00:00 Clothing often varies massively in price and sometimes it's not always clear what
00:04 you're paying for or even if you're being overcharged. So today I'm putting
00:08 to the test clothing from different areas of the market to see what you
00:11 should be spending your money on. Now I do want to make it clear from the get-go
00:14 this video is not sponsored however the brands that I've chosen are ones that
00:18 you may commonly associate with these different areas of the market. So our
00:21 entry-level kit is coming from Amazon, our mid-range kit is being represented
00:25 by DHB and our top-end kit has been made by Raffer. I got hold of the most
00:30 essential of kit and that's the kind of stuff that everyone's gonna have when
00:32 they first start off to make it as fair a comparison as possible and that is the
00:36 humble short-sleeved jersey and a pair of bib shorts. Now our Amazon kit came in
00:40 and costed £45, our DHB outfit costed £100 and the Raffer outfit, tip the scales,
00:47 is £190. So we've got a pretty good cross-section here of what's
00:51 available. Now one of the first things we're going to look at is the fit. Now
00:54 some prefer a baggier more relaxed fitting garment whereas others might
00:58 lean towards a more tighter performance orientated feel and I'm definitely part
01:02 of that latter group. So we're gonna be looking at the fit, we're gonna be
01:05 looking at the breathability and we're also gonna be looking at the build
01:07 quality. First up though the Amazon kit, let's get it on.
01:11 Initial impressions are that it's not the best fitting kit for my preferences.
01:15 You can see here that the shorts are quite baggy and we don't have any
01:19 grippers so I am expecting the shorts to move around which isn't ideal because
01:23 you do want shorts to stay in place. I've also noticed here that the seams aren't
01:26 flat so these could start to rub against the skin as the shorts move around.
01:31 However that being said the chamois does feel pretty thick and supportive so
01:35 we'll have to see how it really performs out on the road. The jersey feels okay,
01:39 the cut isn't particularly fitted so it does lend itself more towards a more
01:43 relaxed feel. I think the best thing to do though is take this out onto the road,
01:47 give it a ride and see how it really performs.
01:51 So I've ridden this kit for a few kilometers now and the shorts, they're really
01:59 performing as I had expected them. The seams are rubbing against my skin and
02:03 the chamois is really not supporting me where I need it to be. Now some of those
02:07 issues are down to the size and fit of the shorts. I mean even though these were
02:11 the smallest ones they had on offer it's definitely worth spending a little bit
02:14 more if you need to find something that fits you properly. Onto the jersey and
02:18 it's made of a nice thick but fairly breathable fabric and I think for those
02:22 who are just wanting to go out and ride their bike and enjoy the outdoors it's a
02:25 perfectly suitable garment and when you consider that it costs £21 you really
02:29 can't fault it. We're gonna jump into the mid-range kit from DHB now. DHB have been
02:36 serving the large majority of cyclists for a really long time now and over the
02:40 years they've really developed what they have to offer. I've got here one of their
02:43 core jerseys and their Airon bib shorts. Now straight away you can feel that this
02:47 is a huge step up. It was a whole lot lighter and softer to the touch. Like the
02:52 Amazon jersey we've got three rear pockets however with this one we've got
02:55 an extra rear zipped pocket which is ideal for kind of your money or your
02:59 keys. I'm a big fan of the fit as well like I say I do prefer the more
03:03 performance focus feel and this while it does offer that I don't feel like I'm
03:08 being squeezed into it which is really nice. The bib shorts also fit really well
03:12 they feel robust and they also feature a large gripper which the Amazon shorts
03:16 didn't. One thing I feel could be improved upon is the chamois however it
03:20 is a considerable step up from what we had on those Amazon shorts. So let's get
03:24 this out on the road and see how it performs.
03:28 Okay so as expected the DHB kit is miles better. It's really no surprise why they've
03:39 become the go-to brand for the majority of cyclists. Now the shorts feel so much
03:43 better. They're tighter, they're locked in, they're not moving around, I don't have
03:47 any seams rubbing against me and more importantly that chamois does feel a
03:52 whole lot more comfortable. Now it's not spectacular but it does feel pretty good
03:57 and much better than those cheaper shorts. Now on the straps I've got
04:00 consistent hemming meaning I don't have any seams pushing into my skin like I
04:03 did with the cheaper shorts and on these shorts I've actually got grippers
04:06 finally which means that they do just stay locked in place. Now onto the jersey
04:11 I'm a big fan of the fit. It's a light breathable fabric and it just doesn't
04:16 distract me whilst I'm riding. Well I think what DHB have done they've made
04:19 kit which serves the weekend warriors and the keen amateurs really well which
04:23 actually is unsurprising because that's exactly who they're there to serve.
04:28 Last up we've got the kit from Rafa. Now once again we've taken a big step up in
04:34 the feel of the fabric and it while it doesn't feel as silky it feels a lot
04:38 more premium. You can really start to see the attention to detail for example with
04:42 the inclusion of the zip guard which means that the zip isn't going to be
04:45 rubbing against your skin which is really nice. We've also got a really thick
04:49 gripper at the bottom of the jersey which allows it to stay in place along
04:54 with some thick elastic on the arms again just to hold the jersey in place
04:58 and it feels a lot more dialed in. There's also a place to mark your kit
05:01 without having to sew in labels if you belong to a recycling heavy household.
05:05 These shorts have flat seams everywhere meaning they won't be rubbing against
05:08 you. We've got seamless straps which again only improve your interaction with
05:12 the shorts. Extra benefits that come with buying clothing from a premium company
05:15 are that they often offer crash replacement schemes. Rafa also offer
05:19 their repair service so should you damage your kit they will repair that
05:23 for you. These things can come in really handy because cycling isn't without its
05:27 risks. Let's jump out for one final time and see how this kit performs.
05:32 Well it's no surprise that this kit feels great and works perfectly. I really
05:42 can't find a fault with it. The chamois is leaps and bounds ahead of the DHB one
05:45 and it's really comfortable and supportive. If you plan on spending hours
05:49 in the saddle then that's going to be really important. The elephant in the
05:52 room though is that this outfit is nearly double the price of the DHB one
05:55 but is it twice as good? For the majority no it's probably not. However if you're
06:00 going to spend the hours in the saddle then you're really going to come to
06:03 appreciate these small differences and benefits like crash replacement schemes
06:07 and repair services are really handy. So I think what they've done here is made
06:11 kit for those of a performance orientated mindset and then have priced
06:15 it to suit. So in conclusion what should you be buying? It really depends on what
06:22 type of cyclist you are. If you're an occasional cyclist and want something a
06:26 bit more suitable than normal clothes to ride in then the Amazon kit will serve
06:29 you well. The only thing to make sure of is that the shorts do fit you properly
06:33 so that they don't rub. If however you take your cycling any more seriously the
06:37 step up in price to mid-range kit is absolutely justified. The build quality
06:41 increases, the fabrics are of a higher standard and the fit is more refined
06:45 which also has the side benefit of being more efficient in the wind. The chamois
06:49 also increases in quality meaning one of your key contact points with a bike is
06:53 greatly improved and this will then pay big dividends in comfort. While premium
06:57 kit does have its place in the market I think it's fair to say that it's not
07:00 going to be for everyone. First off the cost might be too high for those that
07:04 think the benefits are just a bit too marginal. However you do get protections
07:08 such as crash replacement schemes so that if you do have enough it is a whole
07:12 lot less painful if you need to replace your kit. For those who spend many hours
07:15 in the saddle and are of a performance orientated mindset premium kit will be
07:19 the go-to. Easy to rip off though? We don't think so if you value good quality
07:24 kit and it allows you to ride in tricky conditions. With a higher build quality
07:27 more expensive kit is also likely to last you a whole lot longer too. So
07:32 really you have to ask yourself what type of cyclist you are and what values
07:36 you align yourself with. The great thing is no matter what type of cycling you do
07:39 there's going to be kit out there for everyone. So let us know down in the
07:43 comments which kit you'd go for. If you enjoyed the video drop it a like,
07:46 subscribe to the channel for more content and I'll see you again soon!
07:51 you
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07:55 you
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