Originally Posted by
DrIsotope
...well I sure haven't. This morning was solo again, in a pair of the cheapest Pearl Izumi bibs you can buy, so sun damaged that the tops of the thighs are wearing out, and a Canari Optic Nova jersey that was on clearance on Amazon for $12. They get the job done.
That is why I don't buy Rapha, or Assos, or Capo, or any of those. I've already sun-rotted 3 jerseys and 3 bibs into retirement. It's somehow less painful to toss a $40 pair of bibs after 18 months than it is to toss a $200 pair.
Unless those $200 jobs have somehow figured out how to defeat the sun. Even at that, they'd have to last 7+ years to be cost-effective.
I know a guy that only buys the top-shelf stuff, in jerseys, bibs, shoes, everything. Dude's got $500 shoes. Hasn't ridden even 2,000 miles in a single year, ever.
With a few exceptions, this appears to be a common thing, I've noted. The cost of the kit seems to be inversely proportionate to the miles traveled.
I don't think I'm wearing anything "top shelf," but I have found that, with cycling apparel (as with much else), you mostly get what you pay for. I do have a few pair of bibshorts which cost around $200, and they are better than those which cost $100. Ditto for my more expensive jerseys and etc. Whether these items are worth it to you is totally subjective and not worth discussion- we all have different preferences and budget constraints. And I also find that, in my mid-50s, my ass is less tolerant of cheap bibs.
Lest you're wondering, I hit 2,000 miles quite a bit earlier this summer and am still riding 200+ miles per week, so I appreciate good stuff.
I do own a few Rapha items, and have found them to be good value at the rather steeply discounted prices I paid at their website. At their full retail prices there are better options. Though I do have to hold my nose at their pompous website and would be happy to never again set foot in a "Rapha Clubhouse." (I was recently in Boulder, and right on Pearl Street is a Rapha Clubhouse about two doors down from Vecchio's Biclitteria -- which, their Campy fanaticism notwithstanding, is a pretty old-school, laid-back little shop. I bought a shop jersey from them, mostly because I had such a nice time chatting with the owner -- who holds Boulder in the same contempt as do I.)