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The guide to custom cycling apparel in Canada

Dress your team, club or group of friends in the perfect kit

Determining which companies custom program suits your group’s needs the best is important to ensuring you know what to expect during the process. It’s important to select a company that provides everything your group wants at the price point and over the timeline you desire, and delivering the quality you expect.

You and your group have decided to get custom kit. But what company should you go with? There are many factors to consider when picking a clothing line for your unique gear. Below are six top companies and a brief look at their custom-clothing services to help you get started. Before you contact a company, make sure you and your club or team have discussed what you want to get. Do you know the number of items? The quality? How soon do you need them? Then, get in touch with companies that interest you to work out the details of your order.

RELATED: The Canadian Cycling Magazine guide to ordering custom kit

These companies all offer in-house design to help you get your ideas onto the clothes. They also have online shops for buyers on orders that qualify, accessories and a variety of styles to choose from. Prices vary depending on style you choose and order size so ask for an estimate when you contact them, and don’t be shy to compare a few options.

Biemme

 

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Minimum: 20 pieces split between two items
Delivery time: six to nine weeks
Contact: 877-756-4422, info@biemmeamerica.com
Website: biemmecustom.com

Throughout its history, Biemme has done apparel for WorldTour teams, gran fondos, mass participation events and amateur teams. Biemme’s production takes place in Italy. It hasa 20-piece minimum on custom orders, with a minimum of 10 units per item.

“We offer the best quality for price,” said Logica Sport regional director Leo Incollingo. “We aren’t the highest end. We have a product range that is a mid-end price point that is mid-to-high-end quality.”

The company has a focus on cycling clubs and smaller teams. “We have an online store dedicated to clubs and teams where all members can go to make their order, “ said Incollingo. “Service is always No. 1. Without that we will just be another company. The goal is to give a little bit extra that you won’t see elsewhere.”

Incollingo added that as the volume of an order reaches 50 units, clubs will start to get even better value. With a range of styles and accessories, Biemme will also provided interested groups with fit kits, to make sure everything is perfect once the order comes in.

Castelli

 

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Minimum: 10 piece minimum
Delivery time: Eight weeks
Contact: Contact through website
Website: Castelli-cycling.com

A big advantage to ordering custom is that you pay less than buying off the shelf. With a brand such as Castelli, the kit sponsor of Ineos Grenadiers, that means you will pay 30 to 40 per cent less for the same item in the custom program than you would elsewhere, said François Colameo of MV Canada. Of course, the added benefit is the clothing has your chosen graphics.

Castelli offers a custom program that starts with a 10-unit minimum. Castelli also offers many specialized pieces in their lineup for riding in variable, cold or wet conditions.

Once the design process has begun, fit kits will be sent for up-to 10 days. Castelli’s lineup includes accessories, kits ranging in cut from training to racing and apparel for all conditions.

Giordana

 

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Minimum: 10 piece minimum
Delivery time: Eight weeks
Contact: (704) 588-7555, custom.clothing@giordanacycling.com
Website: giordanacustom.com

Giordana has an extensive collection of apparel in its custom program. The company has a kit for any occasion and accessories to match, which can all be customized.

“Getting a good-quality garment represents who you are. First impressions are everything,” said Bronko Glavich of Uno Imports, who supply Giordana kit to Canadians. “You get what you pay for. The identity of a club is critical. For sponsors, they want the logos to go on quality stuff.”

Giordana likes working with groups on two-year cycles during which the design can remain the same. “It’s more cost efficient to order good quality garments that will last for two years, which is usually the life cycle of any given design.”

Giordana has 10-unit minimums. You can combine men’s and women’s pieces to reach that minimum. The company offers downloadable templates and doesn’t charge art fees.

Jakroo

 

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Minimum: No minimums
Delivery time: two weeks
Contact: 877-252-5766, info@jakroo.ca
Website: jakroo.ca

Jakroo a Canadian company focused on custom with no retail line of apparel. On the company’s site, you can see how much items will cost depending on the size of your order. Jakroo has no minimums, which means you have a lot of flexibility when ordering. The delivery time on custom kit is very quick with orders fewer than 50 items delivered within two weeks, while orders for more than 50 pieces take as long as three weeks, said Ron Hayman of Jakroo.

A team’s store is always left on standby so, if midway through the season a group member wants to make another order, they are never more than two weeks away from a new kit. For racing teams, this feature can be attractive if an athlete needs a replacement kit after a crash.

Louis Garneau

 

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Minimum: No minimums
Delivery time: Five weeks
Contact: 1-800-463-8356, or contact via website
Website: garneau.com

Another Canadian company, Louis Garneau is proud that its been making custom clothing for Canada’s national team for roughly 34 year. It has signed a contract to continue to do so until the 2020 Olympics. The relationship the company has with the team has helped with product development.

Garneau’s custom program has no minimums, but special programs allow smaller groups to make orders at more competitive pricing. The pricing grid starts at one, so if you only want to order one unit, it is possible. The company has worked with events such as the Gran Fondo Mont-Tremblant, the Ride to Conquer Cancer and the Garneau-Quebecor UCI continental race team.

Louis Garneau has an easy-to-navigate pricing list with a wide selection of pieces available in the program. Accessories and styles are available in different fits and for various cycling disciplines including cyclocross, mountain biking and performance gear for road racing.

The majority of Louis Garneau’s production takes place in Canada with only large-scale orders outsourced offshore. Once an order is made, items can be shipped to members directly if necessary.

Sugoi

 

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Minimum: No minimum
Delivery time: 5 weeks
Contact: 800-432-1335, customgear@sugoi.com
Website: sugoi.com/Custom

Sugoi have been doing custom apparel in Canada for the past 30 years.

Sugoi’s in-house design team is based in Vancouver. They do live art sessions via video conference to help make the design process easy to navigate. Buyers get two rounds of revisions and a 3D, 360-degree preview of the design before signing off. Sugoi can give training kits reflective details and work with florescent colours to make riders stand out on the road.

The company has clothing in racing and relaxed fit styles. Various styles can be combined for more competitive cycling. Payments and shipping can be managed through an online store.