Evans Cycles posted a new YouTube video yesterday announcing what it’s calling an “all new” dhb range. The kit is live online and it’s already heavily discounted. But is this new stock, or a brand refresh with a marketing push?
The dhb cycling clothing range was launched in 2004 as Wiggle’s in-house brand and quickly earned a solid reputation for offering quality cycling kit at great value.
When Wiggle went into administration at the end of 2023, Frasers Group acquired the company, and with it, the dhb brand. Now, Evans Cycles has quietly relaunched the brand with a “Don’t Hold Back” tagline and what it’s calling an all-new kit range.
According to dhb, the brand is “dedicated to delivering high-performance cycling clothing that combines quality, comfort, and value. Designed for riders of all levels, dhb’s range offers everything from breathable jerseys and durable bib shorts to versatile outerwear and accessories”.
They add that dhb is “the perfect choice for those looking to elevate their ride without compromising on affordability.”
In 2021, dhb ran the “Don’t Hold Back” series on Strava to motivate riders to push their limits and reach their fitness goals. Today, that slogan appears to have become a core part of the brand’s wider identity.
While the name dhb is originally believed to come from the initials of its founders, it has now taken on a new identity with the “Don’t Hold Back” slogan said to represent empowerment in cycling.
“We believe in the power of sport, whoever you are and whatever your goal. It should be accessible to all; we should be encouraged to push our boundaries and conquer challenges with no limits and unrivalled confidence”, says dhb.
The kit is available across multiple retailers, including dhb’s own website, Evans Cycles and Wiggle, where much of it is already heavily discounted, listed at around half price.
For example, the Aeron Air Lab Mens short sleeve jersey is currently £85, down from £170, and the Lab Mens bib shorts are £70, down from £139.99. By way of comparison the when we reviewed the similarly meshy Aeron LAB Ultralight SS Jersey back in June 2023 its full list price was £90 – good jersey, by the way, for a hot day.
For more information, head over to Evans Cycles or dhb’s website. As for whether all the kit is completely brand new, or simply revived…we’re still not 100% sure, but we’ve asked Evans Cycles and will update this article when we find out more. In the meantime you can revisit some of their greatest hits (and they had a few) on our dhb tag page.
29 thoughts on “dhb cycling kit is quietly revived by Evans Cycles… and it’s already ‘half price’”
You have to enjoy putting on
You have to enjoy putting on kit. Tarnished by the Frasers Group, DHB is lost to me.
You enjoy your intangibles
You enjoy your intangibles whilst putting on your kit. I’d rather bask in the joy of knowing my DHB Aeron Shorts have the best pad my arse has ever found for the cheapest price.
Secret_squirrel wrote:
Very important to have kit that keeps your intangibles enjoyable, definitely.
Rendel Harris wrote:
I think you mean his unmentionables.
No, he mentioned them.
No, he mentioned them.
Dnnnnnn wrote:
He did – until they got mentioned.
Freddy56 wrote:
Problem is they were pretty much the only source of good, affordable, merino base layers and warmers. Their base layers and leg warmers are a staple for me. I go through a couple of base layers per year, and I don’t know what I’m going to do when I need my next set. 🙁
(I get 404/unavailable when I try follow links to their partners that I can buy from).
SportPursuit often have
SportPursuit often have decent kit at reasonable prices. I have a Vulpine merino base that wasn’t very expensive and an actual bargain. They do employ their own brands as padding with insane reduction prices though.
That is a very short lifespan
That is a very short lifespan! You could save your old ones to patch the new ones.
Ah, but think of the savings
Ah, but think of the savings being made by not washing them.
Clicking the links and
Clicking the links and nothing seems to be new stock (yet). Just seems to be a few sizes left of pre takeover stuff. Which was good quality, but I stocked up in a major way in the close down sale and these discounts don’t approach that (e.g I bought the £170/£85 jersey for £15, plus 3 pairs of Lab shorts for miles less than £70). The kit is decent quality, but no way worth the inflated RRP; even the discounted price looks steep for the jersey. When new ‘post takeover’ stuff comes out you know it will be more basic fabrics, cuts, stitching etc. at a more inflated RRP with a more extreme discount – that is the Ashley way.
So what you mean is, Mike
So what you mean is, Mike Ashley has performed another resurrection ritual and dhb has become another of his zombie brands…?
I track the price of the DHB
I track the price of the DHB AERON MEN’S BIB SHORTS 2.0 coz they have the best pad my arse has ever liked. £80 – is the current price on Evans with a fake discount from £160. £80 is the price they have been since Wiggle sold out.
ITS A CON JOB.
Presumably at some point they
Presumably at some point they are actually going to have to list them for sale at £160 (though they won’t sell any at that price) to avoid a trading standards / advertising issue around misleading discounting.
My thoughts exactly – but at
My thoughts exactly – but at 2+ years since wiggle I havent see it…. unless its at retail in Evans or somewhere.
They might do this, but only
They might do this, but only for a week or two before dropping the price again. It’s the same trick companies like Mountain Warehouse use—set an inflated RRP (£XXX) that was never meant to be charged, then list a ‘discounted’ price that’s actually the real value. It’s designed to make people feel like they’re getting a bargain, when in reality, the product is priced exactly where it should be.
Exactly. Apparently the Blok
Exactly. Apparently the Blok sumemr jersey is 50% off at £55. It didn’t cost that much before Wiggle closed and the delivery charge wasn’t as high. Not sure why Road CC isn’t doing a better job here.
I did always like Aeron gear
I did always like Aeron gear for the bang for buck. I just had a quick look at price inflation. From what I can see the last pair of Aeron bibs I bought was in 2017 when I paid €60 (about £50 at the time) – probably at “50% off” as Wiggle offered that frequently enough. Adjust that for inflation and it’s around £67 today. The £80 inflation “half price” is therefore about 20% above the inflation adjusted figure. And it’s got Ashley behind it.
This isn’t Tech News, this is
This isn’t Tech News, this is a sychophantic fluff piece.
Pure advertising puffery, parroting the corporate talking points with no critical observations or context.
Yes, Evans have relaunched the brand name, bastardising the 3 letter acronym.
No, the original reputation of quality product at a budget value is NOT guaranteed.
The pricing is all dodgy from the off.
ROOTminus1 wrote:
*Edit*
*Edit*
[I]Unoriginally[/I] bastardised the 3 letter acronym from a legacy ad campaign
ROOTminus1 wrote:
A pedant writes: strictly speaking, DHB is an initialisation, not an acronym.
ROOTminus1 wrote:
What about the bit where they question if this is new gear or just revived? And putting ‘half price’ in inverted commas? Or letting us know what the equivalent old kit used to retail for, underscoring that the alleged new full price is… ambitious? Were they all part of the dhb press release, or is that helpful critical context?
These so-called discounts are
These so-called discounts are just smoke and mirrors. Retailers like those under the Frasers group, regulalry inflate the RRP to make the ‘sale’ price look like a steal, when in reality, it’s the true market value all along. It’s a classic tactic—outdoor clothing company, Mountain Warehouse is notorious for it. The real con isn’t the discount, but the illusion that there ever was a higher price in the first place. And it’ll have been made to that lower price point anyway.
I often buy stuff from
I often buy stuff from Mountain Warehouse, but I ignore the supposed original price. The “sale price” is, AFAICS, The Price.
Whether or not consumers are
Whether or not consumers are wise to it, it’s a clear breach of advertising codes, and they have form: https://www.asa.org.uk/rulings/sportsdirect-com-retail-ltd-a18-443536.html
Brands / Retailers should
Brands / Retailers should sell goods for at at the full price (RRP) before selling on promotion. As a rule of thumb it goods would be sold for longer at the RRP. But there is a complicated relationship between law and guidance and the role of the ASA – who are reactive to complaints.
A classic example of this is Christmas Gifting – you can often find a small are in the back corner of a store selling Christmas Gift Sets (toiletries etc) from September onwards at full price – this is so Price Establishment can be done before the Christmas Offers come in and gifts are offerered with some kind of discount.
So a ‘New In’ DHB cycling jersey priced on Evans for £80 down from £160 will probably be developed to a £80 price point and earning Evans a profit at that. But if you look in a sale / clearance section that is probably genuine discount based on the need to clear through stock or the stock is grey market (similar to how a discounter can sell Lynx for half the price of the supermarket – the supermarket buys theirs from the manufactuer but the discounter may have bought a job lot from a receiver or somebody like that)
Another good brand devalued.
Another good brand devalued. DHB kit was great. I still have a rain jacket from 2018 that’s still in great nick.
Even if the revived DHB were as good, I can’t bring myself to put money in Ashley’s pockets, even if I do end up spending more. He ground the truly splendid Jenners in Edinburgh into pulp, not just a shop but a cultural icon.
Saving the high street? Really? Turning gold into dross more like.
Sports Direct pricing
Sports Direct pricing practices ‘may be breaking the law’, Which? says
Consumer group makes claims of ‘some questionable and dodgy pricing tactics’ on retailer’s website
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jun/06/sports-direct-pricing-practices-may-be-breaking-the-law-which-says