This is the most I’ve laughed all day. Thank you for that!
It looks kind of “already bleached out from all that sun during the training runs” or “our kit team accidentally washed the tops with bleach” to me. I’d agree with member Nick, I guess. I’m just moderately whelmed.
I like it. Older designs too much “superhero” for my taste and look like they were designed by graphic designers on the payroll of the Social Security Administration or the Post Office. This looks like a proper, modern kit that top athletes in their 20s and 30s would be excited to wear. Plus it says USA really big so it will be easier to find riders in a crowd of unfamiliar jerseys.
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If you account for the fact that the road races will be taking place in hot sunny SoCal, I think the fabrics and colors have been optimized for the climate. The old saturated red white and blue jerseys look great but would be too hot for the LA Olympics.
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Everyone is entitled to, and will have, their opinions especially when it comes to aesthetics. Personally, I think the new kit looks great. The old design was very out of date and needed a re-think. The colors look a little washed out, but I’ll wait to see the design in different lighting conditions.
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I agree, I think it’s a great job.
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I took up cycling in the 1980s, so the old vertical stripe look is my benchmark for all USA kit. I think for a country with such a recognizable and iconic flag, the same rules should apply to team kit design as flag design: if you have to put large text on it to make it identifiable, you have failed as a designer. (Note that about half of the state flags in the US fail this test.) That rules out most of the national team kits for the last 30 years. Having said that, I think this is a net improvement on many of the recent national team kits I’ve seen. I’d just like to see Rapha look further back in time for their inspiration and give the really old kit the same updated design treatment. I like the fine stripes. Some of my favorite uniforms have had pinstripes. USA snowboarding in the 2010 Olympics looked awesome in pinstripes. France looked awesome in pinstripes in the 2024 Euro soccer tournament. France almost always has some of the best looking kit in international soccer tournaments. Can USA cycling hire their designer?
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it’s a good change of pace from all the terrible “just throw stars-and-stripes all over everything” kits that they’ve had so many times in the past
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That typeface looks orange! Is that in honour of USA’s esteemed Leader? Perhaps even insisted upon by said Leader?
Designers’ conversation:
”We need some ideas. What are some other countries whose flags are red, white, and blue?”
”Well, there’s the Netherlands, but their kits are orange so that doesn’t-”
”Bingo.”
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I appreciate the Netherlands reference was a joke, but actually, you might be onto something with regards inspiration from elsewhere.
I wonder if the designers went outside of cycling to get some inspirations. I’m thinking athletics, maybe, where Stars and Stripes are pretty rare in the USA kit.
In general, non Stars and Stripes USA kit tends to be dark blue, but perhaps the mesh design of the rapha kit tones the blue down a lot.
I also feel the photos maybe don’t do it justice and that in person it will look very different.
Still love the thought that it might have been inspired by the trans flag though.
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It would look much better if it didn’t scream Rapha. A subtle logo would be nicer.
definitely possible, although that is something designers should be taking into account too.
Got to see a fair amount of the kit on the TV coverage the CX worlds, particularly the U23 women. Definitely looked better there than the stills that have been posted. Would probably be better if the colors, especially the red, were a little darker.
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USA cycling sent out the email announcing it was available for purchase (and 20% off if you have a USAC license).
I live in a very ‘patriotic’ state with lots of big trucks driving around. Kind of wondering if more drivers would slow down or give me more room if I had USA printed across my back
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100% agree. I’m not a designer, and even if I were I’d be quaking in my boots if someone gave me red, white, and blue stars and stripes and told me to make it look good on an outfit. Whoever designed this kit did an absolutely outstanding job; I will be purchasing and wearing with pride.
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This is honestly one of the most tasteful kits I can remember seeing. @Maynard_G_Krebs mockup is a close second…
At first I didn’t like it but it’s really grown on me and looked pretty sharp over the weekend at CX Worlds. I ordered a jersey today.
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I like it, but not sure about the orange color. Is it in honor of our great leader’s skin?
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Yes, just had an email from Rapha highlighting this new design. Agree, not impressed.
Since I mostly ride in cool climates (Pyrenees or WA Cascades), I’m in long sleeves for 10 months of the year anyway, and like the regular Rapha wool jerseys. I find them comfortable up to about 20 C, and they’re not scratchy even when used alone.