Why is it considered wanky to wear sky kit

'Wearing a yellow Jersey is not the same as wearing an Olympic Gold metal... Are you serious. Because that's like the worse comparison ever'

Assuming you mean 'medal' and 'worst' - indeed. Two totally different competitions.

We had a brief spate of some people wearing their uniforms in a slightly slovenly way on my old school softball team many years ago. Our coach laid down the law and boiled it down to this: "If you look good, you feel good; if you feel good, you play good." (He appreciated that it's sometimes worth sacrificing grammatical accuracy for rhetorical effect.)

Applying this maxim to cycling, and acknowledging that everyone has their own individual sense of style, one could rephrase this as: "If you think you look good, you feel good; if you feel good, you ride good, or at least enjoy it more." (I accept that I don't have such a good turn of phrase.)

That about sums it up for me. Wearing something I consider nice, in looks, feel, function, whatever, makes me feel good. It makes me more likely to get on my bike and have a better time while I'm on it. Someone else might not agree that what I'm wearing looks good, but I don't go riding to get others' approval of my fashion sense. I imagine everyone I see on a bike has made a choice about what clothes to buy and then wear (pros excepted, of course, but I don't think I see any of them around), so one has to assume they like it. Why anyone feels they need to criticise someone else's taste, particularly directly to them when out riding, is beyond me. Are people still so pitifully juvenile that they feel the need to derive satisfaction from ridiculing someone else? On the odd occasion, I might let someone know I admire their jersey or bike, or, as happened some months ago, remark that they're commuting on the same old mtb as I am. But go out of my way to be negative to someone? That's pretty twisted.

I loved the anecdote about the three-year-old and his Superman shirt. It's wonderful for adults sometimes still to be able to tap into that childlike exuberance, and if it takes pulling on a rainbow-striped jersey to imagine you're Mark Cavendish, or a Sky jersey so you can pretend to be Brad Wiggins, or a GB top to picture yourself as Laura Trott, I really don't mind. If the fat guy in his polka-dot jersey is panting for breath at the side of the road half-way up the climb, so what? Donning that jersey might have been the thing that gave him the mental strength to get that far in the first place.

Would I go around in a world champion's jersey myself? Probably not (although having written all this out, I'm less sure of that now!). I've never had much objection to the idea of wearing a yellow, polka-dot, pink, etc. jersey, though. I don't believe they get worn officially outside of the competition of which they are a part, and it's pretty obvious whether a cyclist is in the middle of riding a grand tour stage or not.

And I, too, really liked the ONCE logo; I even have a quick look on the 'bay every now and then to see if one of their jerseys is available, to make a change from my old Telekom one.

Following the comments about whether it is appropriate to wear a polka dot jersey when one is not a good climber I realise that I can turn this into a positive by wearing a green jersey. Then, as I am passed on climbs, I can invite riders to join the autobus - surely this will be acceptable.

Taking this idea further, wearing a Mercatone Uno would excuse me climbing off before the ascents.

Ride in what you like,

I don't wear much team kit as I think its mostly looks a bit naff but that's just my taste.

I do like the look of the new rapha/sky kit but I couldn't bring myself to buy something which promotes Murdock and his cronies (rapha plz do a blue and black but unbranded version!)

My wardrobe has:
90's alfa romeo jersey
old cannondale top (not team)
Assos cow pattern top
scott jersey (not team)
windy milla jersery (local shop team)
castelli that my wife got me

How to look non-wanky in someone else's kit:
wearing a CCCP vest and No. 5,
Mr Steve Ovett.

I quite happily sport the club jersey...rather support my own "team" than somebody else's!

For a minute there I thought you meant Alan Sugar

I'm with Fixie Girl on this...I personally wouldn't want to associate myself with a Murdoch company like Sky, just as I would never wear an Orica Greenedge jersey because Orica are a scuzzy company, or a Katusha jersey because of their Gazprom sponsorship. That, and the fact that most team kits are hideous. Ironically, the Sky kit is the only team kit I quite like from an aesthetic and quality point of view.

Pretty sure that when I go out in my Vo2 kit I get more space on the roads.

I've been overtaken by a lot of people in my time.

But never by a yellow jersey, by the rainbow stripes, or outclimbed by a polka dot jersey.

There's a lot, A LOT, of really lovely jerseys out there. Try em. They're almost certainly better than replica champs jerseys.

CapriciousZephyr you nailed it and the ONCE jersey is here:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=111066838458&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:GB:1123
I have the very same sitting on my shelf for the sunshine. I also cycled all the way from Manchester to Chester in 1999 to pick up the black TDF version and buy my first ever road kit. On a mountain bike it took 10 hours. I have no idea who on ONCE raced clean or not, I just wanted to be in yellow.

I am amazed this thread is still going! but it seem the 'wear what you want or what inspires you' are clearly in the majority on the road and on this forum. Maybe the naysayers have good reasons (and I am no fan of Murdoch) but there are definitely some that are snobs, you know who you are.
Take a look at the Funicular climb video and you will see all kinds of kit, pro teams, clubs, plain, bmx baggies, skinsuit and good old hoodies. They all rock and the variety adds to the gaiety of the nation. Get yourself down to a sportive and you might beat a few Sky guys but there will be someone else with Fizik written on his arse disappearing in to the distance leaving you in the dust.

You shouldn't give a tuppenny toss what other people think.

It isn't bad form or whatever the "others" espouse. The moment you start to listen to the "well considered opinions" of others about what to wear - you are lost. Wear WHATEVER MAKES YOU HAPPY and makes you feel good ... about yourself - and if that happens to make other people unhappy, or snide - so be it.

Give 'em the middle finger and just pedal harder.

I sometimes ride in the old Sky blue, red and white track styled top whenever I feel like it - and I totally love it! Makes me feel good and I am very proud to own it and wear it.

And I'm a fat old git in lycra - and I couldn't care less what others think.

I also run the roads in a GB Olympics 2012 T shirt (I just love the design!) and I occasionally wear a Great Britain Olympics 2012 blue hoodie when I'm out shopping.

It's not about pretending to be "somebody special" - but it is all about being who you are!

IMHO wearing the Sky top is equivalent to wearing a Man Utd or Liverpool top. Add to this the Murdoch connection and the quality of the shirt and I'm out

I note that there is a poll result in Cycling+ this month on this very subject. Something like 64% say wear what you want. Only 15% say you shouldn't wear it because you haven't earned it.

Just bought a copy one from china for 8.99. Might be cheap and nasty but in all honesty i dont give a toss what anyone else thinks or says.

I wouldn't wear the Sky kit because of two reasons:

1) I don't particularly like the Murdoch connection and most importantly:

2) It just doesn't do anything for me. It, along with many other pro-kits, are very dull and boring but then many of the rest are ridiculously lairy.

If I was going to spend that amount of cash on it I'd want to like it. There are several Rapha jerseys I'd opt for over the Sky one, last years Paris - Roubaix one for starters.

The British kit is an absolute no-no for me as I regularly end up doing the same route (Down the Kingsway into Longsight) as a few riders on the British team based at the Velodrome. I'd be too embarrassed wearing it in front of them.

And whilst I'm not Anti-Sky kit being worn, I have encountered some tossers in Sky kit, so if you are wearing a Sky kit and you are referred to as "That tosser in the Sky kit" it may not necessarily be due to your choice of attire. You may just be a tosser.

Always worth remembering.

Ah yes, that nasty Mr. Murdoch,

Owner of that company investing millions into British cycling at amateur (Olympic) level

Owner of the company sponsoring the team who gave us our first British TDF winner,

Owner of the paper running a prominent cycling campaign

Owner of the company sponsoring the sports youth trust

The world's not black and white, folks! let's not forget the above when we jump on the anti-Murdoch band wagon. I seek to redress the balance here in a cycling context and I'm not saying he and his organisation are saints.

Hmmm...how much interest did The Times take in cycling BEFORE one of their staff was seriously injured in a bike accident?

Sky's sponsorship of cycling started AFTER British Cycling started winning medals and gaining global plaudits. Businesses provide sponsorship for very oblivious reasons, not because they have any particular love of the sport.

If Sky was genuinely interested in cycling, it wouldn't be the Johnny-come-lately of the sport, throwing its money around like a middle-eastern Sheik with a football club. And we would have seen cycling on Sky Sports before 2010.

And then there's Murdoch himself, and his hateful media empire, bribing, lying, libelling, hacking, objectifying women, etc etc. If you think throwing a few coins into cycling's begging bowl is somehow mitigation for the appalling behaviour of Murdoch and his minions over many decades, then by all means wear Sky kit. But it's not something I would consider.

@Tomisitt, yeah much better if Sky had been running a team in say, 1998, when everyone was nicely doped up.

How dare they come late to the party, with their new-fangled complete zero tolerance approach to doping!

Seriously, we all know corporations are essentially after their own interests, in this case publicity through success through sport on the world stage. It just so happens that they've chosen cycling, a sport I love, and have contributed to British success, which I applaud.

To completely dismiss all that because of an anti Murdoch view is being too simplistic, in my view.

But by all means, wear what you want! Those Festina tops are nice!

Undoubtedly Sky's sponsorship has been very beneficial to British cycling, encouraging more people to get onto bikes. But don't think for one second that their sponsorship is based on anything other than sound financial reasoning.

BTW, Sky's zero-tolerance didn't stop them employing Geert Leinders, so I think we should be careful before getting too sanctimonious.

My Johnny-come-lately observation was meant to illustrate that Sky has no historic love of cycling; they identified sport where they could get maximum exposure, threw relatively large amounts of money at an expensively assembled team, and have done very well out of it.

I'm happy that Wiggins won the Tour, even if it was uncomfortably remiscent of US Postal (and about as exciting), and I'm delighted to see Brits doing well in the peleton. It's a shame Sky don't have a women's team. Presumably because it doesn't get the sort of media coverage that warrants that sort of investment.

Ultimately, in my view Murdoch and his corporations are morally bankrupt, and that's why I'd never wear the kit. If other people want to, that's entirely their business.

This is the line
The line between winning and losing
Between failure and success
Between good and great
Between dreaming and believing
Between convention and innovation
Between head and heart
It's a fine line
It changes everything we do
And we ride it every day

If you have had time to read this guff on the back of the jersey of someone pootling along in the middle of a narrow lane, hands feathering the brakes in front of you then there's every chance that the kit might seem a bit wanky. Wear it if you want, I guess some people like the taste of corporate jiz. Each to his own.

Brailsford, the Olympic team and British Cycling have done wonders for the sport. Murdoch has thrown in some money, he's still an execrable character.

I have to say reading all this rubbish about team kit is almost enough to put a new cyclist off even bothering to get out and ride. I've recently returned to riding and as I need a jersey just happen to like and have bought some of the pro team kit. I don't hurtle past people thinking I'm in some way superior, I certainly don't make snide comments as I'm in no position to and just because I have some team kit I don't profess to be any kind of expert. So books and covers springs to mind.

For all those people passing comment, how about we all concentrate on riding (and getting others to), rather than worrying our tiny minds about what is allegedly naff and what isn't .

Wear what you want, when you want and enjoy the experience!

People will be saying it's ok to wear Pierre Rolland's polka dot shorts next...

Just ride guys. And if you're buying Italian, go a size up......

Can't say I studiously went through each comment but the ones I had read (too many) led me to pick up on "all this rubbish" and a few too many people needlessly commenting on individuals taste.

Nothing wrong with proudly showing a little team allegiance especially after Froomes fantastic efforts yesterday.

Yesterday I saw an XXL full Sky pro kit panting up a gentle incline, and last year's Sky World Champ in a similar size doing a similar thing. I have nothing against people being out of shape - we've all got to start somewhere - but spending £430 in a slightly misguided attempt to look like Chris Froome marks you out as.... something.

Mind you I'm not one to talk. Yesterday it was so hot I tore the sleeves off an old jersey and looked like an abomination against cycling fashion. But hey, I kept a bit cooler.

Surely someone should ask Pierre Roland how much of a twat he felt wearing polka dot jersey, shorts, helmet and socks whilst being overtaken by half the peloton on his polka dot bike on Mont Ventoux. If he felt ok about it, then so should everyone else

THIS is why you only wear the yellow jersey if you are leading the TdF, otherwise you get something like this

People should just wear whatever they want, personally I'd rather be someone good in crap gear and a crap bike than the other way round.