mstateglfr 

Roadie and mtb clothing can cost the same.
I dont know why the hipster label is being used for this clothing specifically.

...I am mostly just tired of that term being overused as a lazy pejorative to describe many large groups or consumer behaviors.

jon c. 

There is expensive clothing available for every niche.

Although I agree that the term hipster is broadly used to the point of becoming meaningless, when I looked at their advertising prior to reading the rest of the thread "hipster" is the term that crossed my mind. Their models certainly contribute to that image.

Kapusta

The style of this gravel
line is clearly “lumbersexual” which is a type of hipster.

Bingod

Duh! Its The Candy Cane Forest. Next time learn some elf culture before you bust out with those snappy zingers.

badger1

Hiro11

Ah, another "gravel is a pointless fad" thread.

1. Both road cyclists and mountain bikers have their own incredibly detailed and opaque-to-the-uninitiated dress codes. So do golfers, skiers, basketball players etc. I don't know why that's acceptable, but this is unacceptable. Of course it's completely reasonable to reject these (often ridiculous) "rules" of how to dress like a cyclist in a given discipline, but we should at least be consistent.

2. Cafe du Cycliste is a French luxury cycling brand. Their pricing is in line with the likes of other luxury cycling brands like Rapha and Assos. The pricing of this stuff is in line with the rest of CdC's collection. To those above complaining about the prices, have you seen what Kitsbow charges for a pair of baggies? Again, completely reasonable to not want to spend $250 on a jacket, but we should be consistent.

3. Many above seem to be objecting to the very idea of gravel cycling as a unique discipline. Around my house, there are lots of gravel roads, gravel trails etc. You can go hundreds of miles with no cars in some very nice areas, making gravel riding very enticing. These paths and roads are too much for my road bike but too little for a hard tail 29er. A 29ers would also be too slow and is not designed to be pedaled sitting down for 5 hours. A road bike is too skittish, aggressive and uncomfortable to ride over golf ball sized gravel for five hours. Hey look, they made a bike just for this purpose! I understand gravel has been a fad for the past couple of years and many people are buying gravel stuff because it's "cool" and not because they actually need it, but many, many people like me have a genuine use for gravel bikes. Also, given that bike brands already have micro-differentiation between "lightweight" vs. "aero" road bikes or "trail" vs. "enduro" mountain bikes, I don't understand why gravel bikes are uniquely objectionable. Again, we should be consistent.

Reflector Guy

You're all good; I was just having fun with the forum's tendency to get all agitated every time somebody mentions something about their favorite kinds of bikes.

The rule of the forum is: "Everyone else is doing it wrong!"

CargoDane

Haha, I see

WhyFi

They have one checked jersey in two colorways - I don't see anything else remotely lumberjack-ish.

Rides4Beer

Excellent point. Currently my gravel bike is my only bike, it pulls road duty with a second wheelset, and does quite well. I can do 100 miles of gravel comfortably and at a good speed, and then still go do Tues Night Worlds with a quick wheelset swap. I wouldn't want to do a gravel century on a hardtail, nor would I want to do it on a road bike. A gravel bike is well suited to do both, even if it compromises a bit on the road side (I figure I'm prob giving up 30-40w to a full aero setup, even on road tires).

The other good thing about having a gravel bike that can pull double duty, is it makes my decision for my next road bike easier, it will be full aero/speed, no need for compromises since the gravel bike can pull road duty when I want something more comfortable.

mstateglfr 

All 3 points are well said. Your last sentence is fantastic and needs to be a sticky atop every forum on the internet. Unfortunately, many in life and especially online, are anything but consistent.

WhyFi

To an aero road bike? There's no way you're giving up that much, not for a similar rider position.

seypat

The gravel specific clothes may be more expensive, but think how much coin you'll save when you go all in and switch from expensive bike chain lube/waxing to chainsaw bar/chain lube. That's a definite positive.

Kapusta

Deerskin work gloves are not lumberberjack-ish?

But to be fair, I see they also have a 70’s teenager thing going with the 3/4 sleeves. All thats missing is the AC/DC or Blue Oyster Cult symbols.

Its like a boutique halloween store for cyclists. Maybe they wil throw in some Harry Potter stuff.

WhyFi

Ah, so one jersey and one accessory makes the line lumbersexual - got it.

Kapusta

What I find absurd about this company’s attempt at “Gravel” clothing is not the idea that there might be some clothing trends among gravel riders, but rather that they get it so horribly wrong.

Yes, both MTB and road cycling (and dirt jumping and skateboarding) all have fashion trends (and a lot of it IS fashion) that seems odd or eye-rolling to the uninitiated. But I have never seen anyone riding a gravel bike or in a gravel race that dress like that.

I know some guys who ride bikes in flannel shirts as a warm layer, but they are actual flannel shirts, not ridiculous looking plaid jerseys trying to look like flannel shirts. And I have NEVER seen any one on road, gravel, or MTB dressed up like a teenager from the 70’s. (Well, not in the past 25 years at least)

If you are going to charge over $200 for a jersey designed for being a poser, at least get the poser part right.

I realize this contradicts my previous comment that this is the same as mtb and road fashion. I though about it more, and it is not.

seypat

In all seriousness, deerskin/leather work gloves doesn't mean lumberjack. It just means a person grew up in an area where trees were cut down for lumber. In fact, the area I grew up in had specific type of leatherish work gloves available for handling square hay bales. It had a cinch on the top at the wrist so you could tighten the collar and keep the chaff out. The were referred to as "hay hauling gloves."

I-Like-To-Bike

The kind that would drool over over priced bicycle "stuff."

Kapusta

They are the premier, most expensive jersey they sell, and the one they lead with to advertise the Gravel line.

And they only offer 2 gloves.

They also have a lumberjack-themed head band.

So not all lumbersexual, but it is the main ingredient of the mix. With 70s awkward teenager as the second.

Surprised they don’t offer $85 tube-socks.

seypat

As a teen in the lat 70s-early 80s, those trends/fads were all the rage. I even had a red/black Elmer Fudd hat to be matchy matchy. Tube socks have made sort of a comeback in basketball. The basketball shorts have been trending slightly up the leg as well. Now that I think about it, the colored running shorts with contrasting piping have made a comeback as well, at least with the females.

Reflector Guy

We must be about the same age. Weird to glance back at my old yearbooks and see all the flannel. Girls on the other hand were all wearing preppy sweaters. Total polar opposites.

mstateglfr 

As you said before- from my persepctive, they missed the mark. It isnt that they have gravel specific clothing, it isnt that they have expensive clothing, its that the expensive gravel clothing isnt appealing to me.
I saw the Bad News Bears style shirts a couple months ago and cocked my head in confusion because it isnt appealing to me and I havent seen anyone out riding gravel wearing that sort of shirt. But maybe they do that sort of thing in France?...fashion is often location specific.

Sure I dont find the offerings they list to be appealing or beneficial to me. I went to that site a couple months ago and havent been back because its too expensive for me and doesnt have clothing I like.
But that is separate from the eye-rolling comments thru this thread about how one now has to spend hundreds to ride gravel or the other over-used comments about the discipline. Those are absurd comments and seeing them is just old.


For the record, I would rock their 3/4 sleeve Bad News Bears shirt if it cost $25. It is cut moderately close and has rear pockets, so I would use it for when I ride with my kids on road rides or singletrack. But at over 4x that, Ill stick with the generic drytech charity ride shirts I usually grab.

Kapusta

Good point that it could be a french thing. Hey they are into Jerry Lewis, so I guess anything is possible.

seypat

I'm 55 and grew up in north Texas. Watch the movies Dazed and Confused and Urban Cowboy. As much as I hate to say it, those movies pretty much nailed it. Well, at least for those genres/demographics.

WhyFi

Yawn. You're reaching. They sell two "jerseys," the checked one being slightly more expensive, and one glorified technical t-shirt.

You're awfully invested in the fashion choices of others, though... it could be argued that you protest too much.