Team GB's 2012 Olympic cycling kit has gone on sale at Wiggle and will soon be available in other bike shops too - you can use British Cycling's handy Where-to-buy-GB-Cycling-Team-Kit page to find your local stockist.
So if you fancy looking like Bradley Wiggins - from the neck down at least - now's your chance. According to British Cycling this is the first time in a decade that team kit has been available to buy and they say that this is no ordinary replica range either but is basically the same technical spec, made by the same manufacturer, adidas, in Italy to the same high standards as that worn by the Team GB riders themselves.
This is the kit we all hope (with the possible exception of road.cc users from the US, Australia, France, The Netherlands and other places that are not GB) will be ridden to glory at next year's Olympics in London.
There are eight garments in the range, including long and short sleeved jersey, bib shorts, socks, arm warmers, gloves, a cap and a kids jersey. Surprisingly there doesn't seem to be any women's kit so you can't be Victoria Pendleton or Nicole Cooke.
Bradley certainly likes it, (you'd sort of be surprised if he didn't mind):
“The kit we use is superb. There’s no doubt it technically helps boost our performance and the fabrics have been developed for maximum comfort. Donning British colours for training and competing is always the ultimate honour and it’s great that cycling fans can now share that feeling with riders on the British team. It will be great to see British fans wearing the kit when they’re out riding, at upcoming races and major cycling events. They’ll be a massive factor spurring us on in London 2012.”
We can see that maybe not everyone is going to want to look like Mr Wiggins, but you can also look like Sir Chris Hoy, Ed Clancy or even Mark Cavendish in it too, plus we reckon this could offer a bigger safety boost than dressing like you've got an airliner to park – no driver is going to want to risk an accident with a potential (or actual) Olympic medal winner.
Let's just hope the UCI don't spot that bit from Wiggo about it's performance boosting properties…
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13 comments
Yes - free choice on this one, it's not like they're shouting "fire" in a crowded theatre. People can wear whatever kit they like.
And everyone else is free to judge them for it. I'm sure my 90's kit gets some unfavourable judgements!
"SKY SKY SKY" all over your kit anyone? I thought they were supposed to be Team GB, not Team SKY. (Oh, wait, right...)
And to dig up an old chestnut - anyone else find it a bit odd, people riding in national kit (other than actual national team members, of course)?
I was never in favour of the Stolen Valor Act, I'm all for free speech and freedom of expression, but that kit would invite all sorts of questions with embarrassing answers.
"How do you fancy your chances against that Chris Hoy bloke, then?", that sort of thing.
Or am I flattering myself / us, to think that people might actually mistake a road.cc member for one of the team?
Tell that to all the thousands (millions?) of people who wear Brazil / Man Utd / England and other team jerseys and see what they say.
Does anyone really look down their noses at the mad Euskies in the Pyrenees and the Dutch fans on Alpe d'Huez?
Perhaps only people with cancer should wear yellow wristbands...
If you like the kit buy it and wear it. If you don't then fine - everyone is free to choose.
Edit: I don't want to be a mobile Sky/Garmin advert but I don't want to prevent other people wearing what they like on their bike.
It looks great and I would get a SS jersey to wear when riding the PBP in France- but I don't have sixty two pounds(!) to spare on a jersey
I once spent fifty quid on a Campag SS jersey but this is just a bit too far
It looks ridiculous imo. You would have thought they could have come up with a better design.
It's jolly expensive too.
Let's hope the UCI Blazers don't read Wiggo's comment:
"There’s no doubt it technically helps boost our performance". It'll be banned in no time; but probably just before the Olympic road race!
Not sure I woluld look good in all that red! It looks great but not for me. My wife and friends would find it very amusing. As cyclists we all get the same old Lycra jokes. No matter how long you have been at it. I don't want to look like a pro racer struggling up a hill and sweating at 5 mph. Looks good on Bradley though.
is it me or are the shorts more faded than the top? I hope the kit on sale is a better match than what they threw together for the photo shoot!!
Does it come in any other colours?
Is there a baggy version?
Why does Wiggo remind me of Emu? Rod Hulls Emu. Only I liked Emu more. And Emu has more chance of winning a grand tour.
I want it...