Club Kit

Details: Written by Administrator; Published: 28 January 2014

Current Club Kit

Club Kit designs

In 2013 the club kit was redesigned and following a meeting of members the style was approved and new gear ordered. Here are the range of jerseys and changes over the years from 1948 to the present.

Orwell jerseys through the years
Many editions of the Orwell jersey (Photo courtesy of David Tansey)

A selection of current club kit (2019)

Ordering Club Kit

Kit is ordered in batches with approximately an 8 week lead time due to the custom nature of our designs. You will generally have to order kit a couple of months in advance. The club kit rep will open the club orders periodically through the year allowing you plenty of time to order the items you will need for the various events and seasons.

We offer winter and summer gear, skinsuits and a range of accessories. The club kit rep will confirm costs of each item when the online ordering system opens. All items are available in unisex or men's sizing. We also have a women specific range available since early 2018. For the unisex range, a male or female specific chamois can be chosen when ordering. The sizing charts below will help you choose the best fit. If there is a club sizing night planned, the kit rep will give plenty of notice of when this will take place. These nights are a great opportunity to try on the kit before ordering.

Kit is ordered directly from our kit supplier Velo Revolution. When a new kit order opens, a link to the Velo Revolution Orwell store will be posted on the forum. You order your kit from the store and pay Velo Revolution directly. The kit is then manufactured in factories in Italy before being shipped to Velo Revolution in Ireland. When the kit arrives in Ireland, Velo Revolution will post it out to members.

If you wish to keep an eye on when kit will be available to order, it's a good idea to subscribe to the kit sub-forum. You'll be notified of all new posts in the forum.

Please remember we are a volunteer-run club and not a shop. The Kit Rep gives his/her time voluntarily and is not being paid. The club does not make money on the gear.

Minimum Order Quantities

There is a minimum order quantity on all items of kit (usually five). If the minimum quantity isn't reached for a particular item on sale, anyone who has ordered it will be refunded by Velo Revolution.

Additional Items

While there is a huge range of kit that can potentially be provided, we'll only list what we think will sell at a particular time of year, e.g. summer gear early in the year, winter gear later on in the year. If there's a particular item you'd like to be made available in an order, this can be done provided there is sufficient interest as there is a minimum order quantity of five on most items. If five or more people request a particular item on the forum, can add it to the store.

One-off orders

If you're interested in getting a particular item, you don't need to wait for a kit order to open. Provided you can get enough people to reach the minimum quantity (usually five) we can get Velo Revolution to put it through. The best approach is to to find other interested parties via the forum and once you've got enough people, contact the kit rep.

Returns and Exchanges

Kit is manufactured to order and neither Orwell nor our kit supplier maintains stocks of kit, which means exchanges of items ordered in the wrong size is usually not possible. If you've gotten the wrong size, the best approach is to sell it to another member on the forum and order again next time around.

The sole exception to this is that the club has a small stock of short sleeved jerseys in the most popular sizes. Exchanges are possible if we have your desired size in stock. The exchanged item must be unused, with labels and original packaging. We can't accept used kit as we will not be able to resell it at the retail price. To do an exchange, contact the kit rep.

If there is a flaw or something wrong with your new kit, we can put you in touch with Velo Revolution.

Club Kit Discount for Youths

A discount on club kit is available annually to all youth members. The club will allow each youth to claim a 50% discount on a jersey and a pair of shorts (or a skinsuit) up to a total value of €50 once a year. Please contact the Youth Rep for further details on how to claim this discount.

Sizing Chart

Click through for bigger images.

Caring for your new VeloRevolution Kit

The better you treat your bibshorts ‘On and Off’ the bike, the longer they will last…

Your bibShorts should be a snug fit otherwise the chamois will not stay in the correct position. Movement should be between your bibshorts and your saddle not between the chamois and your bottom. For longer spins you can always apply some chamois cream which will provide an additional barrier, which will take the vibration.

Soon after your ride, wash elasticated fabrics or if you cannot, rinse them to flush out the bacteria and sweat. Avoid sitting on abrasive surfaces like stone or brick walls. Use non-bio detergents at 30c, wash inside out exposing the chamois. Hang them inside out in the shade. Don’t use a tumble dryer as the intense heat can affect the high tech lycra. If you have Velcro items also in the wash, use a pillowcase or a wash bag to keep them away from the bibshorts material. When out riding, watch out for your saddlebag moving from side to side or the zip end of your jersey/gilet as they could cause abrasive contact with your bibshorts.

VeloRevolution General Washing Instructions:

Key washing instructions for the new High Tech items you are wearing:

1) Wash separately, If possible from your everyday normal wear. This will stop rougher articles such as Jeans or Velcro based items rubbing against your High Tech Cycling Kit. Washing Bags can help with this.

2) Piling: The result of abrasion on coarse surfaces. We strongly suggest not to use embroidered or particularly abrasive bike saddles. Please ensure also that any Velcro is not in direct contact with the fabric. Do not wash Bibshorts or BibTights together with gloves, bags or rucksacks if they are Velcro based.

3) Deterioration of fabric: Sweat generates odour-causing bacteria and as your new high performance fabrics are very delicate and deteriorate with use, we suggest you wash the garments immediately after each ride and not to store still wet /damp items in a plastic bag or any other closed environment for long.

4) Before washing: Turn your garments inside out and for any articles with zips: zip them up. This will protect all your kit, if they did rub off other items or indeed rub off the inside of the washing drum. Thermal Jackets or other Long Sleeve items do not need to be inside out as the material is more substantial.

5) Max 30c Wash Temperature: This should be high enough. If you need to apply some vanish on stains before this or soak the item this can be done.

6) Use mild liquid/powder detergent: NonBio is what we recommend. Please DO NOT use BIO powder, as it is too harsh on the materials. Avoid powders that are 2 in 1 or 3 in 1 etc. Normal everyday non-bio is adequate.

7) Do not use bleach or softeners: They destabilize the High Tech Lycra over time.

8) Dry your garments flat or hanging: Please do not use the dryer. Intense heat will destabilize the fabric.

9) Do not iron your items: Velorevolution products do not require ironing.

Kit Crash Replacement

Orwell introduced this to help offset what can be an expensive part of cycling - crashing. If you contact the kit rep for more information you may be able to avail of a discount of up to 50% on replacement kit. This incentive is designed to compensate regular and active members of the club.

1. The following conditions must be satisfied by the member at the time of the crash:

· Riders must be a current Orwell member with fees paid in full.

· The member must be known to the committee, or vouched for.

· Members should be regularly seen at races or events in Orwell colours.

· Members must be in good standing with the club and committee.

2. The crash must occur during an endorsed event, which includes

· A CI or UCI endorsed race.

· A CI or UCI endorsed leisure event.

· A club organised event, including the regular winter Sunday spins.

· Other events as the committee sees fit.

· Members are covered during spins, or from when the spin leaves its meeting point until the group disperses (there are less than 3 people).

· Not included are Informal spins among members.

3. Members are eligible for one crash replacement only per calendar year.

· If more than one item is damaged in a single crash, they are all valid for replacement

4. The discount is limited to jerseys, shorts and skinsuits

· Discount can only be used on the same type of kit - e.g. you cannot shred a jersey and use the discount on a skinsuit.

5. The crashed kit must be the current design, you cannot trade an old design for new.

6. Kit should be submitted to the committee for inspection at the next (usually monthly) meeting, along with the details of the crash.

· Damage must be irreparable, a small tear in an unobtrusive spot will not warrant a discount.

· The committee's decision is final.

7. If all the conditions are satisfied, members can avail of a discount of up to 50% on replacement item(s). Members must pay in full and will then be reimbursed on production of the receipt.