Jersey & bib from China?

My first cycling shorts and top were Ebay China specials. !
didn't know any better..
They too so long to arrive I thought I'd been had over but when they did they looked pretty good.
I've got to say the shorts are really comfy, they have outlasted all my other ones and are still going.
They are nothing in comparison to the top brands but if like me you needed to keep initial costs down then worth a go.
only thing about the feedback is, be wary, I researched it and it looks like they fake it with lots of feedback from new buyers in China. Worth considering when checking feedback..

My first cycling shorts and top were Ebay China specials. !
didn't know any better..
They too so long to arrive I thought I'd been had over but when they did they looked pretty good.
I've got to say the shorts are really comfy, they have outlasted all my other ones and are still going.
They are nothing in comparison to the top brands but if like me you needed to keep initial costs down then worth a go.
only thing about the feedback is, be wary, I researched it and it looks like they fake it with lots of feedback from new buyers in China. Worth considering when checking feedback..

I bought some chinese sky kit - their shorts lasted better than the adidas genuine ones.

Shorts is probably worth paying for - DHB or Planet X do good shorts for decent prices.

Tops - well they dont need to be very technical do they ? Its just a top...

Keep your eyes peeled for Wiggles "event" clothing, like last years RideLondon or Dragon Ride Bib Shorts. Loads of commuters wear em, and they sell em off for £20 or less. Last year, they had the jerseys for 3 quid or less! but they are the same as their 45 pound ones.

I've bought both summer and winter (thermal) from aliexpress and agree with those saying don't expect the same quality as UK shop bought Castelli etc. I've also bought kit from Evan's, Wiggle & Cycledivision amongst others. I'll get more kit from aliexpress I'm sure as I know what to expect, the sizing is a gamble sometimes and the wait for shipping a pain. Perhaps if I joined a club any remarks made by others might have an influence on the kit worn, as it stands as long as I'm not naked and have a chamois under my bum I'll go out.

I have used very expensive bib shorts and I have used cheap Chinese kit. At the moment I have 3 sets of Chinese shorts and tops on the go and no expensive ones. I regularly ride for 3 1/2 hours and find the cheap ones as good as, if not better than the expensive ones I used to use.

I cycle to work most days, 10KM each way… the picking up of kit has been something I’ve been trying to figure out. So. Another vote here for the stuff from Decathlon - at least, the bib shorts (which are all I’ve picked up from there, along with an emergency gillet) - and Aldi (socks for each day of the week, plus a couple of spare pairs of short-fingered mitts). I’ve got a couple of nicer jerseys for the weekend and mid-week rides, and a few mid-range DHB ones.

My advice is simple: be judicious in what you buy, discover the false economies, don’t buy multiples of the same brand in advance (if you can help it) to avoid getting screwed over, and work around the false economies with more of the diamonds in the rough.

And when when you discover the gems, let us all know

bought for China once, I say you get what you pay for

Prendas sales, keep your eyes on the prizes and try and jump in before they all go. You can pick up some good gear for half-price or less.

If you buy ebay/ aliexpress cycling kit and think it is coming from the same factory as the genuine brands you are going to be dissapointed. It might look the same from a distance, but it is not the same materials, fit, or standard.

As I said, I speak from experience. I have bought North Face gear in Hanoi which I am sure is from the same factory as the genuine article, and Nike Free trainers in Bangkok which are identical to my real ones, but the cycling kit i've seen and bought is not comparable. Order a Castelli Gabba jersey for £15 and give us a review after a wet ride.....

For £15 per jersey you can hardly go wrong, but don't expect to get kit identical in performance or longevity to the genuine article. I'd advise you to buy the real thing if your budget allows.

I've bought quite a few tops from China and Hong Kong and to be honest they have never let me down. As for bib shorts i agree that you have to be comfortable on a bike so i own a pair of castelli but i also have a couple of pairs of Start Cycles own make and they are brilliant.

You have to remember that a lot of the kit from China etc is probably made in the same factory / industrial estate as a lot of expensive names.

As for wearing replica team kit, who cares. I support Sky and i own a Sky top just like i have a Newcastle football strip and a Durham cricket club top. People who say you shouldn't support your team with team kit are pathetic.

Be careful in thinking "the savings are huge"- remember you're not comparing like-for-like.

Chinese kit, in my experience, is poor quality and the fit is sporadic. The pads are poor and the zips not up to the job of keeping my gut restrained.

WIth cyling kit you really do get what you pay for. £160 for Rapha bib shorts is a massive amount of money, but the quality is great and they'll last many years. Wiggle/ Dhb shorts for £30 are perfectly adequate for the commute/ shorter rides.

If you get 'the cycling bug', as I'm sure you will, once the miles start piling up you (and your arse) will wish you'd paid a little more.

I'd rather spend most of my cycling kit money on bibshorts so I have some cheap jerseys from ebay. I don't mind cheap stuff as long as it's not a fake version of something, you can get some quite odd/funny designs that are excellent.

an example:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Polar-Bear-Printed-Men-Long-Sleeve-Cycling-Jer...

obviously not for those who wants to wear castelli head to toe in black, but as far as I am concerned if you are wearing skin tight clothing, you will not look cool regardless, so might as well have some fun with it. Bear in mind that from my experience these cheap jerseys offers no protection from the sun like you would from more expensive stuff.

Just bought a winter riding kit through Ali Express - looks good - jersey not the TT aero fit but looks like it'll be warm. Bibs all good too - I take a dhb XL and ordered same size - delivery slow but free - so far so good - will see how it rides - purports to be Northwave.

Bought one once, the size was tiny. Not going to bother again.

When I started, I picked up a load of Evans "shop soiled" stuff - one quick wash later and it was as good as new - but less than half the price of the same item sparkly new to start with.

Just about every online store has a clearance section - they're remarkable places.

As for it being "plain" - well until a team/sponsor is paying me to advertise their wares, I'm not doing it (and I'm certainly not paying out my own money to do it)

I got a couple out of curiosity, the quality is fine for commuting and the rollers etc.

If you want obscure, seasons old, pro conti kit for £20 that you couldn't pick up online or in a shop then why not. The same people do unbranded/custom kit in the same fabrics and pads if you feel bad about pretending you've spent more than you have.

If you're buying something with Rapha or Assos on it you'll be quite/very disappointed if that's the brand you normally buy.

Do you mean a fake team/fake branded kit? Whats the point?

Why not just order from Wiggle (their in house dhb brand), Decathlon (Btwin) or even Aldi when they have a special buy deal. Then you get a decent quality (albeit plain) jersey and shorts that will last for a while, and you keep money out of piracy/fakes.