All made in the same factory in China probably. Labels are meant to be a mark of quality but mostly a big con. You can now get cheap and good but you just have to be choosy.

I’m a bit of a Rapha Merino Tart, I’m affraid.
😳

I guess I’m a bit of a brand whore (Assos, Gore, Castelli etc.) but the expensive stuff I have is because it works not because it just happened to be what an expensive brand sold.
I do wear cheaper stuff to (I even prefer my DHB bibs shorts over my Assos and Castelli ones for example). But the two things I think money buys you is fit and versatility, by that I mean its obvious putting on an Assos jacket that they’ve put a lot more thought into the fit (when riding) than Altura put into the softshell I also have, you could certainly make a good argument though that fitting a bit better isn’t worth paying 5x the price for. I also reckon the higher end gear, jackets especially, work over a wider range of conditions. So on a day suited to an Aldi jacket I doubt an Assos jacket is going to give you much more ‘performance’ but the ‘right’ days are right more often for the Assos jacket.

I’m just going through my Merino stage at the moment and I don’t seem to find many jerseys about.

I’ve become very disillusioned with synthetic material after a few jerseys started to retain odour, straight out of the washing machine.
I was quite surprized.

So, I’m giving Merino a go, but I sense that it may be a bit of a minefield. It would seem that not all Merino Jersyes are created equal…

Mix and match from Aldi gillets to Finesterre merino stuff, if fit fit and works along with not looking totally rubbish them fair enough.

Finesterre merino

Could you recommend this ?.

I’ve got loads of Decathlon kit, excellent quality and value.

I’ve got loads of Decathlon kit, excellent quality and value.

Yeah, but what does it look like. Has it any Style ?.

EDIT

Ah, I see, hand on hip style-tastic at £5.99

Finesterre merino

Could you recommend this ?.

Yes better than the Howies stuff I’ve had, which was better than the BAA BAA and Ice breaker stuff

Thanks LoCo.

**goes off to look at Finesterre**

Don’t look at the UK merino made from our flock jumper unless you’ve just won the lottery though! Very nice but mental exspensive 😉

Don’t look at the UK merino made from our flock jumper unless you’ve just won the lottery though! Very nice but mental exspensive

Hhhmmm. Those prices don’t look to be too far off Rapha Merino base layers. But still, thanks anyway.
🙂

I love my Fjalraven kit.

Worth every penny IMHO.

Howies Merino stuff lasts for ever. God knows how long I’ve had my base layer for, and its still going strong. Sombrio stuff just keeps going for years too, and seems absolutely indestructible.

2 brands there that aren’t cheap, but you don’t half get what you pay for

Get it in the sales 😉

Hmm, well I’ll buy brands – but ONLY if they are reduced in price.
Hence Patagonia merino (£19 Sportspursuit)
Icebreaker merino (£15 STW classfids)

Apart from that, my winter gear is a Nike jacket from Ebay, Lusso Roubaix legwarmers (about 18 years old) and any old shorts I pull out of the ottoman.

Paying silly money for brand names is for mugs I say.

Nothing worse than paying full price to see it half that the following week 😉

All made in the same factory in China probably.

Ground Effect is made in NZ. their stuff seems a good deal – works well, not made in a sweat shop and is reasonably priced.

Nothing worse than payingg full price to see it half that the following week
Its a risk we all take, when purchasing, anything though.

I normally buy when the vendor has sent me a discount code, etc.

EDIT:
If the opportunity to buy something made here in the UK arises. I try to buy as I like the idea of supporting folk here and usually its top quality stuff. Most of my shoes are made in the UK, for example.

i must be a cheepskate!

Skyline shorts – TroyLee
Shoes (SPD)- Shimano
Socks’ – Whatever came on this months mag 😀
Padded shorts – LBS
Jersy – Muddy Fox from sports direct
Jacket – Aldi
Gloves – Spechalized

Decathalon and Aldi for cheap stuff (especially winter bits) that is going to get used lots and eventually die, so long as it’s functional does the logo matter?

Shop in the online sales for some branded bargains maybe, but I’d not march into an LBS and pay full RRP for it… But then My LBS gets very little of my money anyway.

I like the fit of Size ‘M’ Endura Kit on me and own a few bits, but TBH it’s not that special or that much better made.

You won’t get anymore use out of a jersey that costs Five times as much, you might from a jacket or some Bibs but TBH it’s marginal…

Decathalon do some good VFM cycling bits I seem to be wearing at least one of their products every time I go out on my bike these days…

Skins base layers are excellent, I bought 2 off CRC a couple of months back, silly cheap – think they were around £12!

Dakine also do a lot of nice kit, there shorts are superb.

i must be a cheepskate!

Skyline shorts – TroyLee
Shoes (SPD)- Shimano
Socks’ – Whatever came on this months mag
Padded shorts – LBS
Jersy – Muddy Fox from sports direct
Jacket – Aldi
Gloves – Spechalized
Though I was as most of my kit has lasted for ages despite being expensive 🙂

Really mix and match……i am a serious sweat buckets fella so for me

Merino does not work….wets out as a base layer have bought many over my time though hated howies rubbish, patagonia okay ice breaker best….now use them as mid layer great Ground effect submaernino wool mix the best

Synthetics ….base layers my aldi and decathlon ones are great, nike drifit rubbish, underarmour bit rubbish, endura collapsed after 4 months…..cannondale long sleeve 8 yrs old brilliant…castelli rubbish north wave nay impressed…..Fox rubbish….tro lee okay…Craft and other swedish makes recommended

Mid layer/ fleeces,,,,decathlon……cheap and work variable quality though get a good one great…marmot/montane brill

Shorts best I can buy in the sales…….endura MT 500 brilliant…Smartwool okay….bibs from DHB/Fox and assos great….ground effect not so thrilled

Leggings…specialized great lusso rubbish…ancient powerstrect from Karrimor brilliant look like a patch cuddly toy with them on
soft shells…Marmot tempo and aldi special

windproofs lowe alpine….ancient will not die

waterproof Montane
Best Buy ever Roach baggy non lined shorts Canadian brand in the day…. 15 years old i still fit them and they have been battered but still going

pick stuff for our climate…..not alpine cold and dry, most softshells too thick

Nice (generally expensive) kit for me, and not ashamed to admit I’m a bit of a brand snob. Whatever people say I fail to be convinced that cheap kit is as good. I’ve tried numerous pairs of Lusso, Specialized and Endura tights (the former and latter getting good reviews on here) and disliked them all. The Spesh ones particularly were shambolic.

Then I splashed out on some Assos ones… they lasted about 8 years before I wore through the arse, have 2 pairs now, plus a pair of their leg warmers, still absolutely perfect 3+ years on, warmer than anything else I’ve tried and a better fit.

I’m also reticent to spend on certain brands. When I wanted a new base layer I liked the look of an Altura 2nd Skin, but at £40 on what I perceive to be a ‘budget’ brand I wasn’t sure. Bought it in end, and it’s great, so not always well placed.

Quality is more important than price but in general you get what you pay for.

This really, and I reckon quality roughly corresponds with brands but not necessarily. Stuff like Rapha and Assos is nice but well into diminishing returns, so I tend to hover around Gore/Endura/Ground Effect but you can get some very good stuff from DHB and Altura too.

I try and buy carefully and spend when I think it’s worth it and then keep stuff for years until it wears out.

I’m not clothing brand sensitive. Branding is just marketing nonsense IMO.

I only buy clothes I can try for correct fit, so I only buy what my LBSs stock. My LBSs stock Endura and Madison, so that’s what I wear

but in general you get what you pay for.

Alpkit and Decathlon are good examples of where quality doesn’t necessarily mean high prices.