what's your longest-owned piece of cycling apparel?

[pstock]

Not your oldest piece of apparel. The piece that you have personally owned the longest (and still use fairly regularly).
I was getting dressed for a ride yesterday and I realized that I had owned the ratty tights I was pulling on since 1990, making them some 30 years old.
I got them when I lived in France.
The chamois is completely shot, I can barely read the the logo of the manufacturer. (oh there it is, on the inside tag. SEB.) and yet, I keep wearing them in cool weather.

I got the Santini cycling sweater at the same time. Being polyester, It has held up much better.

so, what are you still wearing that makes your partner tutut you when you pull it on?
Where and when did you get it?
Why do you still have it?

cheers

Peter

[Clean39T]

I have a Klein jersey from 1996/7 that I bought I when I worked at a Schwinn shop that sold Kleins (pre-Trek) and employee purchased a close-out Adroit -- this was 45-min south of their Chehalis factory.. Also still have a pair of Bontrager socks I purchased at the same time.

Oh, and I also have a pair of Specialized Storm-Control gloves dating back to 1993-4 - still work great, still wear a couple times a year. They are leather/pittards palm to neoprene top/fingers - and are just big enough to slide liners underneath.

[pdonk]

Most of my cold weather gear is older, as I historically have not ridden that much in the cold.

Castelli leg warmers I got used at least 25 years ago - gripper is starting to g, so need to wear them in a specific way to keep them from falling down, but otherwise do the job.

Louis Garneau Arm warmers - at least 20 years old - no problems with them.

Patagonia Capilene undershirt - at least 25 years old - a few holes from campfires, but still a great base layer.

2003 defeet Cycling socks - how do i know - they are from hamilton world championships - no holes wear the a few times a month.

[C40_guy]

I've got a pair of Duegi 101s bought in 1984. They were retired long ago...but they're still with me.

[Matthew]

I've got a team jersey from the early 90s from a shop I worked at. Believe it's a Pearl Izumi. Still fits but the back is pretty faded now!

[chrisroph]

yesterday I wore a pair of shoe covers I bought in about 1978. Been meaning to fond replacements.

[m_sasso]

I have a black wool tightly knitted Decca jersey my long gone mother brought back from Belgium for me in 1975. Has World Cup bands on the neck, shoulders, long sleeve cuffs and hem. Still fits, I ware it a couple of times a year and every time I ware it someone complements the jersey and asks me about it.

[paredown]

If it can sneak in as apparel, I have an original blue Campagnolo waterproof musette (some kind of waterproof material like the old yellow raincoats)--from my racing days in the '70s. Snaps on the foldover flap.

Simple woven cotton strap with light gauge chrome plated sliders that rusted almost immediately from Vancouver rain and sweaty rides, with the rust staining the cotton straps. I used it regularly for the last time when I was commuting (2000-2001) in Seattle to carry my bike lock...

[Coffee Rider]

I occasionally still wear the Assos leg warmers that I got in 1994.

[soulspinner]

25 year old(?) red Canari jersey. Id use it today if I could fit in it :p

[bicycletricycle]

Wow, that is some old equipment. Everything I own from more than 12 years ago is too small for me.

[TheseGoTo11]

Pearl Izumi Amfib tights from maybe 2001? Seat is threadbare but they're still my go-to when it's below freezing.

[Blue Jays]

I have skinsuits that are 35+ years old that I might have to try on for laughs with the doors locked and window blinds drawn shut.

:banana:

[sfo1]

That was a great summer........

[Spdntrxi]

I still have my Collegiate Racing jerseys ( Go DOTS ) ... it's from 1993-4-5.
30lbs ago.. so cant fit them.

[robt57]

These are close, early to mid 90s, before I got road bike infected, I mean affected. No I mean infected...

[KJMUNC]

I still regularly wear two different Giordana undershirts I bought in 2003. I've restitched the shoulder seams on both more than once due to crashes that ripped my jersey but just popped the seams. One of them also has a hole right in the middle of the chest area from where my HR scraped along the ground during a high speed descent/crash on Wolfpen Gap in GA one of the first times I wore the shirt!

They're still the best (only?!) undershirts I've ever owned and perfect for cooler weather. I remember buying them as part of a team order and thinking how expensive they were.....I think the cost/mile is now well within the fractional cents/mile!

I still have the vast majority of my team kit from the early 00's as well.....the first season or two of Hincapie's team line.

[terry]

My first bike was a Motobecane Grand Record bought in 1975-hanging on the wall was an orange BIC Motobecane Team Jersey. I ought it and still use it-sparingly, usually as an extra layer when temps are in the 20’s. Getting a little threadbare but you can’t beat wool.

[Dave]

I've got a number of pro jerseys dating back to the early 90's. I got divorced in late '90. I started cycling a lot more after that and gave up boating and water skiing. Cycling is lot cheaper. and more environmentally friendly. One of my favorites that is still in great condition commemorates the '94 Russian world cycling tour. I can't quite fit into all of them, since I weighed about 135 when most were purchased. I have some that fit plenty tight, even at that weight.

[Elefantino]

I have a Performance rain suit from 1987.

[Bob Ross]

I bought a winter cycling jacket from Performance back in 1995 when I convinced myself I was gonna commute by bike year round.

I wore it once, then it went into a closet for 10 years. But I've been wearing it pretty regularly since 2005. And since the zipper on my Assos jacket broke last year, that 25-year-old Performance jacket was the only thing I wore this winter.

[steveoz]

Still rolling with a pair of Specialized road shoes circa early 2000's, they were top of the line back then, size 45 W and fit absolutely perfect - had the cobbler sew the tongue back on once....

[paredown]

That was a great summer........
Awesome!

[donevwil]

A pair of leg warmers from, I think, '88. Still like new, I hate riding in leg warmers or tights. For me knee warmers are fine down to freezing as long as I have booties and upper body warmth.

[Waldo62]

Voler lycra knee warmers. Worn regularly since the early 1990s. The most practical/useful item of clothing, and, in black, goes with everything.

[HenryA]

Raggedyass PI tights that are as old as the OP's. No elasticity left at all.
And an Aussie race jersey from early 90s.

Both somehow still usable if you don't care how you look.

[fignon's barber]

I have a black wool tightly knitted Decca jersey my long gone mother brought back from Belgium for me in 1975.

Your mom sounds like she was an awesome lady. Congrats!:hello:

[stumpyjr]

Oldest is a specialized jersey from 2006. The elastic is gone, but I still wear it from time to time.

[oliver1850]

Pretty sure I have the first cycling jersey I owned, purchased for my first race around 1993. I had always just worn T shirts up to that point. One of the guys I rode with let me know that I needed proper apparel to be allowed to start a race. I'm wondering if a T shirt would have gotten me disqualified, not that it mattered.

[steelbikerider]

My 1979 Texas A&M cycling team jersey but i would bust the seams putting it on, a mid- 80's Sergal wool cycling jacket with a red/white/blue tye dye wind panel on the front that gets lots of laughs when I wear it, team jerseys from the mid - 80's I can still wear and lots of Defeet products from the 90 - 00's that get worn regularly.

[gbcoupe]

Given to me in 1985 by a bike shop owner in my college town. Happens to be a member here!

Thanks again PETER REID!

[Peter P.]

Since 1984, a Giordana wool cycling hat.

I have a similar vintage wool long sleeve Campagnolo jersey.

[Cat3roadracer]

Great times with extremely talented riders.

[skijoring]

Team jersey from 1994 that I don't wear, and some PI AM FIB tights from 2005 that are still in rotation. :banana:

[gbcoupe]

This is a close 2nd to my jacket, probably also 1985. This was part of the ugly jersey contest thread from not too long ago.

Used to have sleeves and fit better.

[cgolvin]

A set of Kucharik wool blend leg warmers, bought around 1977, and I still use them whenever it's cold enough that knee warmers won't suffice but thermal tights would be overkill. Amazingly, they still have a bit of elasticity, and they leave a groovy herringbone pattern on my legs.

My brother has me beat, still has one of the wool jerseys (blue with world champion stripes) that he bought in Italy in 1973 when he picked up his Masi.

To my great regret, I found my long-lost Gios wool jersey that came with my bike in 1978 when I was cleaning out my parents' house after my dad died in 2011. At that point there were more moth holes than wool and I trashed it, but I should have tried to wash it and mount it in a frame.

[gbcoupe]

I'm noticing a theme here. World champs stripes last longer... or maybe it's the wool.

[Ti Designs]

If you've ever gone for a ride with John Allis, you know what old clothing is...

[osbk67]

1697995990

Cinelli crash hat dating back to the mid-80s. Also have an all-black Brancale but this was the favourite then and now.

[osbk67]

1697995995

1987 Raleigh Classic tour of New Zealand's North Island team jersey. Never good enough to race this tour but given a couple after following the race as a mechanic-of-sorts. Worn just this week for a two-hour-plus roller ride. Repaired more than once...

[BryanE]

1999 Klein shorts.
Had to look sharp on my Adroit.

[charliedid]

I'm not one to hold onto things just for nostalgia but I can't seem to loose the Bellwether wind panel tights from 1987. The just won't quit, and do double duty as XC ski and running tights due to no chamois.

[charliedid]

Since 1984, a Giordana wool cycling hat.

I have a similar vintage wool long sleeve Campagnolo jersey.

That hat is so bad a$$

[tmessenger]

I have a pair of xt cantilever brakes on my new gravel bike build from a bike I bought in 1989.

[Toeclips]

I have a cool gear wool jersey with world stripes on the collar/sleeves and front pockets with buttons on the chest
Too bad it shrunk three sizes

[Clean39T]

1999 Klein shorts.
Had to look sharp on my Adroit.

The jersey I mentioned matches those - and yeah, I had the shorts too :banana:

My Adroit was the purple chameleon though - with a yellow Judy SL and XTR..

[Steve in SLO]

My college racing jersey, circa 1978. 100% scratchy wool by Kucharik.
I wore it during the Eroica a few years back.

[ultraman6970]

I have a jacket made of something thicker than that blue jersey... 1982 maybe. Actually had the whole thing made, pants and the jackets in a similar blue than the jersey. THe pants died long time ago but the jacket still have it, the little cotton is gone and the zipper is pretty much done for. But time to time i go out with it, I do not even know how is that i fit in it, i was like 145 pounds back then... now Im over 200 :D

[Timdog]

I still have a couple pair of Protog wool cycling shorts. I only wear them under a pair of tights , though. The last time I wore them by themselves, I was told they were see-through.

[Skenry]

I have a Brancale hairnet from I'd guess the mid80s. Wear it all the time and looks pretty good still.

[charliedid]

I have a cool gear wool jersey with world stripes on the collar/sleeves and front pockets with buttons on the chest
Too bad it shrunk three sizes

Love it. Cool Gear made the first shorts and jersey I ever owned.

I'm sending you a PM:)

[charliedid]

My college racing jersey, circa 1978. 100% scratchy wool by Kucharik.
I wore it during the Eroica a few years back.

So cool. The moths ate all my old Kucharik stuff years ago.

I should grab a new kit from him.

[DeBike]

I have a Performance Bike unlined, wind, yellow vest that I have had since the early 90's. It is faded and stained, the front zipper just started to pull apart at the bottom, when zipped. But, it is ok as long as I am aware of not pulling on it. With hand pockets and a large rear zip pocket, it is one of the handiest pieces of biking kit I have ever owned. I do not understand why most cycling vests come with no pockets, or just a small rear pocket.

[Toeclips]

Had to do it,
found my cool gear jersey and two caps, one is an International Cyclesport and the other one is an old Avocet cap

I don't know if International Cyclesport is still in circulation, that was good read

Me in my kit 1976 or so
Jersey shrunk three sizes and I expanded....

I hope this works

[bikinchris]

The oldest one I wear is a Trek jersey from 1989. The oldest one I own is an old Avocet jersey. It must be from 1979

[makoti]

1990, I think. I have a wool Performance jersey that would be from '86 or so, but I don't wear it anymore, so didn't qualify.

Don't know why it's sideways. Isn't on my computer's viewer.

[JohnnyBoston]

That was a great summer........

Awesome!

[lhuerta]

Giordana Windtex winter bibs w/o chamois....purchased 18 years ago when I moved to NYC, and have used regularly (in rotation with few other tights) and they have several winters of service left. I have tossed out many others that were part of the rotation as they wore through, the Giordana just keep delivering. No ripped seams, no piling in seat area, and no tears.

[rustychisel]

Casquette. Given to me in 1977 by Ron Backshall (Backshall's Bike Shop) here in Adelaide yet is from Baggio, Montreal. Not idea how it got here, but it's the best of the best.

[jemoryl]

Probably a pair of deMarchi Contour bib shorts and Adidas Frosco road shoes from around 2000. Shorts still OK, a little less elastic, but the Cytec pad is still comfy. The shoes are really beat but functional. Recently used both for riding on an indoor trainer.

[bigbill]

Garneau wind shirt from 1989. Like a coolmax undershirt with a windbreaker material front.

[bart998]

Somewhere in the loft of my garage is a box containing my 1978 "Sacramento Golden Wheelmen, Bicycle Business, Fuji" jersey... haven't actually seen it in years.

[carpediemracing]

Sorry I don't know how to downsize facebook pictures.

Oldest I wear regularly is from about 1992?, a Hind turtleneck knit type base layer. The turtleneck is key for cool weather riding, I'm pretty sure I've worn it every year since I've had it, and for many years it was my "sweatshirt". Sleeves are fraying, turtleneck is fraying.

As streetwear (I think the picture is from 1992 when I just moved into that house, so I had it at least then, but I think I got it in 1989 when I started working for the Stamford shop):
https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/13122997_10154166356603824_1767608771260650614_o.j pg?_nc_cat=104&_nc_sid=e007fa&_nc_ohc=kF4KW_KWeysAX8yddbq&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=7a3d6e4bfbddc8ee4414ad4c2e310c53&oe=5EAF520F

In use (purple cuffs visible):
https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/12998191_10154153054893824_1609101865500081630_o.j pg?_nc_cat=104&_nc_sid=e007fa&_nc_ohc=FDNCqQZ88B8AX_46_Xg&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=070730ccf32d6decaad83c70bd3d53db&oe=5EB03521

This year 2020 (you can see the purple neck):
https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/89358342_10221882043023716_4765763911427293184_o.j pg?_nc_cat=105&_nc_sid=e007fa&_nc_ohc=34CKFJBN9KgAX_J0_QG&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=8221af8cd5d1612730b9f4b7fad63849&oe=5EAFD1BF

Oldest I have is the jersey I got for redeeming Nature Valley Granola Bar UPC codes. Yellow with black sides, very typical pattern/colors of the time, think of any Bike Nashbar catalog cover, I think 1982? It was my first jersey so I've saved it.

[phoenix]

Lets see, I have a Kryptonite U-lock that I got with my Trek 850 (first and last Trek for me) from the Missing Link in Berkeley. Wow, that must have been around 86' or 87'.

I also have some Ritchey Logic canti levers that came on a 26" BOSS Racing cruiser with some XT canti brakes front and rear.

Pretty sure those are the couple of things i’ve had the longest.

[8eh3iub]

Bought a pair of NOS Carnacs in 1990 or 1991 at a yard sale for $10. Was so excited that I didn't try them on. Once at home, I realized they were 1-2 sizes too small, and simply wouldn't fit, even without socks. Unable to part with them, I've kept them in a box ever since.

A few years later, I saved up and bought a pair of properly sized Carnacs and used them for a few years, only to eventually admit that the last was simply too narrow for my feet, and have been on Sidis ever since.

[unterhausen]

I have a jersey that I traded for in the '70s. Austrian Army team. Wasn't that good of a trade, my Milwaukee wheelman jersey was much nicer.

[9tubes]

My oldest that I use regularly is a pair of Assos tights from ?

Certainly they are 20+ years old but I don't remember buying them. Cold weather gear doesn't get the miles of summer gear (since I don't commute) and Assos gear just doesn't wear out. They don't look new, just comfortably broken in. I still wear them and expect to wear them for a while.

I wish Assos still made a model like these. The fabric doesn't have a fleeced backing, just lycra that is a bit heavier than a summer-weight jersey. Perfect for temps in the mid-50s. If anyone knows of another company that makes something like that today, let me know.

I have other Assos tights for colder weather.

[merlinmurph]

Not really old, mid-90's, sometime after I bought a Fat Chance mtb in '94

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49751728492_d40bd9459b_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2iNoByh)IMG_20200406_131657111 (https://flic.kr/p/2iNoByh) by Dan Murphy (https://www.flickr.com/photos/140890638@N04/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49750858063_f4bf1c48ea_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2iNj9NT)IMG_20200406_131720667 (https://flic.kr/p/2iNj9NT) by Dan Murphy (https://www.flickr.com/photos/140890638@N04/), on Flickr

[Dekonick]

Hands down the best shoes I have ever owned. Expensive, hell yes... Worth it - you bet.

Bought them with Flex dollars I had to use or lose... :) The shoes counted as 'custom orthotic footwear'

:banana:

[kytyree]

I have a pair of Defeet arm warmers that I've had maybe 25 years? They're still my favorites and no reason to stop using them.

Not quite as old but I've got a Castelli jersey that I bought on sale somewhere almost 20 years ago, I don't know what it's made of but the material seems to be ageless.

[charliedid]

[QUOTE=merlinmurph;2692573]Not really old, mid-90's, sometime after I bought a Fat Chance mtb in '94

Nice. I had one of those and an Ibis from that year as well. Pretty sure both were that Giordana jersey. Wear like iron but not the most breathable. Great for mountain biking though.

[Gummee]

My oldest that I use regularly is a pair of Assos tights from ?

Certainly they are 20+ years old but I don't remember buying them. Cold weather gear doesn't get the miles of summer gear (since I don't commute) and Assos gear just doesn't wear out. They don't look new, just comfortably broken in. I still wear them and expect to wear them for a while.

I wish Assos still made a model like these. The fabric doesn't have a fleeced backing, just lycra that is a bit heavier than a summer-weight jersey. Perfect for temps in the mid-50s. If anyone knows of another company that makes something like that today, let me know.

I have other Assos tights for colder weather.
Craft does in their running lineup. AMHIK.

My oldest piece of clothing is a VA Tech cycling team jersey from ca 1993. Next oldest is a pair of polypro tights from Nashbar that are from a year or so after. There's a hole in the inner thigh now, so their days may be numbered

M

[cnighbor1]

My oldest piece of cycling clothing is the dummies winter jersey
In 70's a bike store I went past on occasion had a dummy standing next to bike with a winter jersey on. after a year and on a sale day the jersey was for sale
Still in new shape I bought it Has it was a heavier weight and long sleeves great doe riding in Seattle cool rainy days
Still have it still use it

[fmradio516]

Not really old, mid-90's, sometime after I bought a Fat Chance mtb in '94


Wowwie, any chance you wanna sell that?

[TiminVA]

Either a pair of knee warmers or a wind vest from around 2002ish.

[9tubes]

I have one of these that I wear a couple of times a year. Great Giordana quality. I think it's from the 1990 or 1991 season.



_