Endura - I have bought some of their stuff in the past and it was all good quality. Lately some of the stuff just isn't up to scratch. I've had shorts, socks and gloves fall to bits after a few weeks. I'm very cautious with them now and tend to look elsewhere.
Aldi - Although some of the cycling items are tempting because they are cheap, I've learnt the hard way. Everything I've bought with the exception of the socks have been quite poor. I end up having to buy better quality stuff in the end.
I also try to keep away from main brands such as Specialized etc as they are very overpriced for what you get. I think you end up paying for the name. After some research on the internet, most bike frames are made in China or the far east in anyway. Why pay an extra £500 because a company has put their brand on it?
ScotRoutes wrote:Superstar - after the owner dissed a friend of mine on a forum and was subsequently caught out being a dick by slagging off (anonymously) a competitor.
On One/Planet X - No need to go into it all again but the company seems to be founded on a basis of compulsive lying.
Gotta agree with Colin on both of these points.
Last edited by Teetosugars on Tue Mar 18, 2014 10:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Outdoors brands
-Arc'teryx Probably the best brand out there. Most innovative brand that I'm aware of for clothing etc. Not cheap but lasts much better than other kit
-Patagonia Maybe it's their marketing but I do like what they stand for. Also, most of their kit is technical but doesn't look out of place on the high street
-Mountain hardware Had plenty of their kit and it all works solidly without fuss.
Cycling brands
-Crikey, how much I know, I know. It's expensive, has great marketing but it's so well put together. Their kit still looks new 5 years on.
-Giro Works and fits, enough said
-Oakley Had a pair for 7 years and worn almost daily. Great investment!
Formula hydraulic brakes (never again)
A big failure on the front this weekend, might be cheaper to replace than repair, but you need to spend double as you need to match the front and back
RobMac wrote:Karrimor not the quality they used to be.
How far back are you going? I had some crap boots from them in 1997 and vowed never to buy anything of theirs again. On the other hand the lightweight softshell jacket & trousers I bought last year are brilliant vfm.
Got a Karrimor courier bag, had it for about 7 years, doesn't look much different from new, just dirtier, brilliant.
Got a Karrimor down jacket, was cheapish, it does the job but will buy something better when it dies.
Once upon a time they produced some quality gear, it was well made and innovative. For one reason or another the name was sold off and stuck onto various bits of far eastern tat and the brand became a 'pile it high sell it cheap' operation. Sometime between 2 and 3 years ago, someone, somewhere decided to brand a few bits of reasonable gear with the Karrimor logo and over the last few years they've continued to improve and even started to innovate again to a degree (or at least source innovative products).
I think opinions of the brand will be dictated by just when you experienced their products.
Doesn't Mike Ashley own karrimor? Enough to put me off for life
Borrowed one of their sleeping mats last year for WRT, it delayed during the night and I woke up cold. It confirmed my suspicions about the brand, utter useless
Yeah, pretty sure SD own them now, only reason I bought the stuff recently is because I know its not going to the same firm that made my crappy boots. I think they've sunk and resurfaced a few times now.
At least they arent Muddy Fox. Now THERE'S a brand thats gone from Hero to Zero and beyond!
voodoo_simon wrote:Doesn't Mike Ashley own karrimor? Enough to put me off for life
Borrowed one of their sleeping mats last year for WRT, it delayed during the night and I woke up cold. It confirmed my suspicions about the brand, utter useless
One inexpensive mat? A bit harsh! You can spend loads and still get a duffer!
Once upon a time they produced some quality gear, it was well made and innovative. For one reason or another the name was sold off and stuck onto various bits of far eastern tat and the brand became a 'pile it high sell it cheap' operation. Sometime between 2 and 3 years ago, someone, somewhere decided to brand a few bits of reasonable gear with the Karrimor logo and over the last few years they've continued to improve and even started to innovate again to a degree (or at least source innovative products).
I think opinions of the brand will be dictated by just when you experienced their products.
I steer clear of rockshox because my Mag21s used to blow their seals pretty much every ride. 20 years later, I still avoid them. I did buy a reverb seatpost for my fun bike, and guess what, it's just died on me. Time for a full and messy service. Great.
Superstar. Thought I got some good and cheap wheels. Didn't last a year. Busted hubs, cracked freewheel body, badly tensioned (did tension them for ages first thing I received them), badly greased (when new) hubs. And then the rest was poor show too, but that's not Superstars' fault. Pacenti rim, CX-Rays spokes - useless for regular trail use.
To be fair, the customer service was alright after my first two protests. I use pedals from Superstar - they've held up alright so far - so not all seems too bad.
I dislike most of the large outdoor brands, they just don't produce things I think well designed.
I do like (love) Inov-8, Stans rims, anything from SRAM and Hope (hubs) and outdoor brands that push the boarders and most cottage industries.
