Ask Oli: What do you do with old kit?

Gently used spandex, flowers and paying it forward.

Oliver Evans February 21, 2019

A hard-earned luxury afforded to those cyclists that get onto elite teams is the quality and quantity of free, new cycling kit we receive every year.

To keep up with our ever-changing partnerships, sponsors and kit regulations, or simply on account of switching teams, new kit is dished out ahead of every season. Since sponsors may be different, or the team’s look itself might change entirely, riders are contractually obligated to wear their most up-to-date kit at all times during training or racing; an expectation that makes perfect sense. However, this means that there is an excess of kit at the end of each season that these cyclists are no longer allowed to use. Much of it is usually in excellent condition.

Cycling can be a tough sport to get into due to the high cost of gear. As a junior, and before that, and even now, I’ve been very fortunate with regard to the support I’ve received. Many cyclists gave me lightly used jerseys and shorts, tires, sunglasses and other various bits of gear when I was younger. This alleviated a lot of pressure on myself and my family, as we simply couldn’t keep up with the financial demands of a young cyclist (who crashed a lot).

Ask Oli — Here I am riding in kit handed down from Stuart Wight, from a team he raced for in Europe. Wight raced for H&R at the time that he gave this to me, and I never imagined that one day I’d race for the same team as that guy. The glasses I’m wearing are from Jason Doverspike and the Garmin belonged to Team Mb and we took turns using it. I think the chamois butter I was using was brand new though.

Most riders have received support in much the same way. Every year, in an effort to pay it forward, I offer my kit to juniors. It ensures the kit isn’t being neglected or prematurely discarded, and literally helps a family.

I’ve developed a relationship with a lovely family on the island, and although I never expect anything in return, we have a bit of an agreement that in exchange for gear, I can have a beautiful bouquet of locally grown flowers from their farm. Conveniently, I recently found a jersey and some old shoes that needed a home. I dropped them off before a date and managed to find some wonderful flowers for the oh so lucky lady. It’s a win-win-win kind of deal!

So, I encourage all of you with extra kit that’s just kicking around to look up your local clubs and junior development programs to find some riders that need some kit. In Victoria, the Tripleshot club takes donations, in Tucson El Grupo will take some kit off your hands, and I’m sure there’s a team near you. Even if there aren’t any clubs, a kid without club support could be found on a local Facebook cycling group, for example!

In the interest of supporting the development of young cyclists, or simply to support cyclists of any age who may not have the financial means to get all the gear, and in the interest of the environment, hand it down! It feels good to give a young rider some kit, and put a smile on someone’s face (and have flowers for your date)!

RELATED: Ask Oli: Aftermath of a crash

Oliver Evans 20-year-old cyclist from Winnipeg, currently living in Victoria. In 2019, he will race with Trek Red Truck Racing.