Budget VS Mid-Range VS Premium Cycling Clothing | What's Best?!

[@mopedvieh]

I'd go with the premium bibs and either the cheap or mid level shirt, depending on the fit.

[@richcrompton6891]

DHB all the way for me. I’m a mid 50’s bloke who really doesn’t need to be in cutting edge gear. It works brilliantly, is comfy, even for me. I’m built like a swimmer, so far more built up top than a typical cyclist, and the DHB kit fits me wonderfully. It’s also not a scary price to replace if I do have an ‘off’, which I have. My body fared far worse than the kit. Just a slight scuff on my long sleeved ‘Roubaix’ top, shorts, nothing. Me, road rashed right up! So it’s tough stuff too, so I won’t be buying premium stuff unless I win the euromillions lottery!

[@origmarm]

Missed a trick here in my view by not including Decathlon as the budget buy. Narrows the gap to DHB considerably

[@Graptos]

Love to see video comparing sizing. Pull in a few riders in-between sizes to model kit. Going to give a thumbs up to 7mesh on the $$$ side, and Sugoi on the $$ side. And merino socks!

[@dflett1881]

"Salita" bought in Australia.. hands downs beats all my other big brands. I ride 20K+ a year in all conditions, race at a national level and this gear is taking off.. half the price of the big guys and bloody good

[@tajulislam1522]

Well done, straight to the point, very simple yet very informative video. I thoroughly enjoyed! I personally prefer the mid-range i.e. more specifically, the Altura range.

[@chrisdunn8215]

I agree with all that you said, if I'm off out for a couple of hours I use my castelli kit if I'm out for longer I use my le col kit it feels more comfortable but I can't really fault either of them. Good video keep them coming 👍

[@monochromebluess]

Thanks for the comparison. Interesting to see how the DHB compares to Rapha. What wasn’t mentioned was about fit to stated size. Often buying clothes online is a gamble. Should I go for example for that small or the medium !! Some italian brands are known to be smaller fitting. What sizes were all three makes that you wore. All the same ?

[@cyclingweekly]

It's a great point. Sizing can be very different from brand to brand and from person to person. Trying to answer that is an incredibly tough thing to do when it varies so much. Sadly there are no standardised rules for clothing fit because it also depends on whether or not you prefer a tighter or more relaxed fit, so personal preference also plays a part. Our best advice would be to go to a shop and try before you buy, and if you can't do that then most online retailers have good returns policies.

[@JIMMYHIBBS1]

DHB all the way for me - would have been interested to see your comparison on Decathlon, and I’m not sure I’d called Rapha premium - it’s ‘designer’ clothing which I would never buy, not because of cost, but it’s too try hard for me … keep it real - DHB for real men (and women) !!

[@Roger101Watson]

I buy the nice brands like Rapha when it's in the sale so top level kit mid level price. Worth spending a little extra on bibs less so on jerseys.

[@LoaforDie]

Rapha pro training are my go to favorites. Never had any of their premium bibs. Just got core bibs which aren’t bad at all.

[@tomrachellesfirstdance7843]

Dedication to the cause.... you must of been froze filming this I could actually see you was on the close ups. I have never gone over the top with the clothing really I am happy with the mid range or get last seasons stuff in discounts 👍

[@quentendeclercq4792]

Buy last season high end stuff for in outlets. Don’t spend too much but get great quality. I am now in full le col en void kits for the same price as an agu set.

[@Terrierized]

For riding 10k each way to work and frequent washing - cheap kit. 30k + on Sunday morning - definitely a more mid range quality 😉

[@JIMMYHIBBS1]

How and why did you test shorts and jerseys in the middle of winter? Would have preferred bib tights and jacket tests

[@drooghead]

For the average cyclist the kit that will be of most benefit is one that covers the contact points i.e. shoes, shorts, and gloves. A tee shirt will suffice for the upper body. Padding is way more important than aerodynamic considerations. Read less

[@Mosely2007]

Long time Pearl Izumi, Descente my favorites. I'm wearing 40 yr old shorts and jerseys of both

[@PatrickJamesKiernan]

Nice video! It might be twice the price but if you buy the best stuff to start with and just keep riding it, it works out cheaper than gradually upgrading. Still, it is great to see that there is nice kit for all budgets and you explain the differences well. I can see that the top level Rapha (or whatever)might be overkill for those who don’t ride far or often.

[@x-raymind7778]

Ya I have that problem I always go mid level then end up getting the top notch a little later now I’m just going right for the good stuff

[@RobertForrister]

I am a premium bib and mid range top.

[@AbiShafi]

I bought a pair of FDX “Thermal Padded Cycling Cargo Bib Tights”, my first pair. I’m a bit of an odd size so was apprehensive choosing the right size I’m 5’7” 34” waist 29” inseam, I need not of worried though I’m quit short and a little portly around the middle so chose a large. The quality is pretty good although I’m no expert, they fit like a glove are comfortable and pretty warm. I’ll probably buy some bib shorts and jersey when the weather gets a bit warmer.

[@chinno321]

Slim, QUIET, works great. I wanted modern and out of the way. This is it!

[@Llllbbbhhhh132]

I’m finally getting a bib bc my bum hurts very bad on long rides lol thanks for the vid mate!

[@leonply]

When it comes to the bigger manufactures/makes, it's ALL overpriced. The most expensive of the fabrics, as purchased in bulk by the makers, comes in at less than $4 USD per meter. Even for the costliest of cycling garments, a jersey costs no more than $15 USD to manufacture. Oh, well...

[@robinseibel7540]

You might think that, but the quality of fit and performance on the bike really is significantly better with the pricier stuff. I have a pair of DHB Aeron bibs, and they're okay. Just okay. They get blown away by my Giordana bibs and even by an old pair of Assos bibs. Rapha jerseys fit and perform so much better on the bike than the cheap stuff, better even than Assos jerseys. Cost to manufacture is irrelevant. Price is a function of supply and demand. Simple economics. And those economics in a niche market like cycling are not all like those in the market for t-shirts and jeans.

[@LouieBaLLz]

That's why the best jerseys are on Aliexpress. I'll splurge on bibs, but refuse to pay over $100 on jerseys when I can get them for $15 on Aliexpress.

[@robinseibel7540]

@@LouieBaLLz, actually you didn't pay attention at all to what I said. The comfort and performance of jerseys are every bit as important as bibs. I've worn cheap jerseys, and they suck. They don't come close to the performance of more expensive jerseys.

[@LouieBaLLz]

@@robinseibel7540 I'm no pro, so I care more about keeping $100+ per jersey in my pocket than a few watts of performance.

[@robinseibel7540]

@@LouieBaLLz, uhm, I don't care about the watts. I care about comfort, moisture management, and jerseys that fit well over the course of a long ride and don't bind or rub. There's more to jersey performance than aero drag losses. You don't have to be a pro to want comfort over the long haul.

[@motostarmx1777]

pro cycle gear is a great site for discounted gear..i really enjoy the Nalini product line and their bibs are great imo..i do longer rides so the bibs are important to me ..just my two cents..

[@byronstanford8770]

Raphia member checking in!

[@donwcollins]

Black Bibs are the best buy. PERIOD.

[@tomfreeman650]

Was that a new Synapse your riding ?

[@cyclingweekly]

Not a Synapse, it's the SuperSix.

[@neilmat71]

Etxeondo for me . Bibs are the best I've owned.

[@xtianeskay5166]

In my opinion premium clothes need to be aerodynamically optimized. Serious cyclists pay a lot for clothing and want all the aero stuff that they can get. I find rapha expensive but they do not offer the aerodynamic I would expect for the price. I like the castelli aero jersey, it is a little cheaper than Rapha but delivers the best aero performance on the market

[@jonpoon3896]

Gore Shakedry rain jacket

[@ginaball702]

Can you do different kit please

[@_Just_Some1]

Midrange all the way. Anything above that = diminishing returns

[@jasonbrittain9258]

Def Leopard tank top and cut off jeans shorts for me lol

[@HoHo-fn1qc]

Rapha is my love

[@ccampbell1117]

A picture of the Rapha shammy would have been helpful

[@The_One-Eyed_Undertaker]

Oh boy! You missed the mark by a mile. You can buy quality cycling garments of a notch below Rapha/Castelli/Assos quality standards (but far superior than DHB) for "Amazon prices". YKYWBIKE, spexcel and Rion are great brands. So is Van Rysel though little more expensive. You just need to get out of your british retailsphere.

[@teekbooy4467]

Its about budget

[@bikepackingadventure7913]

When was this filmed, because it’s #@#@# freezing 🥶 at the moment 😳😳 Try cycling for more than 10 minutes in only shorts and jersey at the moment 🥶🥶🌧🌧💦💨💨❄️❄️

[@cyclingweekly]

It was rather cold!

[@prs26]

Never understood road cycling

[@fisharefriends598]

If your after weather proof or wind proof… gore brand

[@S.Prestage]

Short sleeves in winter😱😱😱

[@jessemartinez6120]

Rapha…meh…

[@davidross8233]

The best cycling clothing is the clothing that is visible. Dark colors are dangerous

[@da14a49]

Good lights are infinitely more effective than visible clothing imo.

[@davidross8233]

@@da14a49 indeed but using both is huge. I passed around 100 serious cyclists this morning in New Jersey on Route 9. Almost all of them were in all black and almost none of them had lights. Average cost of bicycle was probably 8-10k.

[@tajulislam1522]

Oh dear, I have an all black bike which will make matters even more worse. But mind you, my jerseys tend to be eye shockingly electric blue.

[@igorvmakarov]

If someone does not want to see something - nothing will help. You can put on whatever you want, even stick a brightest lightbulb in your you-know-where and it won't help.

[@markrskinner]

Nothing works when drivers aren't looking. To say otherwise is victim-blaming. There's even evidence to say hi-viz encourages close passing.

[@markdowns4854]

Rapha gear is over rated, the fit is average. Castelli kit is much better value for me.

[@zedddddful]

Yep the design on castelli is definitely more professional rapha has that "made in a garage" look.

[@rhenceocampo3253]

Buy cheap buy twice.

[@tomsuelaw1]

Wow, insightful. So the cheap stuff is cheap, the mid stuff is better, and the expensive stuff is nicest. This adds no useful insight

[@sylvainbernaers]

you too the cheap ones deliberatly much too big. you think the whole world is blind

[@madmick9205]

Aldi. Crane'. does the job.