WalksOn2Wheels

It's easy for us to argue the finer points of upgrading your gear. Lots of talk about whether or not minor weight savings are worth the expense, and lots of talk about saddles, shoes and bar tape/gloves as contact points. But still many folks seem to persist that their 20 dollar walmart wicking tees are just fine, and Assos is a ripoff, etc.

So have you ever branched out and splurged on a really nice jersey and said, "Well, that was a waste; this isn't any better than my 40 dollar lime green jersey I got at Performance."

I'm gonna guess no, but would be wildly interested in hearing people's experiences. You can probably guess where I stand.

gc3

No

krusty

The only ones I regret are the ones that were not higher end. I own a lot of Rapha (all my city riding and commuting clothing) and Assos (training), and every piece has performed perfectly. I have a set of Castelli bibs, and while they fit well and are made well, there are some other things I like less about them. Others may have found the exact opposite with the same brands, though.

BoSoxYacht

I've regretted a few high end clothing purchases, but only because they were cut off my body by EMTs.

I don't think I'd buy Assos gloves again, but they were nice until I shredded them in a wreck. Nice gloves, but not twice as nice as Giro Zeros.

generalkdi

No.

andr0id

I refused to let EMTs cut off my Descent 7/11 jersey. They said it would hurt like hell and it did. It only had a tiny little scrape on it and I wore it for years after that crash.


I have always found you get what you pay for with bib shorts and more expensive has proven to be better and more comfortable and last longer.

I don't care so much about jerseys as long as they are full zip.

Nice jackets and rain gear can be found on sale, but high end definitely fits better and holds up longer.

bananabacon

Story time??

Had some Manitou shocks fall apart on me mid flight. I was ok... my head braced the impact... the pavement was fine not a dent..

Sy Reene

couple starting places
https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycli...-good-bad.html
https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycli...rides-pic.html

BoSoxYacht

the gloves was just a higher speed turn on very greasy pavement(road rash and a hip bruise.

The big wreck(before my other big wreck), was a high speed descent(48mph). A huge crosswind gust pushed me off the road. I was unconscious for about 30 minutes before someone stopped to help me. I was able to walk away, but when the Good Samaritan got me home, the EMTs were called. They called for a life flight due to a suspected neck injury. I tried to convince them I was fine, but they insisted I take their advice and take the flight.

My top 3 vertebrae were shattered, and I'm lucky to be alive now. If they listened to my refusal for medical attention my doctor said I would have likely died from the damage if left untreated.

That wreck(with no insurance) left me bankrupt, but I'm alive to talk about it.

BTW, that wasn't my worst wreck.

I <3 Robots

Only if the stitches blow out on the first ride.

Jeremy_S

I bought a pair of gloves once, can't remember the name, 45 bucks, gel, comfortable, said screw it I like them. First long ride the palms wet shredded at 65 miles, like the gel was in tact but everything around the gel pads had shredded to threads. I've got 10-15 dollar gloves that lasted wayyyyyyyyy longer. Now I stick to 25ish dollar lg gloves and I'm happy.

BoSoxYacht

The EMTs cut off a CSC jersey that Jens gave me(we swapped jerseys) after riding together. That jersey cost me about $70 in reality, but it was irreplaceable.

LGHT

I don't regret it at all. I found a nice brand new Assos jacket for $50 and didn't think twice about buying it. The problem though it was the "slim fit" and I'm just too fat to use it. Luckily I found someone to pay $225 on ebay who will make good use of it for me.

D1andonlyDman

I'm sure I would regret it if I ever made a high end apparel purchase. I get most of my stuff on clearance sales or on craigslist or ebay - I typically pay no more than $15 for regular shorts, $20-30 for bib shorts, and $25-30 for shoes. I've gotten 4 excellent sets of bib shorts on ebay, for an average price of around $24 or so. I get my shirts on either ebay, or Marshalls, or Ross.

TobinH

Yes, a pair of Gore waterproof gloves that weren't.

RollCNY

Years ago, I bought higher end Specialized rain jacket, cold weather jacket, bib knickers, and shorts. I regret it. The shorts have held up fine, but so have the PI Quest shorts I bought at the same time for 1/3rd the price. Neither jacket survived the first winter.

kbarch

Bicycling apparel? No, not yet. Street clothes? Yes, but that's another story.
I kind of know the feeling - had a brand new leather jacket cut off after a bad motorcycle accident (broke several bones), and a set of leathers needlessly cut to pieces when I just cracked some ribs in a minor mishap, but I don't regret having purchased them to begin with - didn't spill a drop of blood or lose any skin in either case. I do, however, rather regret purchasing a replacement set of leathers - a very fine set by BKS - which I have never had occasion to wear, and don't foresee now that I sold the moto.
That's usually how it goes. I usually manage to get decent wear out of whatever I get, be it high- or low-end, and I only regret spending extra if it winds up being something I don't end up wearing like I thought I would. So far have only been disappointed with the quality of mid- and cheaper priced stuff - stuff that looked like a better deal than it really was.

FLvector

No. But I have some older low end crap that I need to toss since its just taking up space.

SpeshulEd 

Not apparel, but I bought some Jaybird Bluebuds after my Etymotics cut out from sweat in the volume knob.

Those things are hunks of junk and are being shipped back to Amazon this week. $140 and the free apple earbuds sound better.

RR3

I am not terribly fond of the shallow pockets on Assos jerseys. Regret? No.

Most club type jerseys? Yes, I regret. Sizing issues. Poor quality. Too expensive

HardyWeinberg

I had one fantastic pair of those, but they fell apart quickly, and then I tried 2 more pairs before I gave up. The first one functioned great but was poorly made, the rest just s*cked.

rpenmanparker 

The surest way to never regret a high end apparel purchase is to never make a high end apparel purchase.

Nachoman

Nope. But I've regretted so so many crappy, cheap purchases.

Ghazmh

I have a showers pass rain jacket that is useless above 50 degrees.

RomeoTango

I agree on the cheap stuff. Bought some that I now do not care for. So I buy higher end stuff on cheap sale when I can. In the meantime I do laundry.