...how old their oldest piece of cycling clothing is?

[atoz]

Still have an oversized Castelli Thermodress+ LS thermal jersey that was reduced old stock. Bought in mid noughties but must be manufactured a few years previous. Very toasty. I always liked old school Castelli winter tops- use to have a full zip version, lasted years.

[squeaker]

Bright blue Parrot fleece top from the mid 90's - windproof front lining, large front pocket - brilliant bit of kit

[Slowroad]

I've a pair of thick stretch-fabric leggings which were made for me in the mid 80s by a mum at the school my mum worked at! At the time it was near-impossible to get suitable clothes for touring, especially as a small female. The lighter-weight pair went a long time ago, the thick ones do still very occasionally come out, though I've obviously got better options now.

[Sweep]

Arm warmers bought in the late 90s.

Shortest-lived are, of course, shoe covers. The manufacturers seem to believe that we never put a foot down.

Duct tape.

But agree with you and have largely given up with the things - better to wear good insulating socks (which don't have to be cycling specific - my favourite winter socks are varieties of fleecy synthetic things from Lidl) and carry a spare pair (or even 2) in case your feet get wet.

[Sweep]

Cycling stuff does seem to last forever.

I always think of a (young looking) retired policeman from Halifax I somehow got nattering to in St James Park in London.

We got nattering about cycling - he said that he fancied buying some new cool impressive looking cycling togs but was a bit p'ed off that his old stuff just refused to wear out, so he couldn't really justify it to himself.

I do have a Goretex Karrimor (from when Karrimor was Karrimor) jacket from the mid 90s - not been worn too much though as it is too warm for all but the most bitterly cold northern winter days.

Old cycling tops/base layers that may have been overtaken by materials technology just get relegated to indoor baselayer use to minimise domestic heating costs.

I don't think I have ever thrown a bit of cycling clothing away.

It will inherit the planet.

(maybe after we have %£$*&$^% it)

Moderator note - post edited for breach of the Forum Guidelines - viewtopic.php?t=3661.

[PT1029]

Freestyle Sports gortex jacket (made in Plymouth) from the late 1990's. Now leaks in prolonged/heavy rain, but fine enough for around town.
Freestyle Sprts over shorts. These must be I guess late 1980's/early 1990's(?), as I rercall the individual who was the first to laugh when I turned up in them. Within 6 months, they were all turning up on a wet day with cheap over trousers with the legs cut off......!

[Morzedec]

My oldest pieces of cycling 'kit' are my legs, which first hit the road in 1950.

Still going strong today, hence my trip down through France this summer on a bike rescued from a skip!

[TrevA]

I’ve just reclaimed my 30 year old Banesto jersey from my son in law. I bought it in 1995, but gave it to him when he first started cycling 10 years ago. He’s having a clear out, and I noticed my jersey in the ones he’s chucking out. It actually fits me better now than when I first bought it, as I’ve lost about 3 stone over the last year.

My son and I got the matching Banesto jerseys, when he was 8, he’s now 37! He was Little Mig and I was Big Mig!

[Bmblbzzz]

Shorts I bought when i was 18 still get worn every summer. That means they're now 39 years old!

[Ron]

Freestyle Sports gortex jacket (made in Plymouth) from the late 1990's. Now leaks in prolonged/heavy rain, but fine enough for around town.

Ditto!
It was still looking good in my eyes but just a month ago two friends(?) commented quite independently on the same day regarding the scruffy appearance of my hooded jacket.
My efforts to find a similar jacket with attached hood failed some years ago and I have been forced to eke more usage from my old 'Freestyle'.

[AndyK]

My oldest pieces of cycling 'kit' are my legs, which first hit the road in 1950.

Isn't it time you bought a new pair?

[Ferrij]

After reading this, I feel like my 2003 mid layer jersey bought from Halfords has another 22 years of life left on it!

[eileithyia]

Probably some of my Helly hansen lifa vests .... purchased in the 80s

[deeferdonk]

Cycling stuff does seem to last forever.

not always, I won a pair of Road.cc cycling socks in a caption competition. I wore them once to go for a run (user error maybe) and they became holey. I have some nice running socks that i regularly wear for running and cycling that must be over a decade old now with no apparent wear, just colour faded from washing.

and having witnessed on more than one rider over this last year (and have been traumatised by it) some bib shorts don't seem to last forever before going transparent. What's the etiquette? Should you tell a stranger that you can see his bumcrack? Would you want to know if it was you, or finish your ride in ignorance?

[fausto copy]

Freestyle Sports gortex jacket (made in Plymouth) from the late 1990's. Now leaks in prolonged/heavy rain, but fine enough for around town.

Ditto!
It was still looking good in my eyes but just a month ago two friends(?) commented quite independently on the same day regarding the scruffy appearance of my hooded jacket.
My efforts to find a similar jacket with attached hood failed some years ago and I have been forced to eke more usage from my old 'Freestyle'.

Three of us in the club bought the original Freestyle goretex jackets and after a couple of years they all leaked like sieves. They'd advertised them as having a lifetime guarantee and took ours back. We had to wait almost a year for replacements as Goretex had developed a new material. My mate's and my wife's jackets were OK but I hated mine as I sweated like mad in the "new improved" two layer product. I binned mine years ago but my wife has been using hers until early this year, when she asked for a new jacket as hers was getting too grubby and oil stained, though still fully waterproof. I might advertise it on here soon.

My oldest jacket is my yellow Parrot Pertex windproof which is still almost as good as new. I'm trying to find the earliest photo of me in it, but it might be in black and white.