What is with the pro peloton this year? As I watched that last Stage of Paris-Nice all I saw were a mirage of ugly team kits. Good Lord Phonak's team kit is ugly (and though I love Tyler, he doesn't help their cause). It got me to thinking about the better ones out there. I like Fassa's, QuickStep's, Jelly Belly's, and the Navigator's quite a bit. I certainly like who ever is wearing the Norwegian National Jersey (the one with the beg blue cross on the back). Anyone have any favorites? Here's a link to get you started.

http://www.probikekit.com/display.php?cat=Clearance%20Team%20Jerseys

and

http://www.world-of-cycling.com/archiv.htm

and my favorite team kit of all time. So italian, so over-logoed, so sweet.....

2001 Mobilvetta

most my faves are from a season or 2 ago. I liked Fassa's better when it had the grey in it. Rabobank has always been sharp as well. CSC was cool 2 years ago (before the Graphic Abs) you should see the CSC Danish Nat. kit, sweet if you like lots of Red. Am okay with Lotto Domo but miss the Domo Farm Frites Kit, that was swank. Not a big fan of Jelly Belly, like the Mapei of 2004. Spaar Select has a cool kit as well but that's mostly cx.

I always liked the 2000 ONCE - Deutsche Bank kit with the very :cool: fading grey/black/yellow Giro Boreas helmet. I still use mine!

No way, man. The best is Team Zed from back in the LeMond days--all the way.

Can you imagine what must've gone through that man's mind when he saw what his new team had come up with for the reigning champion to contest the Tour in? "Hah, hah. That's great! So where're the REAL jerseys, mon frer?" Oh, how humiliating...

But seriously, I think Phonak's stuff has a great graphic sense; nice strong piping and unmistakable color blocks. It's a new favorite for me.

Saunier-Duval (sp?) would've had something cool, too, if they had just worked in a couple of black stripes or something. Close, but as is, it looks like the team is sponsored by a company that makes lemon sherbet.

Gotta love the orange... They match their fans which is pretty cool (plus you could wear it mountain biking during hunting season)! Saeco is pretty classic. Probably the most common pro jersey I've seen out on the streets (maybe has something to do with all the Cannondale dealers in my town). I don't really mind Phonak that much either...

Jerseys I could do with out? Lampre and T-Mobile (Pink and blue is a little over the top), Domina Vacanze (Sorry no zebra look for me), and Jelly Belly (If you've seen them you know)...

The worst team kit of all time was Cippo's kit when he first left saeco. It looked like someone killed a Zebra and put it on their backs. My favorite in recent times was the muscle skin suit Cippo wore in the prolouge.

No, the "all-time most distasteful" yet that I've seen has to be the Fassa Bortolo fiasco in this year's Giro with the "Prison Stripes" kit. I thought that really was embarrasing for professional athletes to have to wear in front of an international audience in one of the premier cycling events. How could they be taken seriously wearing goofy outfits like that?

I wonder if Cannondale actually sold one single bike more because of it?

The Saeco fiasco. Fassa never wore the prison stripes, it was Simoni's team that was protesting the exculsion of the 6-13. I'm sure that's what you meant, just thought I'd clarify.

Yup, it was Saeco. I was thinking Fassa because I was so used to seeing them up front. DUH!

But those kits were horrible.

but did their job in a marketing sense. everybody is still talking about them.

But I would think 'success' for that would be in selling more bikes or C'Dale stuff in general over what their normal sales are for this time of year. Wonder if they did?

name recognition and 'placement' are just as important as actual sales. Ya ever see those crazy Andre the Giant "OBEY" posters, grafitti etc...? Design was created by a guy here in SD who guerilla marketed it (just got it out there however) and got the icon so recognized that his design firm now gets heaps more $$$ than had he not. He went years without exposing who he was or what he did, just got the old Interest ball rolling, a little mystery goes a long way. Much the same, people saw the barred kits, saw the Simoni Police LineUp ads etc...wonder what's going on, go to the website BAM 6-13. even the name is designed to make you pose the question "What does that mean?" it all drives the campaign which most likely will sell more bikes. A buddy of mine went to the Giro and said it was amazing how many C'Dales are sold in Italy, nearly /or as popular as 'nagos, rellos and derosas.

The sharp looking Alessio unis and the unique Bianchi colors mix together like oil and water.

I liked Cipo's baroque '04 Giro prologue getup and Nauduzs' brown national jersey. BTW, did you notice how much trouble Phil Liggett had pronouncing his name in the Giro? (Not that I can blame him.) It got to the point of being humorous.

Also, one of the Phonak riders from Slovenia had a Red/Blue colored team kit.

This season's team kits are collectively the worst I've ever seen. They're by turns garish or boring. Team name "Chocolade Jacques" is as wonderful as their kit is forgettable. The Fassa Bortolo kit is so buttoned-down and grim, it makes the US Postal kit seem like the old Mapei ones. Phonak's is just plain ugly. What's more, the Phonak kit makes the riders look fat! Still, though, absolutely the worst looking team kits ever (IMHO) were the all yellow or all pink kits Mercatone Uno used during Pantani's eclipse. In total contrast, the Mercatone Uno kits Pantani wore during his glory years were superb.

some prefer clean and simple, some the more 'garish'. From a design standpoint, Fassa and Rabobanks, simple as they are are the most identifiable. watch the helicopter shots and see whose easiest to pick out in the peloton. From a color only stand point, T-Kom pink, Saeco Red, EE Orange, Bianchi 03 Celeste (delightfully old school) and the Kelme stripes are easy to spot as well. You may not like the design (or lack there of) of these kits but they do their job. I'm not a huge fan of the logo strewn kits of smaller teams (Panaria for example) but understand their need for a multitude of smaller $ sponsors.
you have to understand that for TV coverage or a sprint finish, etc... how easily can you find 'your team'. some designs may look interesting up close and standing still but fade into a blur from 100 feet overheadand /or 40 mph. so a simpler/contrasty kit is more easily identifiable and therefore more effective. Color and design recognition sends the brain to sponsor recognition which is what this is all about. (just for anyones interest, I work in design and marketing). But the gamut of 'taste' is what makes this interesting and makes none 'better'. While some posters find the Fassa kit 'boring and too conservative' other posters wouldn't be caught dead in a Mapei or Jelly Belly 'clown suit'. Both types though convey their product/company ID, I can't even look at cubed Jello in a restaurant without thinking about Mapei. In contrast how easily are the Chocalade Jaques, Brioches, etc teams lost in the Peloton? Personally I think the Red/Black thing is beaten to death.
Bring back Brooklyn, Faema and Molteni....those were some sweet kits.

Bring back Brooklyn, Faema and Molteni....those were some sweet kits.

ATP, I agree wholeheartedly. Faema and Molteni are both great kits, as was Skil of Sean Kelly fame. I love most of the old (read ancient) kits, Bianchi Pirelli (Fausto Coppis kit) and even Bartali Ursus (yellow and blue with collar and front pockets!) are easily recognizable and easy on the eyes! That said, Brooklyn is and will always be my favorite!

and a lugged blue Gios! Yes, liked the Coppi era Bianchi-Campy as well. You can actually get them from Bianchiusa.com. It's why I liked last years TdF Bianchi kit. A homage to that era with one slight improvement (IMHO) Celeste!
I liked the vee in the color section of the Faema jersey but to me Molteni was it. I dig Orange (and yes I own an Orange Merckx and a Celeste Bianchi) so my opinions are biased.