Aldi’s now regular Special Buys have become popular with cyclists looking for some bargains, and this Thursday the value-for-money supermarket is selling loads of winter cycling clothing including jackets, tights, gloves and more.
Despite the unseasonably warm weather we’re currently enjoying, the colder and damper weather is surely on its way, so now is the time to get kitted up in preparation. And it looks like Aldi’s latest cycling sale has all the bases covered. Here are just a few of the highlights.
These Performance Cycling Trousers cost £19.99 and are available for men and women in a range of sizes. They’re described as having a water repellent finish on the outside and a soft brushed fabric on the inside. Inside is an anti-bacterial Coolmax padded insert. There are reflective details and an elasticated waistband and flat-lock seams for added comfort.
The £16.99 Winter Cycling Jacket is available in green or orange for men and coral colour for women, and is constructed from a wind and water resistant material that Aldi claim is breathable. A longer tail section covers your bum when in the cycling position, a full-length YKK zipper provide ventilation and there are plenty of reflective details.
This Cycling Rain Jacket costs £19.99 and is available in black or yellow, and both are adorned with a healthy smattering of reflective details. To avoid overheating there are ventilation zips and flaps, there’s a zipped chest pocket and soft fleece-lined tall collar. Available in a range of sizes for men and women.
Need a pair of gloves for the winter? Aldi will be selling these £4.99 Winter Cycling Gloves on Thursday. There’s fully lined with a Terry clothing section on the thumb (useful for wiping a runny nose or the sweat from your brow) with reflective details and a padded palm.
Keep the rain off your head with this Helmet Cover costing £4.99. It’s available in a choice or black or yellow colours and both have reflective details. Said to fit more cycling helmets with an adjustable cord to tailor the fit.
Lastly, how about these £12.99 Dexshell Waterproof Breathable Socks for cycling in the rain? They’re a lightweight construction with a nylon elastane outer sock and 100% waterproof Porelle membrane liner.
There are plenty more interesting winter themed products, take a look here www.aldi.co.uk/en/specialbuys/thursday-25-september
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just popped in - the jackets look good, the 'performance' and regular ones but the jerseys look a bit flimsy. I got a base layer and stocked up on socks. The gloves look the same as last year, I have a pair and they were ok too.
Was up my local store at 8 this morning and managed to get myself pretty much a full winter wardrobe for £65. That was bib pants, cycling jacket, merino base layer and a pair of woolly socks.
The jacket, at a mere £17, I'm particularly impressed with, basically the same as the soft shell I got back in the spring, but with a fleece lining too. Bibs seem good, and fit well too, supposedly water resistant and windproof, plus lined down the leg too. Merino base layer is, well, a merino base layer, for £15.
Plenty of other stuff there too, although my store hadn't yet received deliveries of a couple of bits. Definitely worth a look, but I'd be inclined to be quick, maybe a dozen people milling about shortly after 8, including a couple of uniformed coppers!
Just need some cooler weather now to try it all out.
Duplicate post. Soz.
£5 off a £40 shop voucher in tomorrow's (Thursday's) Daily Mirror. If you're buying more than a couple of items that'll give you a pair of gloves for "free".
I've found their base layers to be pretty good, and I grabbed a gilet and soft shell jacket from the 'spring collection' - both of which have been great value for money. The socks are normally pretty comfortable, and I always keep a set of those mini lights handy for when things aren't so bright.
I got some of their arm-warmers too - though when they've done their turn I'll replace them with something better from my LBS.
If at those prices, gear like this keeps the fair-weather riders on the road for longer, that can only be a good thing, right?
Interesting debate on Aldi versus LBS, but whoever suggested the supermarket's gear is unlikely to last long is incorrect. Aldi stuff isn't the height of fashion, and sometimes the fit isn't great either, but it is well made and built to last. I'm still using gloves and jerseys from Aldi that have stuck around for years, in some cases for longer than the more expensive specialist items I have bought.
ALDI!!!!
Big fan of their stuff, got lots of it being a budget Cyclist!
Can't knock it compared to the price of kit in most shops!
I'll be up there Thursday morning as I need a few bits to kit myself out for winter commuting, last year's is all way too big now.
The article doesn't make any mention of the "pro" level kit that's on offer though? Aldi appear to be selling both in this Specialbuy event, so it's a bit of a bumper selection.
Merino base layers for £15 look good value though, plus I'll probably pick up both the performance bib tights and rain jacket at £30 a pop.
The brown 'suede' cycle shoes are good - they last for a year when doing Bikeability training and all sorts and the little clip-on lights work a treat too as 'extras' when urban cycling. The merino base layers work OK
I think all this stuff is worth a try, you find out what suits you for cycling and what you want to wear cycling, the lycra warrior or bike slob look? and you also find out that some of it doesn't work well for you or is not as good as you would like. But you haven't lost a fortune & the next sales usually come round before the last lot has worn out.
Most of it is good VFM for casual, commuting or beginner road riding cyclists so resist conspicuous consumption and don't be too snobby!
That's not my experience! I've had two pairs - one I attached cleats to, one I didn't. The soles snapped on both pairs - it's stiff and thin but rather brittle, it seems.
I had winter tights from them last year - branded as Crane Cycling Pro. The quality has been excellent, they are at least as good as the £150 ones in a posh lbs.
@Beaufort
I hope they fit you better than the model in the picture, that Nora Batty look is not very flattering.
I find DHB stuff better value and quality than Aldi's
seeing as everything I bought last year either fell apart or developed holes I think I will spend my money on stuff a little more better made.
Like many people, I suspect, I'm happy to buy from both Aldi and my LBS, as well as Wiggle and Decathlon. When I started cycling properly a few years ago, the Aldi gear meant I could kit myself out with shorts, socks, sunglasses and a jersey for less than £30. It's hardly Rapha, but it was good enough to get me hooked.
The biggest threat to LBSs, are the likes of Wiggle and ChainReaction - selling 'proper' branded stuff at way lower costs. That said, I've certainly noticed how many LBSs have dropped their prices to a point where the bonus of buying immediately, and trying stuff on has substantially reduced the attraction of buying online.
Don't be surprised if your local bike shop closes. This stuff is cheap and cheerful and none of us really know where or who makes it.
This is what Aldi say:
https://corporate.aldi.co.uk/en/responsibility/suppliers/monitoring-our-...
Actually I think you will find that crane make a lot of their gear , and as for locals closing , you are being silly as most locals make their money on bike sales and after service such as parts and servicing
I own and run a local bike shop. I'm happy when this sort of stuff comes up - it's not competition, it's an alternative for people who think the stuff we sell is too expensive. If someone's looking for their first winter cycling jacket, or first pair of winter longs, they may be reluctant to pay enough to get something decent.
When Aldi stock this stuff, I'll happily recommend people get down there and try it if they don't want to buy from me - it's usually decent enough quality to get people into winter cycling, and they've already seen that we stock the better-quality kit so they know where to come once they want to upgrade.
Same with all the multi-tools, track pumps and suchlike. I couldn't sell a track pump for £5 but I'll send a customer to Aldi if that's all they want to pay. That pump will work for long enough to convince them that it's worth having a track pump, and they often come to us when the Aldi pump eventually wears out or breaks, and buy a decent quality one at a good price.
As someone has said, Aldi aren't a threat. Online-only retailers selling grey imports at prices lower than we shops can get them - they're the threat. But even then, people will still need someone competent to fit those parts. And if I don't have to hold a lot of stock or deal with the incompatibility / warranty issues, that's fine by me too.
- That is a fantastic attitude. I wish more shop owners were like you!
Care to tell us which shop is yours? I can't help thinking that customers will feel less guilty (and thus more likely to use you) about bringing in a, for example, Canyon bike for a servicing, if they think the shop has a pragmatic attitude towards their non-LBS purchase.