Best Kit Ever?

Celeste Heaven

What is the best pro team kit ever? I’m talking team kit only, not a leader’s jersey, national team jersey or the national champion jersey. Not the worst either, for those are legion and worthy of a much longer article than this. @wiscot and I exchanged emails about Urs Freuler and the fantastic Atala kit which led to quick discussion of best kits. He threw out Skil Shimano and La Vie Clair as kits to consider. It’s hard to disassociate the kit from the rider. Maybe the Orange Molteni kit would be rubbish if Lord Merckx didn’t own it for years. It’s also hard to come up with a great modern kit: too many sponsors, too much sublimation. Were wool kits nicer? Maybe they were in their simplicity, maybe more iconic. Sky’s kit was a excellent change for it’s uncluttered design and in years to come we may look back on it with as much admiration as we do a Molteni kit. But since that reedy weed Froome killed my VSP hopes recently, that jersey is dead to me, forever.

Here are a few nice ones. I’m sure I’ve left many nicer ones out. Let the arguing begin.

Atala-I know my love of the Atala prisoner jersey is bolstered by Urs Freuler’s ‘stach and a young Gianni Bugno in the stripes. The design was a nod to the early Atala frames made in an Italian prison by real Italian prisoners. It’s a damn good looking, especially when it made the transition to lycra.
Molteni-I can’t separate the jersey from Merckx. It’s a weird color and a nice design but without Eddie’s head sticking out of the top I’m not sure it would go far.
TI Raleigh-So much ass was kicked by riders in this jersey it was like a black leather jacket. If three guys in this jersey ride up next to you, it’s sweatin’ time. The design didn’t change season to season. Red, yellow and black: a very distinctive kit but the best kit?
Skil Shimano – If Sean Kelly didn’t wear this kit it wouldn’t be in the running. But Sean Kelly killing it in the red, white and blue Skil kit, he makes it look awesome.
Brooklyn Chewing Gum – This kit may have stood on it’s own. It’s original and beautiful. If Roger de Vlaeminck hadn’t rocked that jersey in various Paris-Roubaix wins it may have stood on its own but it would not have stood so tall.
La Vie Claire – Hinault never looked quite menacing enough in this Mondrian inspired jersey. He looked mean all the time but this jersey made him look too sophisticated, someone who actually cared about design instead of just ripping legs off.
Bianchi – Like Atala, the bike manufacturer as sponsor keeps the kit simple. Bianchi’s beautiful color and simple design really do it for me. When Bianchi again sponsored a team and big Jan was the captain, everyone won.

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View Comments

Ron says:

Sep 15 2012 at 12:46 pm

Ha ha ha Frank! Nice post! Yes, that's the definite consensus.

As a voice of reason I'd like to say that I think folks need to take a good look in the mirror and be honest with themselves and the rest of us; there is a distinct difference between "the best kit ever" and "your favorite kit that reminds you of your youth and your first views of the PRO peloton."
Ron says:

Sep 15 2012 at 12:59 pm

@Oli

I humbly have to state

that my all-time favourite has to be my self-designed Roadworks kit though...

Lookin' good, Oli!!
wiscot says:

Sep 15 2012 at 2:39 pm

I just want to go on record that any Mapei kit sucks. Just awful and ugly. Looks like someone puked in technicolor all over bibs and jersey. I know this makes me a heretic around these parts but I can't help it. Yes, I said II llked the AG2R kit but you have to give them credit for using brown in a good ay - unlike Footon whatever hey were called. That is in the running for worst kit ever.

I shall now duck and run for cover.
Souleur says:

Sep 15 2012 at 3:17 pm

@Adrian

@minion

So the consensus is, modern kits are rubbish?

Of the recent kits, Rabobank, BMC and HTC jump to mind......not rubbish but maybe not as iconic......

i suppose my taste in kits is like looking for a fine wine, it takes time to come to age, so yes, not many just strike me as 'awesome'

I actually did look at the RusVelo kit at colorado and thought that was a pretty well done kit, and the quickstep kit is weathering well for me

For the life of me though, why Vancosoliel went with their kits, and ride Bianchi...and...well...not have the 2 in marriage just seems wrong

And who really gives a flip about Leopard other than Jens and Spartacus are there...is Devolder now?

just rambling at this point....out
mcsqueak says:

Sep 15 2012 at 3:37 pm

@wiscot

I don't like the bibs so much, but I really like the AG2R jersey pattern. If only they'd get black bibs. Or even blue and white bibs, with tiny brown side panels or something.
Oli says:

Sep 15 2012 at 4:53 pm

@ChrisO Derivative of what? Mondrian's work?

@Ron Hear, hear!

@Ron Cheers, mate. :blush:

@wiscot I agree entirely, I think the kindest thing you can say about the various Mapei kits is that they are distinctive. I love the kit, and own a fair bit of it, but it's goddam ugly as shit.
minion says:

Sep 15 2012 at 6:15 pm

@mcsqueak

Oops, that didn't work, let's try that again:

EErk! Not quite to my taste, but as a rule of thumb if people feel like they need to look up your team name on urban dictionary, you should get a new team name.
minion says:

Sep 15 2012 at 6:25 pm

@Oli

@ChrisO Derivative of what? Mondrian's work?

@Ron Hear, hear!

@Ron Cheers, mate. :blush:

@wiscot I agree entirely, I think the kindest thing you can say about the various Mapei kits is that they are distinctive. I love the kit, and own a fair bit of it, but it's goddam ugly as shit.

I have a set of Mondrian style coffee cups.

A also love lamp.

And agree with the comments about Mapei. It's probably the hardest kit to pull off, if you're even slightly out of shape it looks like shit. A couple of Aussies who moved to Welly last year had full Mapei kit, and while amusing it was particularly rough to look at. If you were a tanned 56 kilo 6'2 Italian, it'd probably look awesome. Pasty 90 kilo Aussie? eeehhhhhhh.

I'm also particularly uninspired by the local team/shop kits, which is a bit of a nuisance cosI haven't bought new kit for 2 years. On the upside, I had my last day at work on Friday and am now gainfully unemployed so probably won't be worrying about team kit for a while.
Adrian says:

Sep 15 2012 at 7:02 pm

@Souleur

@Adrian

@minion

So the consensus is, modern kits are rubbish?

Of the recent kits, Rabobank, BMC and HTC jump to mind......not rubbish but maybe not as iconic......

i suppose my taste in kits is like looking for a fine wine, it takes time to come to age, so yes, not many just strike me as 'awesome'

I actually did look at the RusVelo kit at colorado and thought that was a pretty well done kit, and the quickstep kit is weathering well for me

For the life of me though, why Vancosoliel went with their kits, and ride Bianchi...and...well...not have the 2 in marriage just seems wrong

And who really gives a flip about Leopard other than Jens and Spartacus are there...is Devolder now?

just rambling at this point....out

maybe our kids will look back on the kits of today the same way we look back at the kits of yesteryear. Fine by me as long as they don't pine over the Lampre kit......
Adrian says:

Sep 15 2012 at 7:07 pm

@Souleur

Completely agree with you vacans comment....