[HeadDown]

Would be very grateful for recommendations for website selling replica classical cycling jerseys. I’m not willing to pay Prendas prices. Have come across  retro-cycling-jerseys.com, and and various other sites, but they all seem to carry the same photos of the same shirts, so probably source from the same place? Some are £30 odd. Any experiences, of these or others?
thanks. 

Topic

[hawkinspeter]

Personally, I’m not a fan of

Personally, I’m not a fan of intellectual ‘property’ (and technically, you cannot ‘steal’ it as the originater still has it) as it tends to be massively abused e.g. Disney’s never-ending copyright battle to prevent Mickey Mouse from ever entering the public domain. I’m also not a fan of having public police resources used to protect private, corporate interests but that boat sailed a long time ago.

[MUDAHIM]

I’m after a La Vie Claire

I’m after a La Vie Claire jersey and there are various on Aliexpress at different prices, anyone got any idea which are the better suppliers or what to look out for, or is it just potluck?

[TheBillder]

I did hesitate before buying
I did hesitate before buying the one AliExpress pro team clothing item I have, but then figured that it was too out of date (2017) and too lowly a team (Wanty Gobert, the Partick Thistle of cycling) for anyone’s job to be at risk at Northwave.

So far I’m happy with the fit, the performance and the zip.

[Chris Hayes]

Fair cop – I did hesitate as

Fair cop – I did hesitate as I typed that! But our beloved government aside, if you steal IP or brandsurf in the Anglosphere then you’ll be prosecuted.  If you doubt this, try to open a burger joint called MacDonalds and see what happens. 

That doesn’t seem to be the place in China where Chinarellos, Fauxleys and a myriad of similar landfill is freely available.  And I get that there are ‘blurred lines’ because the goods you’re buying are supposedly ‘from the same factory’ as the goods you (and they) ripping off, but there’s a price to be paid, initially in the form of quality but eventually jobs….though my point is thirty years too late.

[hawkinspeter]

Whereas disrespecting

Whereas disrespecting international law is entirely unknown outside of China **cough**Tories**cough**

[ped]

When does replica become fake

When does replica become fake? When it features the percieved manufacturer’s name and logo, perhaps? I notice that the some of the World Tour team’s knock-offs on AliExpress don’t include the Castelli, Sportful, Giordana, Spesh, etc logos while retaining the sponsors’ branding. I can kinda see why the sponsoring brands may turn a blind eye to their logo getting more exposure. 
 

[wycombewheeler]

OmuGuy wrote:

I only wear long-sleeve jerseys. One thing goes for all of the ones I’ve had direct from China: the sleeves are too short,  

 

was never inclined to buy dodgy stuff from aliexpress until i read this. I find jersey arms are almost always too long. In fact most sleeves are the same.

[Chris Hayes]

No, it’s a hallmark of a

I don’t think so, it’s more a hallmark of a society that does not respect international law…and in places like China it is endemic and has been for decades…

[hawkinspeter]

don simon fbpe wrote:

Top tip, if you like Spanish wine, go for the Crianza over the Reserva or Gran reserva (as a general rule). The terms refer to period of aging, not necessarily the quality of the wine. As most Spanish buy Crianza it gets more attention when being made. Equally Vin de Mesa doesn’t mean cheap crap either.

I’m not really a wine drinker, so I couldn’t really say which regions or grapes/styles of wine I prefer (I try to avoid French wine just because I assume that it’s over-priced). I’m far more discerning when it comes to either cider or rum.

[don simon fbpe]

Top tip, if you like Spanish

Top tip, if you like Spanish wine, go for the Crianza over the Reserva or Gran reserva (as a general rule). The terms refer to period of aging, not necessarily the quality of the wine. As most Spanish buy Crianza it gets more attention when being made. Equally Vin de Mesa doesn’t mean cheap crap either.

[hawkinspeter]

don simon fbpe wrote:

But how is this race to the bottom allowed to thrive? Who is driving demand for cheap tat?  And how can I get the highest quality at rock bottom prices?

1. Market forces
2. Customers
3. Don’t buy the cheapest. It’s like with buying wine – always go for the second cheapest although some places are wise to that, so maybe go for the third cheapest.

[don simon fbpe]

But how is this race to the

But how is this race to the bottom allowed to thrive? Who is driving demand for cheap tat?  And how can I get the highest quality at rock bottom prices?

[hawkinspeter]

Chris Hayes wrote:

Just had a look.  No theft of IP and branding going on there then!  I guess that’s the risk of outsourcing production to a kleptocracy. Makes you wonder whether that’s why so many Italian brands have been building their own Chinese factories in Italy. 

Kleptocracy? Isn’t it just an example of pure capitalism in action (i.e. no government backed “intellectual property”) and a race to the bottom in terms of quality?

[Chris Hayes]

Just had a look.  No theft of

Just had a look.  No theft of IP and branding going on there then!  I guess that’s the risk of outsourcing production to a kleptocracy. Makes you wonder whether that’s why so many Italian brands have been building their own Chinese factories in Italy. 

[OmuGuy]

flyingpitman wrote:

The Quality is ok and sizing is, as there chart say’s.I have had a few jersey’s and still going strong.Colours don’t run.Pockets are deep,zips are ok.They aren’t windproof or waterproof mind.I just wear a Craft windproof baselayer and job’s a goodun.

With mixed results, I’ve had about half a dozen jerseys from Alieexpress traders.
I only wear long-sleeve jerseys. One thing goes for all of the ones I’ve had direct from China: the sleeves are too short, probably cut for Asian body type. In summer, to avoid getting bands of sunburn, I have had to wear gloves with long wrists. This has never been a problem with branded items (even from Aldi) or used jerseys I’ve bought from ebay or other sites.
Zips on Alieexpress-sourced jerseys also fail long before the fabric does. A couple have failed within a couple of months. 
I’ve also won prompt claims against the vendors for poor quality. If you go the Aliexpress route,  on receipt, carefully inspect the zips, sewing and matching of seams. I’ve had two jerseys where the size and labels haven’t matched. In case you have to go to arbitration, when you order, take screenshots of all relevant details. By the time you order arrives, the product may no longer be available and confirmation may be difficult.
Some vendors are better than others, check the reviews of purchasers. 
One of my favourite jerseys, a La Vie Claire replica from Alieexpress has been out of commission for two years now because I’m reluctant to pay to have the zip replaced. I only wore it a couple of dozen time. It’s likely to become part of the mountain of plastic (polyester) waste I’ve generated this year. 

[Author]

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