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.
[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/j.andrews3@comcast.net/Best Kit Ever/”/]
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@sthilzy
Do you not have a willy?
@mouse
You mean this?
@mouse
Sanson (its gelato - what's not to like?) as worn by The Sheriff. Maes Pils (its a beer - what's not to like) as worn by the Bulldog. Wiel's Groene Leeuw as worn by almost no one.
Worst kit running around at present is AG2R. Poo brown. 'Nuff said. I think this years QS kit is nice, maybe helped by Tommeke monstering the first third of the season. Everything else is a bit forgettable. The new Saxo Tinkoff kit makesthe team look like they are all the Swedish national champion. Orica Greenedge is OK, but adding the blue that taking Orica on board seemed to require was clearly a challenge.
Non-compliant suggestions: 2005 Aussie national champs jersey (as worn by Robbie Mac); 1999 Tricolore (Tafi); 2010 Suisse national champs jersey (Faboo); 2008 Belgian national champs jersey (Devolder); 2011 French national champs jersey (Chavanel).
I'd have to say that to me, the Peugeot-Michelin-BP kit is the nicest ever - here's why (will try to upload a photo here - albeit with a distinct sense op trepidation. But then again, providing a good laugh for all you fine people is a noble act,surely?
Yes, yes, I know - horrible violation of rules 17 and 27, and the brown socks are hideous. But at least the lad is in compliance with Rule 14, and I think the Peugeot kit (almost) manages to make this dorky teenager look cool. And hey: this was in the late 70's, after all. I know that the rules have existed since the beginning of time, and all that, but I still had a lot to learn... Shoes are pretty cool though, no?
The bike is a story in itself: it's a Peugeot UO8 with one of the first (cotter-cranked) triples ever to be seen in those parts - a 36-45-52, to be exact, and I loved it. (The dork disk was removed at some point...). Mafac centre-pull breaks, Simplex shifters, shiny steel rims with 'cheese grater' pattern on the sides for better braking... I rode more than 40,000 km on that bike, but sometime in the mid-80's, crashed it beyond repair, sadly
On a long cycling holiday in France, I came across the jersey in a bike shop: I agonized for almost an hour, and then decided to blow about a fifth of my total vacation budget on it. I still have the jersey, as a matter of fact: it gets washed, very carefully, by hand; I squeeze it as dry as I can (never wring it) and then lay it out to dry on a big stack of towels. Takes about two days to dry. The green-yellow BP chevrons - made of felt - are almost gone now, and there is a big, stitched tear on the left shoulder from a bad crash. The 'Peugeot-Michelin' lettering on front and back are actually embroidered - and I don't think they had machines for that kind of work in those days? It's a tad on the warm side for riding in temperatures in excess of 20 degrees C, but hard to beat for early spring/late autumn rides - and it stays wonderfully warm even when wet. It's easily my proudest posession in the world.
That should have been Mafac centre-pull BRAKES, FFS! Twatwaffle...
@ErikdR
Fantastic... I agree about the Peugeot jersey.
Although I imagine you would have had a few interesting looks standing around like that in a public park. Probably could have paid for the jersey...
@ChrisO
Cheers Chris. This photo was taken in front of my parents' house, so most of the passerby were used to my appearance - but yes, me and the other two guys I used to go on these cycling holidays with did get some odd looks every now and then.
By the way: I really have no idea wtf is going on with the shorts in that picture: Looks like I've folded or rolled up the legs quite a bit. Ah, the folly of youth...
Actually, those shorts were not bad as such, as I recall: Wool, of course - weighed a quarter of a fuckton in rainy weather - and the chamois was just that - chamois leather. Also to be washed by hand with a special detergent, and took ages to dry. Good times
Nattering on a bit. I'm aware - sorry, but with reference to my remark above that "they didn't have machines fior that kind of work...", I now realize that it was not very well put. What I meant to say was that they probably didn't just load the pattern into some computer-controlled high-tech sewing machine in those days. I assume the lettering was made with the help of a regular sewing machine with some smart 'loop-stitch' function (?), and almost certainly not embroidered by hand. (My Peugeot jersey was expensive at the time, certainly - but not THAT expensive...)
@ErikdR
Good stuff!