Sports chain selling "UCI Rainbow Bands" clothing and the world is ending

[prototoast]

This is great, cycling needs more licensed apparel sales. It is a pathway to revenue for teams that would help stabilize them over time. Two biggest impediments to that are league cultural stigma against wearing pro team kits that is unique to cycling, and the fact that teams change their kits every year, so it's difficult to justify the investment.

Tons of kids on the playground are wearing LeBron James jerseys. Many youth sports leagues actually adopt uniforms that parallel their pro team counterparts. Why shouldn't I ride around in a jumbo jersey because I'm a fan of Wout van Aert? No one is going to confuse the 190 lb man pushing 250 watts up a climb for the pro cyclist. Maybe I just want to be a fan without all my fellow cyclists ridiculing me.

[GonaSovereign]

Originally Posted by beartrapper

The attitude of stripes needing to be earned and harassment from other riders is quite off putting. Do we shame bicycle brands who put stripes on their frames even if that frame set was never in a professional race?
This idea that rainbow stripes are as sacred as something like a Purple Heart is really strange.

I’m not cool with harassing people. That is off-putting.

Bike builders only adorn their bikes with rainbow stripes if their bikes have been ridden to world championships victories.

I’d argue a Purple Heart and WC jersey or Olympic medal are very similar: they’re symbols of extraordinary achievement by an individual. A few friends have won provincial and national titles, and been awarded jerseys. To me, the idea of buying one and wearing it is as absurd as me pinning on the Purple Heart that was awarded to another person I know.

Admittedly, I might take the idea of earning things (particularly symbols of achievement) too far. I refused to touch an Olympic gold medal when the person who earned it went to hand it to me. Everyone has their own POV.

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by makoti

They sell replica rings for stupid money (for a fake), though why on earth you'd want to wear one is beyond me.

Vladimir Putin's Super Bowl ring isn't a replica or a fake - it is a genuine Super Bowl Champion ring.

Unlike football jerseys or cycling kit, Super Bowl Rings, Olympic Medals and Rainbow Stripes are not merely apparel - they are awards presented to specific people for specific achievements. Wearing any of them would be like someone wearing a replica Nobel Peace Prize medal, just because they are a fan of world peace.

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by jr59

I’ll take that bet. They do in every sports rec center that I’ve ever been in, and that’s a lot of gyms, seeing as I’ve coached youth for many years. Save your money Peter. This is only a cycling thing. I’m pretty sure, nobody confuses a 5’6 230lb white guy, with LBJ

Reminds me of one of my favorite stories. Years ago, my buddy Randy bought a Sasha Vujevic jersey. He asked me what I thought of it. I told him I thought it was “fair.”

“Whaddya mean fair?” he responded.

“Well, for years, out of shape white guys have been wearing the jerseys of really fit Black guys. No reason a unfit Black dude can’t wear the jersey a athletic white guy.”

He didn’t think it was nearly as funny as I did.

[flying]

Originally Posted by Waldo62

Colnago sold rainbow striped replica frames and everyone ooohed and aaahed and drooled over them...

Yes but that is honest isn't it?
Meaning yes that bike was ridden to a championship

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by flying

Yes but that is honest isn't it?
Meaning yes that bike was ridden to a championship

The use of World Championship stripes on bicycles is at best a stretch. Typically, a bicycle manufacturer is allowed to put the rainbow stripes on their bikes for a period of time after one of their bikes has been used to win a World Championship - even after the World Championship has been passed to a different rider riding a different bike. They even put the rainbow stripes on many different models that are not even related to the one used for the World Champion win which is quite farcical. For example, Ritchey bikes have been used to win a few MTB World Champships, but this decal was applied to their road bikes for many years afterward:

[Black Dog]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

The use of World Championship stripes on bicycles is at best a stretch. Typically, a bicycle manufacturer is allowed to put the rainbow stripes on their bikes for a period of time after one of their bikes has been used to win a World Championship - even after the World Championship has been passed to a different rider riding a different bike. They even put the rainbow stripes on many different models that are not even related to the one used for the World Champion win which is quite farcical. For example, Ritchey bikes have been used to win a few MTB World Champships, but this decal was applied to their road bikes for many years afterward:

Maybe they were implying the same tubing was used on the MTB that won the world championship.


At the end of the day, if a person wearing team kit, leaders jerseys, or whatever is smiling and other persons is scowling at the first, which of the two is "doing" it right?

[Blue Jays]

Small custom builders who truly had World Championship winners on their bicycles in the past have been tirelessly harassed by UCI for continuing to use rainbow colors on customer bicycles. UCI should chill-out a bit.

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by Black Dog

Maybe they were implying the the same tubing was used on the MTB that won the world championship.


At the end of the day, if a person wearing team kit, leaders jerseys, or whatever is smiling and other persons is scowling at the first, which of the two is "doing" it right?

Exactly.

[Mark McM]

Me thinks too many people today grew up in the "everybody's a winner" culture.

“Everyone’s a winner” and other lies

Wearing honors and awards you didn't earn shows a lack of respect for what it takes to earn them. If you think wearing World Championship rainbow stripes is just a fashion choice, then you don't understand what they mean.

[RoosterCogset]

So these winner types of jerseys are meant to be mounted behind glass and hung on a wall? Otherwise, the clothing and apparel makers seem to have no qualms selling these to people without requiring ID proving who they are and what their accomplishments were.

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by RoosterCogset

So these winner types of jerseys are meant to be mounted behind glass and hung on a wall? Otherwise, the clothing and apparel makers seem to have no qualms selling these to people without requiring ID proving who they are and what their accomplishments were.

This sadly speaks to the motivations of the UCI to put profit before sport. The apparel makers can't make these products without a trademark license from the UCI, and the UCI appears to be more interested in making money from the rainbow stripes than it does to recognize the singular achievements of those who have earned them.

In contrast, USA Cycling awards "stars and bars" jerseys to its National Champions. But the average consumer can't buy these jerseys, you have to earn them.

[pbarry]

I’ve had a Spectrum WC jersey in the kit bin going on 30 years. TK sent a box to Merlin Somerville and we all got one. I’ve worn it 3 or 4 times in all those years as I have too much respect for those who’ve actually earned one.

[Elefantino]

I wore this kit on the Stelvio on the day of the Giro and although some tifosi yelled, "Vai, Pantani!", no one confused me with il Pirata.



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[earlfoss]

Wear whatever floats your boat! If you're a fan and you want to rep a cool kit, go for it. People gotta relax.