts get shite!
Aldi winter gloves must be an anomaly then.
And the jackets. And shells. Don't forget the socks. Oh, and the bibshorts. And the toolkits, speedos and lights.
In fact
is an absolute crock of donkey toss these days.Pay peanuts get shite!
I prefer "Not very bright? Buy overpriced shite".
Just as true as any other generalisation. 😀
Madison Tempest 3/4s = Not 3/4s, come down to my knee. Taped seams split after 6 rides, inner separated from outer in 7 rides. Utter crap. Now have Enudra Superlites and they've been brilliant.
Gore Tex waterproof shorts- totally crap fit......... Too small round the knees for pads and too big round my arse so they keep slipping down.
Wish I bought the Endura ones now!,
Sealskin socks.
A lot of people mentioning Sealskin socks here, I really like mine! They work perfectly for wet rides, but eventually the water does seep in through the top after a few hours. My feet still seem to stay warm even when they get wet though!
My worst would probably be a set of BBB Aqua shield gloves that turned into huge water-logged sponges on my first really wet ride with them.
Pretty much every pair of gloves I've used from a number of brands. Why can't anyone make a glove with a durable finger tip area that doesn't split or wear through way before the rest shows much wear?(recommendations?)
Mechanix
endura humvee shorts. the seat wore through in record time.
endura superlite shorts. the waterproof membrane wore through after 2 rides!
the endura singletrack shorts and endura helium jacket are great however.
I too am a sealskin sock hater, it feels as if your foot is in a carboard box squeezed in a shoe. My riding budy however swears by them and only rides without them for about three weeks a year. My daughter in law has some of the new ones and she says they are a lot more comfortable but not much more waterproof.
Buffs and their clones. Bought one, wore it for about 2 minutes, gave it away. Horrible around my neck, sweaty, itchy and a right faff to take off.
I just do up the collar on my jacket, which covers the same area. And can be undone whilst riding along when I get too hot.
They don't want gloves last or it wouldn't be much of a business lets face it they only designed to make you feel you get money's worth , I like sealskinz and most altura products seem better than most , most bike gear exspensive tho
Sealskinz much hated here. Only so long before they go in a 40C wash which destroys them.
I wouldn't be without a buff in my camelbak. Love them.
I recently bought a pair of Castelli mid winter gloves, they're thinner and yet wind proof, but the stitching splits easy and I wore mine 4 times and the thumb/palm and first fingers on both gloves have spit.
They're going back and I've already replaced them with some deep winter gloves from Spec.
second that ...utter crapbjj.andy.w - Member
Sealskin socks.
Pearl Izumi Cyclone gloves. Great warranty service, useless product.
simons_nicolai-uk - MemberSealskinz much hated here. Only so long before they go in a 40C wash which destroys them.
Er... Bad workman, etc.
I've got 2 pairs, one of them's gone a bit wrong as I dried them on a radiator, the other pair which I look after correctly- which isn't hard at all- are still going strong. Least shocking thing ever, follow the instructions and they work.
2) Endura Humvee's shorts - Just rubbish, which is weird considering I love the Endura Singlestrack shorts and the discontinued Endura Burner shorts.
Didn't last a single ride, zip went, it came away from the shorts. And the liner, what a token effort; some lycra sewn to a bit of sponge.
Not a complete item in particular but waist poppers on shorts that ping undone all the time both Endura and Altura seem to suffer this, one popper is a crap way to fasten shorts, my Royal ones that have a proper clasp are great
Also +1 race face aquanot exactly same issues with zip and breathability, on one merinos and sealskins
Also 661 veggie knee pads, medium too small, large too big, seams come unstitched and then rub back of your legs red raw
Almost every bit of endura kit i've bought in the last 2 years.
The gloves with a big ruck of material in the palm that caused callouses.
The 2 pairs of shorts that split in 2 weeks at the same place whilst on tour.
The waterproof jacket that wasn't.
The shorts that popped open whenever I moved whilst being worn around the house (and no I'm not a biffer).
One thing has been excellent and that's the older singletrack shorts with the integral belt.
Unless I can find another pair of them they've had the last of my cash.
Not a complete item in particular but waist poppers on shorts that ping undone all the time both Endura and Altura seem to suffer this, one popper is a crap way to fasten shorts
So I'm not alone then!
Not only are you not alone but we post the same thing simultaneously!
My on-one merino is going fine as well.
Dare2B stuff, nominally in my size but only if I was deformed. Shorts were particularly badly cut.
As a clydesdale, all those manufacturers who believe that an XXL is a 32 inch waist, 36 inch chest.
3rd waist press studs. Useless...... Doesn't matter if you're skinny or have a gut, they pop open
Howies Ventile jeans - utter rubbish, sold as waterproof riding jeans. The fit was good but they sounded like they were made from paper and when it rained you got wet very quickly.
I'm gonna ad my Endura Gilet I got a few years ago. Just too tight a fit and the wind seems to cut through it easily.
I was surprised to see Howies stuff on this list. Ive never owned any of their stuff but they seem good and look good.
Pretty much anything Endura.
Event three quarters where the seam rubbed against my saddle causing the arse to fall out of them in double quick time. I used Gorilla tape as a fix when the fabric tore as it was paper thin but gave up in the end.
Endura waterproof gloves - right up to the point you squeeze the brakes in the rain and can feel the water seeping in at the fingers.
Several pairs of bib longs that my wife didn't even get to ride in as the stitching didn't join the seams.
Bib longs where the chamois split at the seam - the outer fabric was still in good nick but the chamois was a dead loss.
A waterproof jacket that wasn't.
Leg warmers that despite being large cut into my thighs. I don't have Chris Hoy legs hence I tend not to use them.
On the flip side, I have a pair of Singletrack shorts which are still going....probably because they look suspiciously like a direct copy of my old Sugoi Shorts.
Just back from a ride in the snow where all my gear worked really well.....I'd like to be able to support a UK company but their kit has just failed too many times unfortunately.
🙁
Pearl Izumi Cyclone gloves
Bizarre. I'd have those as one of my best. Have a really old pair, bought a newer design to wear if ones in the wash. Get worn every day through most of winter and still both in good condition.
Houns - Member3rd waist press studs. Useless...... Doesn't matter if you're skinny or have a gut, they pop open
I have... Mmm, I think 6 pairs of altura shorts with poppers? And a Royal pair as well. Never had any of them pop open, and kind of at a loss why they would unless you have them done up too tight.
"Another vote for O-O merino jerseys. Mine's now suitable for an 8 yr old. "
mine is actually now being worn by an 8yr old, started life as a XXL 😯
Didn't used to like Sealskinz but recently started wearing a pair I got in the sales last year and they're pretty decent so. Also Howies merino tops have been my best.
I did once have a pair of sealskinz gloves but the inners were sewn in short on one thumb so took them back for exchange. Every other pair in my size had the same problem (maybe I have a long thumb?! No, I don't...). Made me laugh how the well-abused-on-STW chain-of-lbs staff just hung them back up ready for the next punter...
Otherwise, Aldi overshoes. Garbage. LITERALLY!!!!1
+1 for Sealskinz socks, and howies merino (although I wear it as a plain black casual top now, and it's quite smart).