Garneau Over And Over And Over Again

Last year I spent pretty freely on cycling clothes. It seemed like everything in my wardrobe wore out simultaneously. I didn’t expect to add many pieces this year, so I’m a little surprised with the results. Pictured above are the five jerseys I bought in 2021: one black with long sleeves, two black with short sleeves, one blue with short sleeves, and one red with short sleeves. All, you will notice, are from Louis Garneau.

I destroyed one of my Team Pedal Moraine jerseys when I crashed in October. I will replace it as soon as the team places another order … probably this winter. Full-custom jerseys are not cheap! But good jerseys don’t have to be expensive, and that’s why I really like Garneau. I like Garneau’s shorts, too, and ride in them exclusively unless I’m wearing my full team kit. Garneau is Canada’s answer to Pearl Izumi, delivering great performance for the money. There’s something about Garneau that works better for me.

Garneau is my go-to brand for summer. For cold weather gear, I choose Aero Tech Designs. My tights, baselayers, and merino wool tops come from Aero Tech, which makes most of its stuff in America. That’s super rare and from other brands comes at a premium price, but Aero Tech remains a high-value provider. Aero Tech’s shorts are expensive though, and its jerseys, while affordable, don’t often appeal to my Spartan aesthetic. Aero Tech’s baselayers and merino wool pieces are simple and tasteful, and I use them off the bike as often as on. For hiking or just casual wear, I love my Aero Tech merino wool jersey. I think it would be better with a full zipper, but otherwise it’s perfect.

Now there’s a new player competing for my attention: Decathlon. The French retailer isn’t really new—it opened for business in 1976—but it’s still fairly new to the American market. Decathlon has a global reach and a lot of attractively priced house brands. I recently purchased three sleeveless baselayer tops for the price of one top of equivalent quality from a big brand like Pearl Izumi, which itself is still nowhere near the top of the price spectrum. It’s easy to win on price if you’re willing to sacrifice quality, but Decathlon doesn’t seem to be doing that. I’ve been completely satisfied with my purchase and a quick Google search will show you lots of good reviews of Decathlon’s other offerings.

So, who are you wearing this season?