Now that I’m in control I have no idea what I want.
My last post was gauging interest in the first Pro-35 kit order which will be placed this month. As much I’ve toyed with the idea of designing my own kit I figured the opportunity was years away. Turns out I have a unique opportunity to get something going with decent quality, in small volumes for a very reasonable cost.
I have some sketches. I’ve saved pictures of some of my favorites over the years. I’ve contemplated wistfully about how I’d do a better job with color selection, design, and overall awesomeness. Here are some concepts and ideas which I present in no particular order.
80′s Specialized. Somehow the big “S” can manage to be both modern and classic all at the same time. This team jersey has a simple, throwback look that I really like. It’s also a mountain bike jersey that can work on the road- and that definitely appeals to me.
Drapac Porsche is an Australian team that you’ve only heard of if you spend hours at a time reading about the Australian races in January. They’re now called Drapac Skoda, and while I know those are both banners under the VW umbrella I have to say Drapac Porsche sounds way more bad ass. Their simple, two color jersey has the simple elegance you would expect from Porsche.
And while we’re talking Porsche I’d be remiss to not include the iconic 904. The simple gray with racing stripes and/or colored hood and simple scheme is definitely top-of-mind.
This is the Best Young Rider’s Jersey worn by Andy Hampsten in the ’86 Tour. Simple and awesome if not impractical for the dirt (being predominantly white). And the Le Coq Sportif logos on the sleeves are totally dope.
This Velo Club Valbona jersey is for sale under the vintage cycling section of Etsy…which I think bothers me because that means it’s being marketed to some chucklehead who’s likely to wear it to the coffee shop with jeans…on his fixie with no helmet and sporting an equally ridiculous cycling cap for a team or organization he knows nothing about. Still I think it’s cool- and the block design with the Le Coq Sportif logo adds to it.
The equally retro-looking but very current House jersey features a similar two-tone layout with white letters. Simple, classic and awesome.
Yet while these classic road jerseys are calling my name I also look at the French GT-Skoda-Chamonix team’s busy, complicated and modern design and think that it’s totally cool as well.
Also from one of the GT-Skoda-Chamonix photo shoots is the Team GT jersey. While it’s evolved over the years the basic blue and yellow concept (with black shorts) remains unchanged.
Continuing with the French theme is the 2012 National Team kit. Somehow the American team kits always make the same color combination look too Evel Kneival, but the French nailed it with the navy background and simple blue, white and red stripe (red on the bottom- always).
Last but not least is another new school but understated MTB jersey that I like- the Team Yeti XC as worn here by Jared Graves. Mostly black with Yeti’s trademark Cyan accents make this the kind of thing you’re likely to want to wear for a few seasons.
You can start to see the common thread of a pretty simple design that will be part of a kit with predominantly black (or at least dark gray) shorts. Why black? Because it’s the most dirt and road spray friendly and also the best-wearing, least revealing color.
When I have preliminary art I’ll pass it along, and of course that means I need to make up my mind first.