antokelly

do any of you folk use patagonia clothing instead on cycling specific cloths.
if so what is your favorite garment .i only came across this name today so i have no idea if it's worth buying thanks.

jharte

Patagonia, Marmot, and some of the other high end clothing stores have awesome clothes. They are really expensive but they are also made well. Personally I can't justify the cost of new Patagonia clothes but I did have a nice Patagonia wool sweater I found at a thrift store. I had that sweater 5 winters. One day someone threw it in the dryer on high and it shrunk to a kids small.

Most of my bike clothing is more like Fred's discards (urban assault clothing). I shop thrift stores but I do find some awesome deals. Columbia is popular around here. Fleece outer and silk or rayon base layer works great and it's cheap. I've never been much into bike specific clothing.

If I could justify Patagonia and Marmot, I'd buy them. My .02

Jerry H

mrpincher

I have one Patagonia fleece pullover that's 24 years old. I also have about five pair of the heaviest wool socks I've ever seen anywhere - they are also the same age. I'd buy them all over again. Both the pullover and the socks are looking a bit thin these days - nevertheless they're still warm as anything I can buy today so I keep using them. I've thrown the pullover in the trash a couple times, at the last minute I take it out of the trash, wash it, then hang it back up and start wearing it again.

I think the design quality is tops but so is the price. Since I have to pick and choose where I spend my clothing money - I'm careful about function and quality first. I spend good money on a few choice pieces and the rest I buy at walmart. I wear regular street clothes when I tour unless its cold or raining, then I break out the technical wear.

I've owned Patagonia jeans, shirts, long underwear, wind pants, rain jackets, and more - they were comfortable but I'd not purchase them again unless they were deeply discounted sale items. The jeans didn't last any longer than a pair of wranglers denim jeans. I simply outgrew a lot of it.

At least Patagonia includes an environmentally responsible business model with the price.

Not sure if any of that helped.

markf

Patagonia has been making excellent clothing since the '70s, I'm a little surprised that you haven't seen the name before. The owner and founder, Yvon Chouinard, is a long time surfer, rock climber, alpinist and back country skier.

The clothing is excellent quality, but very little (if any) is bicycle specific. Patagonia was one of the first companies in this country to market fleece clothing, back in the '70s, and they still make very good stuff. I think that their fleece clothing and Capilene long underwear are what they do best, but lots of people like their outer shells, too.

AsanaCycles

capeline for in camp

travelmama

Patagonia offers great clothes that last long however, very expensive. Deals can be found all over the place including at Patagonia.com.

zeppinger

I use patagonia but only what I can find at thrift stores and on ebay. Its great stuff but too expensive for my budget. For the price of one of their rain jackets I could buy a cheap one and tour for several weeks! I do find marmot to be almost as good and a bit less expensive. REI sales are great btw!

arctos

the Patagonia calf length rain coat I bought new on sale and use on tour is now 25 years old. I keep going back to it after trying the newest waterproof breathable invention when they fail. I only wish Patagonia made an up to date one from lighter materials. Good design,materials and construction and very durable. I also have a 12 year old pair of Patagonia pants that are great for bike touring. I cannot seem to wear them out either. Glad I live 25 miles from their head office and find great sale items like the raincoat and pants there.

skilsaw

In the 1990's I wore the patagonia casual street wear. Their cotton shirts just got softer and softer with use. I liked them best just before the elbows blew out. Same thing with their twill pants.

Another brand I like for their traditional fabrics is "Pendleton" from Oregon, USA I believe.

antokelly

thanks folks sounds quality gear but i think a bit out of my price thanks anyway.

pasopia

Yep, I'm a big fan of their capilene stuff.

I bring 2 capilene 2 t shirts on tour. They work great on and off the bike. I also like their boxer shorts because they dry fast.

eastbaybob

antokelly,

Its a bit late now as their sale is over, but if you sign up on their website you can get notice when their stuff goes on sale, at the end of the season. Most of the stuff is like 30-50% off which lessens the blow. Also if you are ever in Southern California their headquarters is in Ventura. They have a store there which is retail priced, but right down the street is the Cheaper Sports store (on Santa Clara 1 block away) that sells overstocks from Patagonia and other quality outdoor goods providers. They also have sales every few months where the prices are great and there is a hug amount of stuff.

benajah

Going ahead and saving, then buying the expensive stuff, as far as clothing, generally gives you better value than buying cheaper stuff. Outdoor clothing is an area where price generally equals quality.

AsanaCycles

seriously
I forget the exact quote, but it goes something like this: The Poor cant afford to buy cheap clothes.

I buy good clothing, and hand wash everything
I also don't have a lot of clothing
I actually wear out everything

on that note: I have 2 set of Capeline, that I've been using for at least 5 years. at the minimum I wear them once weekly.
I live in Monterey, Ca, and I usually wear them as base layer clothing as soon as I shower from my daily rides, and end up wearing them for the rest of the day, and sleeping in it.

benda18

pategonia's capeline is a gift from god. that said, i have way more target champion gear shirts; they're a much better value.

Bikearound

I second or third the fact the Patagonia is the gold standard in outdoor clothing. Everything they make is very high quality, in fact I still have a fleece pullover that I bought in 1978 that still looks great. Worth every penny....And, the company has been way ahead of the curve as far as companies with a conscience for there employees and the environment. These are good people.

Philly Tandem

I agree that Patagonia clothing is first rate, but you do pay the price. As Eastbaybob wrote, sign up for their mailing list as a few times a year they have pretty killer sales (50% off) on some things. Also, if you are anywhere near one of their outlet stores you can find good deals, too. For technical gear I think their prices are similar to other high-end manufacturers like Marmot. For casual clothing I think they are way overpriced. Their shelled Synchilla jacket (bunting), for example, is easily twice the price of nearly identical-quality jackets from LL Bean.

Years ago I managed an outdoor store and we sold tons of Patagonia. I was able to order stuff with a "pro deal" discount from Patagonia for something like 15% BELOW wholesale. Needless to say I got a lot of stuff. I still own and use some of the pieces (a lot of Capilene long undies), even though they are pushing 20 years old now.

Many independent outdoor stores will have Patagonia pieces on sale at the end of the seasons, and you can usually find pretty good deals. Patagonia clothing has at least a 50% markup, so they have a lot of wiggle room in the prices.

vik 

You don't need cycle specific clothing to ride a bike. Patagonia makes nice clothes, but like shoes some brands fit people better than others. It's far more important to get a good fit than to get a specific brand. For example I fit North Face jackets better than Patagonia or Marmot so that's what I buy. I like the Patagonia products and own some that fit me, but I really have to try on 10 different things to find 1 good fit. With North Face I'm probably 8 for 10.

So I would never buy Patagonia online without trying something on as I am likely to be disappointed.....definitely try before you buy...

paxtonm

Anto:

Couldn't get your location from your profile, but there are a few Patagonia Outlet stores. I frequent one in Santa Cruz, CA. It's usually last year's stuff, but it's great, and the prices aren't as breathtaking. A time or two a year, the outlet has a sale, and then the stuff is downright cheap. For hot weather, my three Patagonia seersucker shirts are perfect for touring. As has been said, the fleece is the best there is.

antokelly

thank's again folks i can't believe the quality is that good i will have to try it out next time i'm in Dublin.
cheers
anto.

fietsbob

I got a variety of their stuff, Marmot Mountain, & North Face Tek-wear as well ..

Cool weather tights a custom fabric smooth nylon face, fuzzy Polyster interior,
simple 2 panel pattern with a back zip pocket. .


sierratradingpost.com buys 2nds and closeouts, from them, for resale.

markf

I would expect Patagonia to be quite a bit more expensive in Dublin than in the US or even the UK. Do you have any US sources you can get it from?

zoltani

I like their stuff a lot, expensive, as everyone else mentioned. One very useful item I have is a wind stopper fleece vest. It was one of the items I picked up on my tour last year.

If you are doing the ACA transam route you will go right by the patagonia outlet in Dillon, MT.....they'll even ship stuff to your place for free if your in the usa instead of having to carry it the rest of your tour. I got some great deals there last year!
https://www.patagonia.com/us/patagonia.go?assetid=1932

You can also call them and see what they have in stock and order over the phone

wahoonc

I have a couple of pieces of Patagonia outer wear that I have had for years. Good durable stuff. I buy most of my clothes at thrift shops anymore and only to replace something that is worn out.

Aaron

antokelly

yes i do have family in the states as a matter of fact my son is emigrating there in the near future .
but as vik said in his reply i would need to fit it on before i buy i'm after the r1 pullover supposed to be brilliant.