I have been looking at buying some riding apparel. I have never owner bike clothes and have been looking at purchasing either bibs or shorts and a jersey. I dont want the plain colored black, white, etc, so i have been looking a replica team kits. I am wondering if its acceptable to wear team kits when training or riding causually? I personally like the bmc style and have notice price differences and style differences between the 2013 model, is there any reason why such a wide range of prices?

Many consider wearing team kits to be tacky unless the team has been defunct for at least ten years.

Wear what makes you happy and ride. Don't worry about what others think.
2013 kits will be more expensive because they are current. You can find sales on last year's kits.

Exactly.

For what little it's worth, no matter what you wear someone's not going to like it.

I see Lance Armstrong riding on my local MUP quite often, he still wears all his matching USPS gear.

I think there are tons of interesting jersey choices out there without needing to get one plastered in advertisements. Why should I pay for something and give someone free advertising? They should pay me.

Of course, the choice is ultimately yours. The main point I wanted to convey is that fit varies greatly between manufacturers. I would suggest getting something from your LBS at first. Differences such as club-fit or race-fit come into play.

Personally I feel it's tacky to wear team gear if you're not on said team. I view it as a privilege they've earned. I certainly see the appeal of it but unless you're a fast rider it seems out of place. There are several good looking (aggressive?) style jerseys you can get without sponsor overboard, which is what I actually wear. On the flip side I've seen some other outlandish gear where I wished they were wearing a team kit or something...anything..

You could try the Polish cycling team kit:


Now you know why people mostly ride with black shorts.

#1 life can be short, be happy, it's only clothes - But don;t wear the Tee that Peter Sagain seems to like...

those people are dumb. so you can't wear clothes of your favourite sports team?

see your Polish Team kit and raise you one Lampre...

Get black shorts and go crazy with the jersey. Tap into your inner parrot.

Or your inner hippy...

Team kits are only cool if they match the bike, the bike is the same (or similar) as ridden by the team, and you have the legs to back it up, IMO. To each his own.

I don't like to be a rolling billboard for teams that I'm not affiliated with or products I'm not likley to use, but I do like to support my local LBS by wearing their jersey. My closet it filled with LBS jersies, event jersies (only if I complete 100 miles or more), and non-descript black shorts.

I do have one merino wool riding sweater from Twin Six (probably the nicest piece of clothing I own) that matches my Twin Six CX bike, but it's pretty plain, so you would have to be paying attention to even notice it has the same label as the bike.

Don't get a BMC kit unless you ride a BMC, is what I'd say. Then maybe just go with the jersey and not the full kit. I saw a guy in full BMC kit the other day, riding a Cannondale. Looked kinda silly, but that's about the harshest way I'd describe it, since it's completely trivial.

I have a Garmin-Sharp jersey, but I only wear it with black Castelli bibs and while riding my Cervelo, but frankly, I know nobody gives a ****...it's just one of those minor personal hang ups.

No, but some do it regardless.

I always seem to be in the minority that just plain doesn't like bibs (but my skinsuit happens to be one of my most comfortable options for shorter rides...kind of a bleh chamois). The more you ride and are able to try, the better you'll know what you tend to like and not like.

Wear whatever your comfortable in.