A kit designed in Portland (by Gavin Rear) and made by a Portland-based company (Castelli US) for a Portland-based team has been singled out for recognition by America’s sanctioning body for bicycle racing.
USA Cycling announced last week that the Portland State University Cycling Team earned runner-up honors for Best Kit of 2019. The inaugural contest was held via USA Cycling’s Instagram where followers chose their favorite team kits from 64 teams around the country. (The winner was Colorado School of Mines, also made by Castelli.)
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Here’s what the team had to say about their great looking kit:
“When we were working on the new kit design our goal was to create something that could be raced in after the collegiate season was over. A piece that wouldn’t feel out of place at the local races, whether it was cyclocross or road. One of our teammates took the photos at one of our favorite roads for team rides. The new kit came alive amongst the greenery during the photo shoot. We also have a favorite sock combo for this kit, which are the matcha digi camo socks made by The Athletic. The Athletic is a local sock company that has been supporting PSU Cycling for many years, so we try our best to show off their socks as much as we can.”
The PSU Cycling Team competes in the NW Collegiate Cycling Conference where they were crowned Division Champs in 2014 and 2014. Follow them on Instagram and Facebook.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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Great work, Gavin!
Looks nice, but I don’t understand the appeal of wearing kit when riding around town. I feel bad when I pass those guys. I’m happy just being your average Fred…
The appeal of wearing kit around town is that when you’re riding up to Larch or out to Sauvie or maybe going out towards Vernonia is that it’s better to ride your bike to where you’re going.
When I pass someone who’s all kitted up in town while I’m doing errands or heading home from work on my commuter bike, I just tell myself that he or she is probably finishing up 50 or 75 miles and I’m wishing I could have gone with them.
Some of us have ridden a ways to get there.
I wear kit anytime I’m riding ‘for exercise’, even if it’s just a 20-minute ride. I’ve got a closet full of them from when I raced on a team that required us buy a new one every season, so I may as well wear them.
Interesting. I have no experience as a bike racer, but was formerly a competitive swimmer. I always trained in regular old swim trunks, while many of my peers would train in their race suits.The extra resistance from the shorts (which was substantial)wwas a big part of my training.
Did you ever get saddle sores in regular trunks?
Strange, I don’t see football players wearing their kit of a football helmet and shoulder pads when training around town. Baseball players in their uniforms… Bowlers with their wrist braces… Hey, don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautiful design, congratulations! Me personally, one man’s opinion, I just doesn’t get the appeal. If it makes your wheels spin and gives you that edge then go forth and be happy. Cheers!
See a lot of bowlers bowling their way down the street?
Don’t many teams ask that you wear your kit when out on rides in exchange for the perks you get?
My swim coach always said training in trunks was a bad idea because it was so much extra drag that it actually changed your form a bit. We only had one guy on the team who did it and he was hurt most of the time.
Exactly, train with the most resistance possible, not the least. Then when you’re in actual competition the racing kit gives your that extra bump you need.
It’s better than getting naked at the start of the ride.
I like getting naked before a ride!
I’m sorry you feel bad! Sounds rough.
I just came here to say “kit.”
Kit, kit, kit!
The only thing worse than calling your bike clothes “kit” is wearing a cycling cap under a helmet.
What should I wear under my helmet, then? And don’t say “nothing”, because I use the brim to keep the sun out of my eyes, and the rest to keep the sweat away from my eyes.
And a brimmed cap helps keep shield my eyes from those annoyingly bright bike lights.
If I don’t wear a cap I get striped burns on my bald head. So it seems like a pretty good idea to me.
Helps me stay warm on those long, wet, coldass commutes.
And helps keep the raindrops off my glasses.
Yet cycling companies still make them.
Back when I shaved my head, I used to get some interesting sunburn patterns on my dome. I wear caps now for a couple reasons – the brim keeps sun (and bugs) out of my eyes, and I no longer get stung on the head when I catch a bee in the bonnet.
I don’t know, I think the only thing worse than telling people what they should or shouldn’t call their clothes is telling people what they should or shouldn’t wear.
Based on perusing the Instagram feeds of all the top contenders in this kit race, it’s too bad that women don’t race bikes at the collegiate level. Oh wait, they do, but you’d never know it from what people choose to show as representative of their sport.
The homepage of the NWCCC website has women on it…
I’m glad my college cycling team has equal representation on their website, though I’m sure they are just one of the exceptions that proves the rule.
This is disingenuous at best, just looking at PSU and CO School of Mines, both have men and women represented and congratulated in multiple posts in the first nine pictures on Instagram.
Price is going up 10% next year!
Currently going to PSU and cannot for the life of me figure out how to meet up or ride with anyone on the psu cycling team. I’m not even fully convinced that they exist
Hi Wylie… You can email the team at portlandstateuniversitycycling@gmail.com.
From what I remember being on my collegiate cycling team is that they would be very eager to have you join them!
Stop by the PSU Bike Hub and chat with the staff there
Disappointed with the majority of these comments. It’s no wonder some folks are reluctant to give cycling a go; they might get judged for wearing the “wrong” clothes!
Can we give props to our local design talent for the national recognition? I’ve seen some of Gavin’s other work, and have been much impressed with his eye for detail.
BTW, I’ve only seen Gavin in a stretchy bike outfit once. The hundred or so other times I’ve seen him, he’s been wearing regular clothes and he uses his bike for transportation.
Right? Like you have to wear a skin suit or you’re going to get saddle sores and people can’t do big rides not dressed like the tour de france? I don’t think so.
Nobody here said you had to.
I want what I want, but I’m not going to dictate to anyone.
Sounds like a lot of sour grapes from people who can’t wear them. Well I can’t squeeze my fat ass into them but think they look super cool!
I was thinking of spray painting myself and just slapping a Castelli label on my ass – it’s the only way that stuff would fit.
LOL!
Hood River Velo (in its short life) partnered with them and I bought a variety of purpose-built Castelli gear, like their rain jersey which is impeccable. (Assos is the only other stuff I’ve found with similar high quality; it’s crazy $$ but I used to get free in exchange for hosting pro racers).
I found the sizing bizarre, to your point; at 6’4″ 180 lbs 34 waist XL generally fits fine. For Castelli the XXL is tight. Rain jersey feels like it’ll choke me to death, except it’s designed to fit perfectly in the more prone position racing or riding aggressively.
I took a sabbatical this summer and was shocked at how much my fitness declined when I didn’t have the daily double sprint to work and sprint home. I’m back at work now, but with a shorter commute and still feel like I’ve lost fitness…
Gorgeous designs! I zero understand the shade being thrown. These racers get to wear stunning kit designed by a super talented local. Yay!!!
Something positive to report and people gotta hate. Seriously check yourself, haters. Who cares if someone wants to wear lycra around town? Who cares if they don’t? Why are you being all judgy? Are you that perfect?
What is the fascination with black cycling clothing? Not only is derivative from a design standpoint, it’s functional camouflage on a dark Oregon day.