Aldi offers low price winter clothing and large range of accessories

My kids have been running on their summer gloves - £2.99 - and cycling glasses - £1.99 - for a good while and they couldn't be better.  Can't argue with that, especially as the nearest Decathlon is a hour's round trip away.

Had a look in Aldi today, unsurprising not much cycling gear left. I did pick up a merino base layer, which is great for the cash, but does not feel it would particularly last me years. I'll probably return it and get a more robust one for double the price. I think you do get what u pay for (to a certain extent) these days, but its great that there are retailers like aldi offerig perfectly acceptable apparel. 

"The cut is fairly roomy" - euphemism of the day! If you're a fat git or you like your clothing hanging off you where a beer gut would be if you weren't a cyclist, then this is the kit for you! Anyone else suspect that a lot of it is bought by a certain type of people as general sitting-around clothing and that's why it goes on sale when most working people are at work?

I look at the Aldi stuff and think 'Ooo must buy it'. However my wife has bought me round and pointed out that its cheap for a reason. Like many cyclists I have had many years of buying kit that is nearly as good as something else. But after learning the hard way, come winter it will be my usual few expensive items that work every day, day in day out.

Gypos

I have two winter softshell jackets bought several years ago – in fact they could have been from Lidl, but I think it was Aldi. Definitely one of Lidli or Aldl. Anyway, the first one (blue) was so good I bought another (red). Windproof, warm and costy, decent fit and showerproof due to thickness.

I also got a pair of winter tights. Oh my, those were made for a Siberian winter. And never fitted properly and the pad (not that I'm a great fan of padding) was odd. They went to the club auction.

And a pair of shorts. They also had an odd fit and went to the club auction.

Finally, a pair of winter gloves. I've still got these! They're incredibly warm but not at all waterproof. Too bulky for use with STIs but good for the mountainbike in really cold weather – or just as winter gloves for non-cycling uses.

So my conclusion is they're ok for jackets and probably jerseys but not anything on the legs. The problem is the sizing, as others have said it's odd. Gappy. They do (did) a 28-30" and a 32-34", which leaves a big sizing hole to fall into. My very limited experience of Decathlon gear suggests it probably is better, but they have so few stores.

Edit: Just remembered, I also have a weatherproof/windproof packable jacket from Aldi. It's a copy of a Montane design, I think, but for only £8! The weak point on it is not the fabric but the zip – if you have it only half-way done up, the wind blows it down, even at my pace! OTOH, it's cheap, light, fits in a jersey pocket. Nevertheless, I haven't used it for a year or two, because I've got something properly waterproof now.

I have a Rapha jersey.

I've never felt luxury like it. I don't want to wear it for fear of damaging it.

I bought it in the sale though with 50% off.
£45. I'm not sure I would get/afford one full price.

IME Aldi stuff is mostly OK and good for the price - certainly not 5x worse than the premium brands that cost 5x as much, however it's still far from being on-par (at least with Assos and Castelli, I don't have any Rapha stuff)

"the sizing is odd"
Four words that sum up why I haven't bought any Crivit/Crane kit. Decathalon is less odd, IME.

I've got some Aldi & Lidl gear. The Aldi stuff is better quality than Lidl. I bought a short sleeved top from Lidl, the sizing is odd, very long front & back. Their gloves, socks & sport glasses are ok. I've had two long sleeve jerseys, winter tights & bib shorts from Aldi. The jerseys, one thicker than the other are great. The bib shorts are my first pair & I like them, though the pad in the bib shorts isn't as good as the tights I bought a few years ago or even a pair of muddy fox shorts I got from Sports Direct. Can't compare socks with Road CC ones as they've never picked me as a winner

Ahhhh. The irony of expensive kit ranters now moaning about cheap kit..

I'm happy with my 'overpriced' Rapha kit. My oldest winter jacket is 8 years old and as I bought in the spring sales for £120 it's cost me £15 a year.

I'll get my (expensive) coat...

Most of my cycling kit comes from Aldi and / or Lidl. Okay, it's not what I'd call Gucci kit, but I've never had any complaints, it's perfectly acceptable, and you don't pay Gucci kit prices. I've got some pricey kit as well, and there is a difference (I'd be a bit cheesed off if there wasn't) but for wearing over the winter months, I really don't mind the budget Aldi / Lidl kit.

I got some socks from them a few years back.

The seams were all over the place. I wouldn't have them again. I'll stick to my Road.cc socks, although I'd love another pair in the Monday giveaway.

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the top's i've bought from Aldi and i would defo buy from them again. However Lidl gear was not a patch on Aldi and i wouldn't touch it.

I've had mixed results with Aldi kit. With what I've tried so far, I'd say:
Jacket with removable sleeves - good for short chilly commutes but too boil in the bag for anything serious.
Rain jacket - useless. Replaced with far superior B'Twin one.
Sunglasses - good and comfortable but bolts work loose.
Mitts - good but require slits cutting in to prevent pinching.
Arm warmers - good but I've got very thin arms. Had to stitch velcro hooks on the tops get them to stay up.

I have to work on Thursdays.

Bought most of my basic cycling kit from Aldi and Lidl, really pleased with it, great prices and the kit is generally pretty good! never had a problem with any of it!

Bike work stand
thermals,
gloves, mitt & lobster
bib shorts & full length
jackets
rain jacket

All great!

Their socks have been really good - I've worn them to the exclusion of the pairs that cost 4 times as much. Need some more now, but the last batch they had were too short in the ankle.

I have 2 jackets, a jersey and the windproof bib tights. All from different sales.

Jacket with zip off arms - ace. Shame it's black.
Normal jacket - warm... in fact probably too warm.
Jersey... has a 'flap' at the back. I cut it off. Thin. Don't need a flap in summer spec jersey.
Bib tights. Wore them twice. Wind proof panels do not stretch well but if they fit and you like sub zero riding they are a third of the cost of the 'real' stuff. Warm bits, thighs, knees... cold shins. (I see from pics that the wind protection now goes down to the ankles on these new ones)

That red jersey looks better than the fake Rapha/Sky one I got from Mr Woo's dodgy toy shop c/o eBay. Might give it a go.

I have bought cycling stuff from Aldi in the past, and have been generally impressed. Their 'Cycling Pro Winter Jersey' has been my go-to jersey for two years now (lets face it, we rarely get to wear summer jerseys in the Midlands). Problem is, it is black... if it was available in red (as pictured above), or almost any other colour, I would buy it again.

Buyer beware.

The stuff is priced well, and some of it can be very good but I ended up giving away their winter jacket after wearing it twice.

The neck was too loose, useless on a cold morning; and the fabric was no more breathable than a black plastic bag, useless on anything other than a cold morning.

It was cheap but it was a waste of money.