elros14

I'm still new to cycling, I just picked it up two years ago, and I don't have any friends from which to learn about cycling (I recently taught myself how to change a tire and adjust a rear derailleur from youtube videos). When it comes to bike jerseys the only experience I have is relating it to soccer.

Is it always ok, even for a newb, to wear a pro team's jersey? What if it matches his bike, say if one rides a Trek Madone and wears the team Astana jersey? What about in races if they are unattached or even on a team?

For example, in soccer, when playing a competitive game it would be considered arrogant to wear a Cristiano Ronaldo jersey, and if they do they better be able to back it up.

pilam99

This is why I don't own any pro team jerseys. Much like any other sport, I would only buy one to wear to an actual pro event, i.e. TdF, to wear in support of said team as I run up Alpe with my face painted screaming like a maniac.

ok_commuter

Same rule applies.

Many would say: don't wear a team jersey if you're not on the team.

Apparent exception: jerseys of teams that don't exist anymore, and/or sponsored by companies that don't exist anymore (especially failed financial institutions?).

Jive Turkey

Agree.

Don't go with a cycling team's jersey.

Plenty of cool jerseys out there to choose from.

JonnyV

Rules? Unless you're on a team and/or in a race, there are no rules. Wear what you like. If you like the Astana jersey, wear it in good health. If you see some of the Astana guys, ask them to sign it. Just get on your bike and get some more miles on your legs. Nothing else matters.

kimconyc

There is only jersey etiquette on BF. Nobody cares IRL. You are going to look ridiculous regardless. Just ride.

edit: Racing is different. They actually have rules, which are enforced, sometimes.

ericm979

This comes up all the time, do a search.

USA Cycling regs say that you are not supposed to race in a jersey from a team you are not a member of. Clubs have to be official clubs you can't just make up a jersey for you and your friends (although you can start a club that way) . I don't know what goes into making a club offical other than putting on a race each year. If you are unattached, you race in a plain jersey.

For non-racing, you can do what you want. Some people might think that riding in a jersey from a pro team that you have not been a member of is pretentious, but most won't care, and the ones who do are unlikely to say anything.

AEO

don't wear the team jersey to a RACE

any other time you just look like a poseur and it's perfectly acceptable.

eriksbliss

It depends on where/when you're riding.

Wearing an Astana jersey on a weekend ride with your friends or local club is (to my thinking) no different than wearing an Urlacher jersey to a Bears game. It shows your support for a team or rider, and no reaosnable person should think it's anything more than that.

I certainly wouldn't show up to a sanctioned race in an Astana jersey, though.

coasting 

maybe if there wasn't this "don't wear team jersey" rule, cycling as a sport might make more money from merchandising like football teams.

RazorWind

Just riding around: Doesn't matter, wear whatever you want.

Organized race: Don't wear a team jersey if you're not actually on that team.

Club ride: Unless this is basically a training ride for the club's racing team, it's not really a breach of etiquette, although most people I see at those generally have souvenir jerseys they wear as badges of honor.

substructure

Wear what you like. F the rest.

ILUVUK

I wear my Astana jersey often. I have the 2007 version, bought it from PBK. pretty good deal for $37...or at least I thought so.

Terex

European Union Guidance Document on Professional Sports Attire by Non-Professionals : Professional Sports Attire (PSA) may be worn by non-professionals, but only after a period of not less that 2 months after the end of the previous years' Professional Sports Season (PSS), or, in the event of an Off-season (OFF) of not less than three months within the calendar year , at the start of the new PSS within that calendar year.

In summary, the PSA test is to PSS/Off.

Except in the UK, of course, which follows the Normative Standard for Haberdashery in Training (NO****), in which the wearing of professional jerseys by amateur cyclists is encouraged.

Please, don't get me started on South America.

GeoLes

To ask a paralell question. Which football jersey should I wear. Is it okay to wear the Manning Jersey when not going to a pro football game? Can I wear it on the family picnic?

I have an Ohio State Football jersey that I got from Steve & Barry's for somthin like $12. It is number 21. I don't know or care who that is. I looked it up on the web and turns out to be some 4rd/4th string quarterback who never actually touched a football. Do I care?

No.

Same rule for cycling jerseys. Wear what you want and enjoy yourself. I thought we left the peer pressure back in High School. March to your own drum beat.

Psimet2001 

This weekend I raced against members of Discovery, CSC, and Phonak. Disco and Phonak were in full kit.

Don't be that guy in a race. technically it's against the rules.

Outside of that wear whatever you want. We've got a guy on our team who rides in full Garmin-Slipstream kit on every ride. Of course his brother is on the team and sent him all of his old used gear to wear...but that doesn't mean we don't still call him "superfan".

...what makes it funnier is that he is always getting lost. On those occassions we call him "Garmin".

RazorWind

Reminds me of the time I managed to get lost with $25K worth of GPS gear and a real live Sherpa in my car.

Razorhoof

Just buy a white one and draw the pentabike on it in blood

AEO

bonggoy

Thank you.

I'm very new to the sport and so I still don't care what other people think of what I wear and I ride in relation to my riding abilities.

Bought a couple of (I think) pro jerseys for 25 dollars. I will pay twice that for regular jersey. F that ****.

A few more months here a BF will surely change that.

caloso

Beat the rush and get the Astana jersey now. It'll fall into the Defunct Team Category by June 1.

Kadowaki

[QUOTE=Psimet2001;8868801]This weekend I raced against members of Discovery, CSC, and Phonak. Disco and Phonak were in full kit.
QUOTE]

I remember when I lived in Illinois 2 years ago. That Phonak guy was always taking flyers off the front at inopportune times and always dying back into the pack. I thought it was funny that a "pro" would be so naive.

Psimet2001 

He still is. I watched him try 2 times in the last 3 laps on Sunday. Unfortunately for him I was on a mission to drive the pace as high as I could for a teammate. He never really got more than a couple of wheel lengths in front of us.

BTW - we like to refer to him as the most experienced cat 5 EVAR! He won't upgrade. I know a few people who know him and they say he's been racing for a number of years.

urbanknight

In that light, you shouldn't wear a pro jersey in a race, but wearing it any other time (like on a recreational ride) is fine.

Matt Gaunt

I have a mixture of pro team jerseys and normal jerseys, though my favourite is my 2004 TdF leader's lersey

Doesn't matter what you ride in as long as you ride IMHO.