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Aldi’s 2016 spring/summer cycle clothing range preview

A first look at Aldi's new Performance cycle clothing range, now available to buy online...

Aldi has caused a bit of a storm in recent years with its low-priced cycle clothing sold through its popular, but occasional, Specialbuys discount sales. The trouble with the one-day sales is that once it's gone, it's gone.

Now, though, there'll be no need to get out early and queue, as the discount superstore is now selling a large range of cycle clothing on a regular basis through its website.

Keen to see what it is all about and how it performs, we've got some of the new clothing in for review. We've got five items, just a tiny selection of the company's cycle clothing range, so be sure to check it all out at  Aldi's website here. Before we set about reviewing it, here's a first look at what we've got.

Performance Short Sleeve Jersey £19.99

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This Performance Short Sleeve jersey is available in a men and women’s version - we’re testing the former - and it's clear from a close look that it is packed with the sort of details you expect to see on a top-end jersey.

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The fabric has a really nice feel to it, impressive considering the price. And it's nicely put together. The cuffs and hems are laser cut for a smoother fit, mesh inserts help with ventilation in warmer weather and again, and they’re welded, rather than stitched, for a flatter finish.

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There are three large rear pockets with a central zipped pocket, an ideal place for your house keys.high-qualityity YKK full-length zipper is used and the collar is tall. Sizes available include M-XL for men and S-L for women. 

Performance Bib Shorts £24.99

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Match the above jersey with these Performance bib shorts, which are also available in a men and women’s version. The most important part of bib shorts is the padded insert: Aldi uses an Italian-made Dolomiti seat pad with combines an internal 8mm foam with a perforated gel insert and a 3mm base foam. It’s described as being ideal for medium distance rides of up to 4-hours and an antibacterial treatment should keep things down there fresh.

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The shorts use elasticated leg openings and a light mesh material for the bib straps and back panel, and there are some stylish reflective details. 

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They're available in black/red/white and sizes M-XL for men, and sizes S-L and black/white colours for women.

Cycling Shorts £7.99

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If you want some simple padded shorts for leisurely rides or cycling to the office and don’t like the idea of bib shorts, these Casual Cycling Shorts are a good alternative. They have the same Italian Dolomiti padded insert as the bib shorts above but stitched into a short with no bib straps. Instead, a drawcord provides waistband adjustment and keeps the shorts in place.

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The shorts are constructed with flatlock stitching at all the seams, to boost comfort by reducing irritation, and there are reflective details. Available in blue or yellow for men (sizes M-XL) and red or yellow for women (sizes S-L). 

Softshell jacket £16.99

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For unpredictable spring weather and cooler morning commutes, the Softshell Jacket is an ideal choice, with the removable sleeves, zipped to the shoulders, helps you to adapt to changing conditions. The softshell fabric is ideal for spring showers, as it’s a waterproof material, and it’s windproof too, which is handy at this time of year. 

aldi-mens-softshell-cycling-jacket-riding.jpg

The jacket has a high collar and full-length YKK zipper, lots of reflective details and two zipped pockets, one on the chest and another around the back. It’s available for men (blue or yellow and sizes S-XL) and women (red or yellow and sizes S-L).  

Casual Cycling Shorts £11.99

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For activities like touring, commuting, cycling to the shops/pub, or just simply those times when you don’t want to step out in just lycra shorts, these Casual Cycling Shorts offer a relaxed appearance but with the comfort of a padded insert.

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The outer shorts are made from a water repellant and breathable fabric, with a zipped pocket and reflective details on the back. The inner shorts are removable and feature an antibacterial Coolmax padded insert. They’re available in sizes M-XL for men and S-L for women.

Watch out for our reviews soon, and you can find out more at www.aldi.co.uk/specialbuys/about-our-specialbuys/cycling

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes

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11 comments

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Yorkshire wallet | 7 years ago
1 like

This stuff is a mixed bag in my experience. I bought a load of it when I commuting every day, a few years on some bits are still going strong, other literally fell to bits.

The jackets and jerseys seems 'value for money'. I've got a winter softshell that's been great for warmth (if it a bit unbreathable, just don't go for section times) and a couple of jerseys that do for when you don't want to be washing your decent kit that day.  I also got some arm and leg warmers which do the job very well.

I bought a pair of MTB shoes that have been great for casual use and you can actually walk around in them, so great for commute or off down the shops.

The bad items were gloves - literally fell to pieces, under-shorts which may as well not bothered with padding and another pair of tights and shorts that, although could be functional but have a strange low at the back cut. The tights were warm but you always felt like your arse was about to hang out.

Maybe each iteration will get better as they get more feedback.

These days I do my skinflinting on places like Aliexpress. If you're the sort of person that is only able to get out for a couple of hours at a time then I've found no comfort issues with anything I've bought off there and all of it is going strong a year on and many washes later. If you go fast enough nobody notices you're wearing fake gear.....

Avatar
MikeFromLFE | 7 years ago
0 likes

Nove got a pair of the casual shorts. They look good, feel good and fit well - although I'd say if you are not sure if you're L or XL go larger!

It's a good job the Coolmax insert is removable, because whoever' backside it was modelled on, is a very different shape and style to mine - at least on a first shorter ride. Without the pad (using padded undies) the shorts are great.

Avatar
fixit | 7 years ago
0 likes

hey, the orange is a disaster!! I don't know who designed but he or she should do another job, not color designing clothes!! aldi and lidl ocasionaly have some pretty decent offers with good materials but the lack at design. they are normaly priced but they look half the price.

Avatar
Cyclespeed Tours | 7 years ago
0 likes

About 7 times cheaper than Rapha....food for thought.....

 

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riotgibbon replied to Cyclespeed Tours | 7 years ago
1 like

Cyclespeed Tours wrote:

About 7 times cheaper than Rapha....food for thought.....

 

I got a pair of the shorts - I'm not sure they're quite 5th of the value of the equivalent Rapha shorts I also own, but in that range. The difference of the quality of materials is pretty dramatic. I wanted an extra cheap pair of shorts, and that's what I got.  The Rapha ones *are* way better, and they do a repair service too

 

I also got a set of the 'shopping' pannier bags. Truly a 7th the price of Ortelib. But does that matter if they split just once and you can't get your shopping home?  

 

Buy cheap, buy twice ....

 

 

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Dnnnnnn replied to riotgibbon | 7 years ago
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riotgibbon wrote:

does that matter if they split just once and you can't get your shopping home?  

But have your Aldi panniers split? My partner has a year old pair and they seem decent.

I have mixed views about Aldi and Lidl stuff - the fit can be odd and it sometimes looks naff (I don't get as far as checking the fit on those items!). But I haven't had much issue with the construction quality, other than Aldi's cycling shoes. The rest seems pretty sturdy and better than some mainstream brand items (Altura, Endura) I've used.

Avatar
Simon E replied to riotgibbon | 7 years ago
1 like

riotgibbon wrote:

Buy cheap, buy twice ....

That may apply sometimes but I've used some Aldi items and other cheap stuff for years. And it would be foolish to pretend that top brands don't ever have QC issues.

You often get *roughly* what you pay for - up to a point - but the Law of Diminishing Returns (and the willingness for some brands to charge as much as they can get away with) mean that paying more is not necessarily getting you anything significantly better.

Is a Dura-Ace pedal so much better than a 105? No.

Is Waitrose fresh veg any better than Lidl's? No.

Is a £6k or £8k bike so much better or last 3 or 4 times longer than that brand's £2,000 model? No.

So if a buyer is happy with Aldi shorts etc where's the problem?

People are free to spend as much as they like, it's not for me to make judgements about a Rapha customer or Dura-Ace/Super Record acolyte based on their equipment choices. However, prices like these allow us to ask: what would you get for the extra (sometimes 7x) cost?

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stenmeister replied to Cyclespeed Tours | 7 years ago
0 likes

Cyclespeed Tours wrote:

About 7 times cheaper than Rapha....food for thought.....

 

 

Everyone knows this but have you actually tried Rapha?

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Dogless | 7 years ago
1 like

They'd be so much more appealing if they just made them in block colours. The Jersey and shorts *look* cheap, even though the fabric and cut are no doubt decent.

Tempted by those casual shorts, definitely.

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Batchy | 7 years ago
1 like

At £16.99 the softshell jacket is exceptionally good value. This is a seriously good piece of kit. I know this because I have bought one and worn it. Brilliant !

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waldner71 replied to Batchy | 7 years ago
0 likes

Batchy wrote:

At £16.99 the softshell jacket is exceptionally good value. This is a seriously good piece of kit. I know this because I have bought one and worn it. Brilliant !

 

Agreed, I have this and it's excellent 

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