I don’t know about you but I prefer to buy things of quality and pay more up front rather than buying cheap stuff that doesn’t last. That might sound like simple common sense except that buying something that lasts a long time, maybe even a lifetime, usually costs more than something that doesn’t. Don’t get me wrong. I know it’s not possible for most of us regular folk to buy the best of everything, and I’m not saying that we can or should in every case. I have made many purchasing mistakes in my time, and these mistakes inevitably led to me having buyer’s remorse and going on a bender. Not long ago I went the cheap route on a used turntable bought on craigslist, and paid the price in trying to work through numerous issues with it. After finally reselling it I ended up buying the turntable I should have bought in the first place, for about three times the price of the craigslist bargain. I could not be happier with the new one. Money well spent. Bottom line is we have to choose which things we are willing to spend more on to get the best quality.
A month or two back Gern (Blanston) wrote a blog about our new jerseys. Yes, we have new jerseys. Duh. You read that blog entry, right? They are 100% merino wool, full front zipper, rear dual-entry pocket with zippers, thumb holes, double-stitched seams and cut long for cyclists who actually ride. Since the day I got mine last November I have worn it every day. I mean literally every day. I have put my jersey on after showering in the morning and haven’t taken it off until going to bed at night. Several times I have slept in it. I have worn it multiple days on the bike, I wear it at work, I wear it when I run to the liquor store, to the gym, to the drug store and to the local watering hole. I wear it for every thing. Just ask anyone who knows me and they will attest to the fact that I have been spending a lot of time in my new jersey. I have changed the rest of my clothes daily of course (except my blue jeans, which should almost never be washed). I have never washed it, as wool shouldn’t be washed often like other materials. It looks a bit dirty in spots, but it does not smell.
Our new jerseys cost $150. That’s a LOT of money, especially when one considers other merino wool cycling jerseys that can be purchased for nearly half that amount. But I can tell you with 100% conviction that our new jerseys are worth every penny. And for comparison, I can tell you with 100% conviction that the previous iteration of our jerseys (which cost nearly as much) were not worth the money. Many of you who bought one probably agree with me on this. They were nice the first time you wore them, but they were not well made and did not hold up to the stresses that hard-core cyclists demanded. The new jerseys are not like that. They are meant to be worn all the time. And one thing that you might not have heard is that we did a women’s cut as well. I bought one for my wife and she has also worn hers every day since she got it. Ever heard the saying, “when mommy’s not happy nobody’s happy”? I’m a big believer in this. By giving my wife one of our new jerseys I’ve made mommy happy, and I remind her of this every time she’s not happy, with mixed results I must say.
My closet is full of other wool cycling jerseys by a number of manufacturers including a few old Surly jerseys. I can honestly say that those jerseys will never again be worn by me as long as I have our new one to wear. The only thing that will get me to take this thing off is warmer weather. Hopefully by then our new short sleeve version will be here. Either that or I’ll be cutting the sleeves off this one.