You all know I’m a huge Roka fan. I love all of their stuff. I’ve used Castelli, some Louis Garneau, Sugoi, and I’ve been curious about other brands.
What is your favorite brand and why? Is it Castelli? Rapha? Endura? Louis Garneau? Specialized? Roka? What has made you attached to the brand you like and why?
Do Rapha’s photographs and videos make you want to buy their stuff? Does one brand have higher quality than another? Is it Roka, Louis Garneau, and Castelli’s connection to Triathlon that makes you support them?
I know most cycling apparel is pretty close in terms of fabrics and construction. If you ask a 10 different cyclists what their favorite brand is you will get 10 different responses.
Rapha… particularly their normal pro team stuff (hate their lightweight PT bibs though)… PT bibs are perfect for me… especially v2. Love the low collar on the jerseys. I get everything when it’s on sale…otherwise pricey.
Castelli, because I can get it for reasonable prices discounted online, it’s pretty nice, and the customer service when there are issues is great. On the downside, quality control seems spotty, a surprising number of minor issues like stitching errors. And to be fair, I haven’t had a ton of opportunities to compare it to other stuff.
I’m tall with a swimmers body and it is the closest fit I can find. The quality is very good and their products are tested in the real world and in testing environments to ensure that the quality is matched by performance.
I think there are many brands with a very high quality product, but I’ve found one that I like and I’ll stick with it for now.
Rapha… particularly their normal pro team stuff (hate their lightweight PT bibs though)… PT bibs are perfect for me… especially v2. Love the low collar on the jerseys. I get everything when it’s on sale…otherwise pricey.
ditto on Rapha that but i do occasionally (when the wife isn’t looking) splash out on full price too if I know they will not be in stock for long.
I’ve tried so many brands over the years Used to be a Castelli fan but now they have lost me as a buyer–just fell apart too easily & other brands surpass them in comfort & quality IMO. My FAV is DeSoto for shorts. Can’t say for shirts/jersey’s, I haven’t noticed a lot of difference in them–the shorts are the primary focus for bottom comfort.
desoto for shorts. especially for long rides and races….the fleece pad works well enough for me that i just don’t notice it. even the old, worn-thin-in-2-spots-from-pulling-on-and-off ones haven’t ripped or otherwise fallen apart.
for shorter things, smash shorts and jerseys. they make me look better than is true.
peggy
I like Roka jerseys but my favorite are Stolen Goat. Cool designs, high quality, reasonably priced and their laser cut sleeves are super comfortable and don’t bunch up. I don’t have any strong preference on bibs - I just look for good deals.
If funds weren’t an issue it would be Assos, but since they are, it’s Castelli. It all just seems to fit me well, lasts well, and I love the range of wet weather gear - it’s perfect for the climate here. Oh, and it’s fairly respectably priced if you hunt around.
