Was looking to get a new kit today with some bibs, Cant believe wattie, assos, etc… is like $450 for a kit.
Call me crazy but thats just too much.
Any other good options out there?
Try DHB on Wiggle, try Ekoi, Desoto, FDX just to name a few. Ekoi and Desoto have their own site and DHB has lots of gear on Wiggle at reasonable prices and FDX is on eBay. I have Desoto and DHB and for the price you can’t beat DHB, I have their short sleeve trisuit and I love it!!
Try Zoot, they have some great designs and they function really well. Zoot also has coupon codes all the time to save some additional cash.
If you’re not grossed out by it, used is also a great route. You can get some used gear for 50-80% off the original price tag.
Why not get them directly from…
China??
But seriously though the taint padding & pockets are the only important part when training.
Anyone have anything better than Asia directly??
I’ve had a few Chinese kits, the tops are great but run a bit small. The bibs though are pretty much useless, they somehow don’t account for genitals and just squish everything.
I have a couple cycling kits from some of the high quality brands. I can say that Assos does deserve to charge a premium for the kits that they sell. The chamois is the softest and most comfortable one I have ever used and the threads in their fabric have the tightest weave that I have ever seen in my life. Sure they probably cost nearly twice the amount as a cheep brand such as Pearl Izumi, but their stuff lasts way longer and fits a lot better.
It’s like saying it’s crazy that Gucci charges $550 for a tee shirt. That doesn’t mean tee shirts are expensive, just that there is a high end market and someone serving it.
There is plenty of good kit at lower price ranges. My go to is Castelli when I find it on sale. Pro-quality stuff at midrange prices. I think I paid <$100 for some enduro shorts and about $79 for a “climber’s jersey” on sale (tip: buy last season’s closeouts from places like Wiggle or Competitive Cyclist).
eBay is also a great option (as is ST Classifieds) if you have the time to deal hunt (disclaimer, I work at eBay). I got a bib/jersey combo on eBay from a pro who was selling his unused kit from last year; $70 for shorts and a jersey!
Others have mentioned dhb, desoto, and Castilli. I’ve had good luck with those. I’ll also mention Voler. I only got wind of them as my coach used them for her stuff. And I also get a couple of cheap pairs on cycling shorts to wear for indoor training rides under an hour.
Cant help ya but im gonna brag:
In march went to AZ for vacation and found a pearl izumi outlet that was closing. They had 75% off everything. We are talking $22.50 for bibs, $3 for socks, etc. Wife and I spent a small fortune there.
I had no need for some of the stuff but plan to put some in storage for a few years till current stuff wears out.
Fools and their money are soon parted.
If you shop some sales, you could get a top end Castelli kit for like $250 and it is really nice.
dangit, they closed?
I reckon Decathlon is the best value for money
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Because premium materials and design don’t come cheap. Add some profit margin, and you’re up to those prices.
You really are getting very good items at the top end, and every time I sit in a MAAP bibshort my body thanks me. That said, there are some value picks out there. Castelli deserves recognition as a standout but I’m sure there are others.
There’s zero necessity to spend that sort of money on cycling gear.
I’m pretty convinced that the difference between the ultra expensive stuff and some of the much cheaper options is minimal. You’re largely paying for the name, not magical performance enhancing textile properties as they would often have you believe. Sure, drag reducing, boundary layer controlling surface texturing can have noticeable beneficial effects and adds to the cost of production but plenty of the high end stuff doesn’t offer any such benefit.
I tried some mid range Assos bibs a few years ago out of curiosity and they were nice, but nothing revolutionary that justified the price. I’ve also used Castelli, Pearl Izumi, Sportful, Champion Systems, Giordana, and DHB (and maybe one or two others I’m forgetting). They’ve all been acceptable, but I’ve settled on Pearl Izumi for most of my riding in the last couple of years. I find them excellent and I can often find them on sale. I used a couple of pairs of DHB (Aeron Pro I think) about 5 years ago. They were fine but not as comfortable or long lasting as Pearl Izumi in my opinion. They may have improved since. It may also depend somewhat on what suits you personally. I presume different shaping and pad thickness/density suits different people.
Any other good options out there?
This is one of those things that you have to wait for it to find the deals. If I was dead set on a certain jersey, short, etc., I would probably end up paying full price.
OTOH by buying items on sale, I have too many shorts and jerseys. Paid less than $30 for shorts or jerseys. Since I then bought too many, I’ve given the lower quality ones to HS MTBers. In the future, I’ll buy the high quality items on sale because clothing lasts for years.
Now if you’re buying a “team kit”, then you’re paying as much as it means to you.
Any other good options out there?
This is one of those things that you have to wait for it to find the deals. If I was dead set on a certain jersey, short, etc., I would probably end up paying full price.
OTOH by buying items on sale, I have too many shorts and jerseys. Paid less than $30 for shorts or jerseys. Since I then bought too many, I’ve given the lower quality ones to HS MTBers. In the future, I’ll buy the high quality items on sale because clothing lasts for years.
Now if you’re buying a “team kit”, then you’re paying as much as it means to you.
Yeah, shorts are never an urgent purchase, if I see suitable stuff I like at a good price and there’s existing gear about to be retired, I’ll purchase. So I generally get normally mid-priced shorts for at relatively low price. For example I think the last pair of shorts I bought were typically sold for about €150 and I got them for about €80.
dangit, they closed?
Yep, I went there on a Friday, they closed that Sunday. My only regret is not buying some new mtn bike shoes. I don’t need them but my current ones are 10 years old. I did the math, we spent $240 bucks, but retail price was something close to $900.
I think most of those outlet stores were going out of business.
They charge so much because they can. Cyclists, especially triathletes, are willing and able to spend heaping piles of money on stuff.
Coming from running, costs in cycling and triathlon are an order of magnitude higher.
Not to say it’s not worth it. A $450 kit might be 10x better than a $45 kit, but the $450 kit exists because there’s a market for it.
Having gone from cheap chinese stuff to Castelli, I can def say that there is value in quality gear, but only up to a point, imo. I find it very hard to believe that a $450 kit would be noticeably better. Just like I don’t think big name bikes are worth what people pay. But if people are willing to pay it, then someone will be willing to sell it to them.