KWalker wrote:Lately I've noticed that there is an absurd amount of largely social media driven apparel companies selling fairly basic jerseys for upwards of $175 a piece. Most of the Australian brands (Black Cat, Attaquer) come to mind and almost none of these companies actually have any serious experience designing and utilizing textiles. Essentially they know how to source production, which isn't expensive, and have a few graphic designers to produce what are essentially fairly plain kits with flowers or dots on them. I like a lot of them at first glance honestly. It all started with Rapha but at least (IMO and experience) they make some high quality products that they actually repeatedly test and re-design.
Until I consider that you're not really paying for anything but the design. Coupled with the absurd amount of people that now produce socks, accessories, and pretty much market entirely through Instagram and it seems as if appearance on social media and aesthetics are now what we are paying for. Leg vein pics, kit grids, coffee shop photos, and the like seem to have taken precedence over all else in a lot of cases. I don't know how many #sockdoping pics I see and how few of actual ride scenery. Its more about conspicuous consumption and what you have on than anything else. Moreover its driving the cost of an already expensive sport even higher for what amounts to some very basic products.
I also questioned this same issue in the latest years, but this was my conclusion:
- In social media, the cycling that is represented is that related to "cycling is the new golf", or that one of "these cool people, so moderd with those uber cool kits and giro shoes", but I noticed that that represent 99% of cclign social media, but 0,5% of cyclign reality, as when i ride my bike in spain or netherlands, i just see guys with those cheap and uber ugly jerseys, with crappy local sponsors and awkward colour combinations. These people don't pay rapha prices, they are not so stupid. You also see some guys with an assos shorts or castelli, but they do ride and is not for fashion as actually doesn't look very latest season at all, more like the red and black from 15 years ago, so...
- in this forum, there seem to be now a 90% of users who belong to that 0,5% of cycling.... sad, but true.