The Kit Vote is Live

[Lister Farrar]

Don't some clubs require members to buy kit each year? I think our junior team members have to, don't they?

Correct, they do. But that's because some of the sponsors (e.g. the ones contributing $5K-$10K per year) require that all the kids wear the current design, particularly given how frequently they end up being photographed on the podium!

The youth team program provided a free jersey* from the youth sponsorship funding, precisely because of the issue of recognizing current sponsors.

(*short term program participants got a prorated discount jersey.)

After that our recommendation for any rider still growing, and on a budget (actually, that describes me in winter after Christmas ), is to go with plain black shorts, a variety of generic underlayers, black arm warmers and leg warmers and a plain clear rain jacket. And if budget allows, a club wind shell for a stuff-able training layer and the podium. Everything else is an indulgence.

I found it much easier to accept a design I might not have chosen in a store, is to see it as the symbol of a club I believe in.

Shopping list:

• Women's clinics
  newbies welcome
  friendly atmosphere
  youth program
  4 morning rides a week
  parties
  all-comers races
  silly special events (I'm still boggled by 100 laps of Beacon)
  open discussion about everything from etiquette to coffee

Check. I'll wear anything for that.

L

[bisonesque]

Perfect point Lister!

* LIKE

Alex

[Claire]

I also like what Lister said. And at risk of coming across as overly adamant, I did want to share one more thought on the "buy or don't buy" whatever new kit we end up with at the end of this.

It's that what'll make this kit look good is not whether it complements your skin tone or flatters your hips just so. We're all different and it's sure to please some more than others. It'll be that it looks good because it looks like our club. The more people wearing it, the more it looks like Tripleshot and the more we appear as a proud and unified club - one united for all the reasons Lister mentioned above (but mostly the coffee and the wicked workouts).

So wear it in a crowd of others likewise bedecked and find beauty in our uniformity.

[Lister Farrar]

I’m wondering though if we could revisit the design reveal at time of receipt. If the design is what one likes, one might indulge in matching items. If it’s going to clash with ones skin tone, one might choose to go with plainer accessories such as plain black arm and leg warmers. If we don’t know the design, one would then have to wait to order until you see it, and wait many weeks after that.

[LouiseF]

My sense is that not wanting to order something expensive that you haven't seen yet has more to do with practicality and people's actual budgets than it does with not supporting or believing in the club.

Supporting and believing in the club has to do with being supportive, being inclusive, being friendly and behaving yourself on the road as best you can.

[Greg F]

I think it should be highlighted that the first three folks with reservations over ordering the kit “sight unseen” all have done more for this club than the vast majority of us combined.

Even if I were for a reveal party, I’m happy to defer to their reasonable requests.

[Ann]

First of all, thank you to everyone that has put time and effort into the kit design and the process!

I would like to clarify that I am perfectly happy with the kit reveal process going ahead as described by Martin. I just meant that I might not order this time around. I will really try to attend the party, though, and will consider ordering in the fall.

[Paula]

Sorry if my earlier post came off as ungrateful of the work done by the kit committee. Thank you to the committee!!

I think Andrew suggests a good option. Tell those that would like to know before they order what they are ordering with the promise to keep it a secret so those who want to order without knowing and want the surprise get the surprise. We all kept the secret about Santa, I am sure we can keep the secret about the kit.

There are a bunch of women who are training for Masters, so if the kit is the one they hope for, it would be great to have the same kit in time for that, so we look like a tripleshot team.

[Mark C]

I would also like to thank the design gang, I wouldn't order without seeing the kit first but a pub night would be great.

After reading Paula's last post I think she needs to explain herself regarding some kind of secret regarding Santa or for those of us from the other side of the pond Father Christmas.

Cheers Mark

[Bosie]

I vote to keep the reveal a surprise.

At the end of the day, the process has been transparent and thorough. Fozzy and his team have done great work engaging the club, sorting through the various designs and coming forward with the finalists. No chance everyone is going to be happy with the design from an aesthetic point of view as we all have different tastes.

For the record, I like some of them and dont like others, but I respect the process and because Im a member of the club,I will buy whatever kit wins the day. I'd like to identify myself as a Tripleshot member more than I care about what I look like on a bike in the rain at 6am in the morning.

Even if I hate the winning design, Im wearing it because thats what the MAJORITY of the club believe should be the kit for the club.

We will likely keep the new kit for 5 years (maybe more) Those who feel that they dont want to commit in case their favorite doesnt win can wait until after the reveal.

For those doing Masters Nationals who are concerned about not all looking the same, you will either have to commit to the new kit or not. Its likely some wont like the new design whatever the decision. Some will want the new kit and some wont. If the argument is that you need to wait until after the reveal to make a decision, half the team will still be riding in the old kit and some in the new whatever the final choice. If its important to your team at Masters Nationals to wear the same kit, decide now whether you all want to wear the old kit or the new kit. Waiting until the reveal will not change your dilemma.

Buy the new kit and be cool.

[EricS]

Of course I will wear the winning kit, but could someone answer at least my first question?

Are there designs for the shorts? or are the coming later?

I find it hard to vote on a design if I cannot see the shorts.

Even a text description would be great.

Thanks,

Eric

[Fozzy]

Hi Eric

There will be designs for the shorts
For the dark blue and pink kit, it is anticipated that the the sides of the shorts will match the colour of the sides of the jersey. The lower leg portion will be the pink argyle.
More details to follow for the other shorts.

Cheers

Neil

[mfarnham]

Hey folks,

A couple things.

The kit will get "designed out" around the winning jersey submission, with lots of input from the supplier. We tried to get a supplier to do all three kits for us (with shorts, warmers, etc) before the vote, but they weren't keen on doing that until we made a commitment to them which we hadn't done at that point. Anyway, we are well aware that key wear spots need to be kept dark, as is the kit supplier. Our supplier for the new kit will be announced later this week, by the way.

On the reveal. In an effort to keep the fun of a surprise reveal while catering to the needs of the highly risk averse, we are prepared to designate a club member as "informant" for those who really need to know (Andrew's suggestion above). We expect a volunteer not currently on the kit committee to handle that--presumably someone who wants to know the kit before they order--because we'll be busy setting up a fitting date (for people to try on sizes before ordering), coordinating with the supplier on final design tweaks, and setting up the store. We will try to see whether the supplier can set up a parallel store that allows "peekers" to peek at the full kit and the "surprise-loving" to be kept in the dark...no promises on that though. If you choose to learn what the winning kit is, please keep a lid on it. Don't be my third-grade teacher who sat us all down and told us Santa didn't exist (yes...I was still clinging to hope).

Volunteer, anyone?

Remember to email me if you run into any trouble voting. Polls close Wednesday at 5 (your email invitation may have said Thursday but that was an error).

Martin

[AJ Neale]

Well, since it was my suggestion ........ I'll volunteer to be the secret dispenser. I might just feel like the ultrasound technician telling a couple the sex of their baby!

Andrew

[mfarnham]

Here's an update on the kit.

The kit vote closed yesterday at 5. Tim Gijzen and John Fyfe joined me to supervise the vote count. We used all the individual survey responses to run a single transferrable vote, as described in the January 27 email sent to members. There was 84% voter turnout (among paid up members). The winning kit did not receive an outright majority in the first round, but was the vote leader in the first round. It won in the second round. I'll provide more details of the vote when the big reveal is done.

If you're wondering why I'm not revealing the winner now, read further up this thread.

Our supplier is going to be Jakroo. There will be some design back and forth with them over the next week. We hope to open an online store shortly after that. We're also working to schedule a "kit fitting" so that people can try on the articles of kit (without the design on it) that will be in the online store, so that they can choose sizing confidently. Pricing will involve bulk discounts so we will continue doing 2 big kit orders a year, sent to a single address. One-off ordering will be permitted at other times of year, though at higher prices.

Thanks to the kit committee for all their ongoing work on this.

Best, Martin