MikeWMass

I think we are talking about two different things here. Most of my cycling clothing has the manufacturer's logo on it and, as I sadi, I don't mind my bike having its name once or twice (although once would be preferred). Obviously, all the components have brand names as well. I am not about to strip my frame or sand my components to get rid of the name. What I don't have are jerseys with SPECIALIZED or TREK or even BIANCHI all over them (and wouldn't even if I rode one of those bikes). I also don't care for the current trend of having the brand on the bike upwards of a dozen times. and if I ever buy a new bike, that will be a factor in my choice. My wheels are RS 80's, which I bought because I needed a new wheelset and my LBS gave me a screaming deal on them, but I would really prefer not having the huge lettering.

Jeremy_S

I dont care one way or the other. I don't have any "pro kit" but don't care what others wear. I do have some jerseys with some local shops names on them from shops that have always been good to me.

Rollfast

If you have them, maybe they gave you stuff so as long as it's not really bad or a presidential candidate stamped on your part you can always paint it much later.


Clothing gives you that Ubercyclist look, if that's what you like, and FREE reeks of yeah, I'll take that please, which smells nice if you are sorta broke.


I wear street clothes all the time.

JohnDThompson 

No, but most cars don't look like sponsor-festooned NASCAR vehicles, either. But many bikes and their team-kit riders do seem quite analogous to NASCAR vehicles.

Sy Reene

The funny thing is, I bought a Nashbar CX Steel bike, which for some reason comes completely unbranded by default. And, I've been asked I think 3-4 times if it's a custom job. I kinda get a chuckle out of it.

WizardOfBoz

Not that I'm going to spend 100 bucks on a meh jersey and cap, but some logos are funny:

AlmostTrick

This. I have no issue with cleanly labeled bikes like the one indy posted a few posts back. It's the racer wannabe look I personally wish to avoid. That I could care less that others may like running the racer look goes without saying. Doesn't mean I can't chuckle when I see it though!

AlmostTrick

I have that cap! The vendor sent it to me on accident, and said I could just keep it. I haven't worn it even once. I have toyed with the idea of giving it to the poster with the best "Why I'm a poseur" post, but I'm not sure the forum would allow a thread like that.

SkyDog75

At least in my own mind, a manufacturer's name or logo on their own product is quite different than brand names being placed on other companies' products for sake of advertising or image. I don't take the manufacturer's logo off my car or my bike. Well, except for a few bikes I've had powder coated. I do prefer to remove dealer logos from my car, though.

There are often makers' logos on my clothing, but I tend to avoid stuff with big garish logos. I buy the gear I do because I like it, not to show the world that I bought 'brand X'. And lack of a big corporate logo doesn't necessarily mean bland or generic. I don't mind some style, but I don't want some company's logo plastered across my back.

When it comes to companies' logos on jerseys other than the company who made the kit, I don't feel the need to play dress-up by wearing the sponsor logos of pro riders, and pretending I'm a lot faster than I really am. That doesn't mean I'm entirely anti-logo, though. If someone gave me a jersey for an organization or business I don't mind promoting, or an event I was involved in, I don't have a problem with that. I just don't want to pay someone to advertise their stuff. Seems backward to me.

Whatever floats your own personal boat, though... What's not your style may be mine or vice versa. The world wouldn't be nearly as much fun if we all had the same tastes.

02Giant 

You would be wrong. Any emblem that can come off without leaving some form of divot or mounting holes come off. Some of those that cant be removed without leaving the obvious depression get color matched to it's surroundings.

Gweedo1

So, what about team sweaters/jerseys? Does that offend people too? I mean hockey teams and football teams and basketball teams and baseball teams. Is wearing a favorite players jersey free advertising for the player/club, or does it make a statement about the person wearing it, as in he/she is a fan of the sport and the player, and just what is wrong with that?

Scheez, if a bicycle or a jersey or whatever has too many logos on it, don't buy it. But if others like to be rolling bill boards, because they like the products, and affiliate/identify themselves with it, then so what? They are not providing free advertising for the products as much as saying "I'm a fan", and what's wrong with that?

If cycling does one thing for people other than improve their fitness, it allows them to be colourful...it gives them a certain freedom to be somebody else for short while. I don't wear spandex or neon colours to work, nor is my mundane vehicle painted in bright colours with big logos, because in those activities, I prefer to be conservative. But when I'm cycling, I can dress how I like and if that's colourfully, then so be it. And part of the colourfulness, is big, bright logos. So why compare cycling to any thing else, and put restrictions on what people choose to wear/ride when cycling is an activity that allows you to be if not sets you free from the mundane?

If you don't like the size of the logos on the bike you want, then get it painted. Easy. Just take pictures of it so when you go to sell it, people will appreciate it for what it is.

Scheez..too many "rules" of what's cool or what's not. Just ride your ride and don't worry about what the other guy's riding/wearing.

indyfabz

And do they think GM, etc., should be paying THEM to drive their cars?

And when they are sitting at their favorite fair trade coffee shop sipping lattes and positing on BF about how they hate logos do they cover those logos on their laptops? Wouldn't want to give Apple any free advertising.

Rise up and cover up those logos with duct tape! Power to the people!

GlennR

My old bike.


My new bike.


I do wear the LBS jersey to support them so they stay in business. Other jerseys are either blank or show something I support... like a charity.

Lakerat

As a poor college student, it was several years after I got into cycling before I was able to have the luxury of dedicated cycling clothing. Cycling clothing is all about comfort and visibility to me. Don't care too much about what it looks like except it not being objectionably ugly.


Bike and component logos? I've removed a few but there aren't many that bug me enough to worry about. If its extraneous and easily removed, I might get rid of it.

shafter

Do you post pics that bike EVERY chance you get??

On topic, i do find it annoying that Giant put their name on my wheels THREE times on each side. It has 15 or 20 total names on it.

bulldog1935

Winter riding in s. Texas can range from 40 in the morning to 80 in the afternoon.
So I ride with merino base and layers, will peel layers through the day, and carry a bike bag for stuffing layers.
Over a long-sleeve merino base, I like a short-sleeve tee for the first layer.
So I have a collection of vintage logo tee shirts from Chuck Schmidt.

Velo-Retro: Vintage T-Shirts:Brands/Marques

indyfabz

Only when doing so is illustrative.


So have the decals removed. Those wheels that you see there on my bike are Stan's tubeless. When I was first considering them for my purple Independent Fabrication, they had large, ugly decals, and those decals did not match the bike. The LBS that built the wheels removed the decals free of charge, and they sold me the Chris King hubs at costs. It's nice to have friends in high places.

indyfabz

Egads! While I am not a big fan of the murdered out look, that earlier Trek hurts my brain. The newer one is a big improvement.

GlennR

All black is not for everyone, but i like it. What i like best is when people ask what brand bike is it. The logo is there, but you really have to look.

indyfabz

I think it works there.


How do you like the eTap? I saw it for the first time yesterday on a couple of bikes at the Philly Bike Expo, including a beautiful, blue Engin ti. Looks pretty cool.

GlennR

I like it, but it's not earth shattering. I have Red 22 mechanical before and got the eTap mini-group this past February. I have about 6000 miles on it with no problems. I find i'm getting 800 miles before the RD battery LED goes from green to red. When that happens I charge both and put the FD battery in the back and the RD in the front so I "even" out the charges. The shifter LEDs are both green and plan in replacing them over the winter even if they don't need to be.

eTap is a luxury, but if you can justify the cost.. go for it.

Gweedo1

Yes, well with all due respect, to Mr Crumb, I grew up in the 60's and 70's and even though he may have been right that there were fewer kids wearing logos, it's partly because there were fewer logos to wear.

The sixties, though there was a so-called counter culture going on, (nothing new to the preceding generation of beatniks), had a distinct mode of dress and speak, (like beatniks), so even if fewer kids wore logos they certainly wore identifiers of what they stood for and who they were based on their appearance and mannerisms, and Fritz the Cat T shirts were certainly very popular.

The seventies without doubt were rife with logo-ism. The Addidas three stripes and the Nike swoop were every wear as was Puma’s logo. The hottest shoe to own was the Converse Allstar, and I see hipsters are wearing them now again.

So really, nothing has changed in people generationally, other than they now have much more choice of logos to embrace.

Mr. Crumb, no doubt, smoked a lot of grass.

Paul Barnard

This sums up my approach to branding.

bbbean 

Why do people start threads about what they don't like? It's easy enough to buy non-logo gear, so why not simply buy a kit with no logo?

FWIW, I can't stand lima beans or rye bread, and I find pot roast boring. But I'm not forced to eat any of those things, so there's really no need to start a thread on what's wrong with them, is there?

jefnvk

Bikes? Don't really care.

Apparel? Generally no to the logos. The only logo'd jerseys I own are one from a favorite brewery (I spent enough money there I should have been an investor), one from a charity ride that came with entry fees (avatar pic), and an old Lotto team jersey I found at the thrift shop. The rest are all a solid color or simple pattern.