Pro Team kit - Naff or not

I've got this years radioshack jersey. Wouldn't wear full kit, wouldn't wear anything sky related - too poseur.

USPS kit had me wondering too. Someone who has taken "wear what you like" to the limit? The last Fanboy? Or an overdeveloped sense of irony?

I regularly trawl ebay to see if I can find a cheap 1998 Festina jersey.

Out of interest - how old does pro kit have to be, to be considered retro?
Last year? - so a Cavendish Sky WC jersey would be allowed?
5, 10 years? - Rabobank?
Team no longer exists? - Blanco is wearable already?

I love the 90s LaVieClaire 'Mondrian' jerseys

Where does that photo come from msw? That looks like the TdFrance (red commissaries car). With the crowds still behind the barriers he could be an ex-pro? I have a distinct feeling that his best days as a cyclist are behind him but I am still interested if he was a name.

Many years ago I was at the Perfs this chap turned up on an Alan carbon fibre bike, the first carbon I had seen and the most expensive bike on the market then. Many were drooling. He was similarly shaped to the 'rider' above. As he in-expertly got on the bike he slipped and landed on the crossbar to a ripple of stifled laughter.

The subject of pro kit has been done to death = classic or obscure kit normally OK. US Postal kit

Because Sky stuff is so god damm expensive and often screams "I've got more money than sense".

That said, I do have a couple of Katusha shirts from last year that were half price.

Ultimately where what you want. Next year nobody will care.

Haven't we done this one? Oh well here goes...
In 2009 I was in Bedoin, and the most beautiful Woman I have ever seen (I'm not kidding, it was like the story abut the ferry in Citizen Kane) had stopped for a breather in the little square before the final ascent of the Mont. She was wearing white Fdj kit, and didn't look naff at all.

OH NO, not this again.
There are no rules and anyone who tells you there is or they wouldn't wear this or that is a...
Tell it to the 80 strong BMC team, 50 Skyboys, 2 World Champions, one King of the Mountains, one Scottish champion, dozen British Para/Olympians (including me), one guy in full fluro yellow and one with pink shorts, and one in full USPS kit; all seen yesterday. And everyone else.
If there are rules they are stomped on smashed into pieces, like the scene in Family Guy when Stewie gets Peter's copy of Surfin' Bird.

Its exactly the same as football gear.

If you playing football, football shirts are fine.

If you are sat in a pub with man made fibres stretched over your beer gut - Naff.

However, if you've just come from playing football and are having a post match pint, that's fine.

Same logic applies to cycling gear.

I cant afford the pro kit from the likes of Evans etc so i bought some "genuine" team kit from the far east via that well known site.

Coat me £15.00 for the bib and top. Its been worn to death, washed and re washed and i have to say it stil looks perfect.

Wear what you want, when you want and bollocks to anyone who says otherwise.

you should be looking for quality firstly, and myself having a mixture ranging from lidl tops to pro kit, while some people feel it looks a bit naff the sky top is actually a very high quality top, as are pretty much all the pro kits I have come across, the retro stuff may make you feel all nostalgic but the technology of it is poor in comparison, personally I don't care what other people think and tend to use the top I need specific to the ride I am doing.

billy

Not. Always excellent. See here:

In all seriousness, I sit on the fence. While it feels a bit odd to be advertising a company for free, since sponsors come and go, I did just buy an MTN-Qhbeka jersey because a) it looks nice, b) I'm not embarrassed to be associated with the sponsor (Qhubeka that is) and c) I loved Ciolek winning MSR. For the same reason I quite like Sky the team but couldn't ever wear Sky the brand on my chest because Murdoch.

How would you feel about wearing club kit to play football? For me I think it would be shirt = fair enough; fully correct down to sock colour = bit odd. But this is probably different for others.

Naff. Unless it's a) retro, or b) an obscure, regional team from someplace other than where you live. Definitely not World Tour, and possibly not even Pro-Conti. Preferably matching jersey & bibs, at minimum, and socks & gloves if you can manage it.

If you like it wear it. End of. I have some pro team kit (Sky, Garmin, Quick-step Innergetic, and getting a Belkin jersey when I have money) as well as my own club and team kits and some plain stuff. The other advantage is it gives you plenty to cycle (excuse the pun) before you need to do a load of washing

Strong r8 for Farnese Vini

Hi Sensible,
There was a forum thread on this not that long ago and Simon E has summed it up perfectly.
Some were a bit cutting and called it w@nky, others said its fine and the majority said it wasn't for them but wear what you want.

It's only as naff as you make it. Beer belly hanging out of mismatched Phonak and Rock Racing bibs and jersey, for instance, would be appalling. Though if that's what keeps you comfortable, go for it.

Matching kit is better. Old team kit can be a really good way of getting high-end cycle clothing, for low-end prices - as long as it's genuine new-old-stock, rather than far east knock offs.

Personally, I think defunct team kit is great. I draw the line at wearing current pro team kit - although I really like the new Belkin kit and might have to make an exception!

I personally think it depends on the kit. Sky tends to have a negative stigma, but a proper euro kit doesn't seem to have the same stigma. I personally wear a rabobank jersey and have never had any negative comments or seen anyone else in the Sam jersey for that matter ! I suppose a sky kit is a bit like a Man U shirt.

Is it naff?

Some people say yes it is.

Some say no it isn't.

And some (including me) say "Wear what you like".