Unfortunately, the digital age has hit Belgium, and terms of trading now include VAT at 22% and a 25% surcharge for any garment runs less than 6 – and of course the euro was 1.4 to the pound but is now all but at parity – as a result and cost advantages have been eroded. What was cheap has now become expensive and it seems appropriate to explore cheaper alternatives especially given the hassles Mick Ayliffe had manfully shouldered for so long in co-ordinating orders. At the same time, there is a modicum of dissent in the ranks that the kit design is perhaps a tad outdated and a redesign is needed.
I’ve taken on the task of coordinating Kit supply and am looking to address both of the above in the coming months. I intend the process to be as democratic as possible and will seek members’ views before any proposals are put to the committee for decisions.
Supplier
A brief market review tells me that there are many firms offering Club Kit services – but most have large minimum order numbers.
However, one supplier (Impsport) does seem to offer significant advantages:
- UK based
- A wide range of kit available in club designs
- Bulk discount based on total number of items not on individual garment types
- Direct order facility allowing members to order individual items on the Web using a dedicated part of the Impsport web site
http://www.impsport.com
An example of the ordering system from the VC Godalming and Haslemere web site is here:
http://www.d2-workshop.co.uk/vcgh_phase1/shop/buyClubKit
I have e-mailed the guy at VC G&H who looks after their kit and he gives a very good report of their dealings with Impsport.
Design
The above was the easy bit... now on to the minefield of Kit Design. Here the options are wide indeed and there are no preconceptions as to what we should have, key criteria will be:
- Colours to be the same as current kit – club colours are the club identity
- Members ideas and suggestions are not only welcome but actively invited
- The objective is broad consensus on a design that everyone is happy with
- Next steps
E-mail pgk2@hotmail.co.uk or call me on 0208 540 4186 if you have views, comments or suggestions.
Over to you and happy riding
Paul Kelly
Posts
Well done Paul, great post and thanks for looking into it.
ReplyDeleteI am going to put some design's together for consideration, could people let me or Paul know their favourite kit from times past and present and why (eg. Flandria circa 1977 and the new Cervélo white are favourites of mine). It would also be handy to know what reservations you have about the existing kit.
Please let us know what other items of clothing you would like (!!!, steady, this is a public site), something for for the mountain bike perhaps Sir?, Tweed Sir?... I might look into some mountain bike stuff.
OK Kids,
ReplyDeleteWell done Paul and Steve, keep up the good work!
To start your discussion this is my personal view; please, no weightier than any other member's opinion. Apathy is the great enemy of trying to make decisions like this. So lets hope this gets discussion going.
I think there is no need to change the design immediately because:-.
1. I am satisfied with the current design.
2. I personally have 11 club garments in the current design that will see me out, so I am unlikely to buy any more.
3. I estimate that there are 100 garments of the present designs currently in the possession of current club members.
4. We have currently 9 new garments (about £350 worth) for sale in the current design. And two from about 15 years ago in retro acrylic, one of which was sold to a certain Michael Edward O'Brien on Sunday!
5. This month we have sold 13 garments in the current design, mostly to new members. Are they soon to be out of date?
6. Wearing club kit is not mandatory. We have always had members who don’t wear club kit. Good luck to them I say
So I think there is no need to rush into redesigning the jersey and that a new design should be based on the current design so as to maintain the similarity with those presently in use and recognized by the public and fellow cyclists. Probably maintaining the colours would achieve this.
But then what do I know? Let’s talk about it.
Mick
Hi Steve Paul,
ReplyDeleteMy comments on the proposed redesign of the club clothing, as you may know I have been in many cycling clubs, 7 in 57 years of cycling times, this subject has arisen in each and every club I have been in and many more I have heard of, it has usually created disscusion, refusal, much huffing and puffing, so I wish you both the best of luck in your task of steering this to some conclusion. I agree with Pauls comments on Cost, ease of Ordering and Supply using our current supplier.
On the current design, fashion usually throws up a desire to be in vouge, and I as much as anybody I like to be in touch, our design is I guess a little 90s, and for me the vertical / curved stripes do nothing for my expanding waistline, but the kit has recieved many good comments from the viewing public, and it still looks striking. The colour combination is the Club identitiy, and in my opinion should not change, in clubs that have changed their colours I belive have lost some of that identity, also on many occasion the colours have shown out way 'up the road' almost as good a 'Fluro' yellow.
The club has been fortunate in recent years in attracting a good number of new members and being new, bringing fresh ideas to the table and a good thing too, finally a couple of points to consider, the amount of current kit out there, the recent big buy up by new members, the reluctance of us 'old uns' to buy more kit, and the fear of losing Club Identity.
I hope Paul and yourself get a decent amount of comment on this subject, and I wish you all the best and thank you both for taking the lead, I know I should have tried the Blog route for this but have little tolerance in my ability in most IT matters, Steve you may add this in full or part to the Blog comments, and to pass it onto Paul Kelly.
Merry Christmas, heres to expanding that waistline further, cheers
Barry.
I am quite happy with the current design. I think that it stands out very well. On last Sunday's ride the jersey was very visable from a long distance. I agree with Barry, it is a striking design without being totally over the top like many of the designs today.
ReplyDeleteThe last time the jersey was changed we had much fewer members: less old jerseys in circulation. We now have a healthy membership and many members will have a fair bit of money invested in a number of jerseys of the current design, which means that if the design is changed there will be two Clarencourt kits floating about for many many years to come as members may well feel reluctant to purchase new jerseys whilst the old jerseys are still in good condition.
Also, for those who decide to road race, are we allowed two kits of different design? Would riders be able to start wearing different club tops?
If a change of design is decided upon, I would suggest that it is brought in in three years or so, allowing the current jerseys to "depreciate" making it less of a burden to those who may have a number of the current jerseys and winter tops.
To be honest, I am in love with the 70's design which I think is a classic retro design. Sadly I cannot get in to the same jersey that I wore as a 13 year old! I will send Paul the design anyway!