RUSA Jersey Design Concepts

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I'd like to open up a (non-board sponsored) discussion on what RUSA members might like to see in a RUSA jersey design. As folks on the RUSA Facebook group may know, I've been working on a handful of design concepts over the past two weeks, and I've gotten invaluable comments both online and offline. I'd now like to engage the larger RUSA membership with a simple survey to see if we might possibly move forward to designing a national jersey (and/or possibly a PBP jersey for next year). What you need to do is simply rank the design concepts from 1 (best) to 8 (worst). Each design concept is followed by a jersey rendering on which you can vote. Please note that these are just concepts at this point, with colours, logo placements, etc, all to be decided at a later date should any of the concepts move forward. Please also note that this isn't coming from the RUSA board; I'm simply a volunteer throwing out a few ideas out there and trying to engage a wider ridership audience. Hopefully this may prompt others to come up with other options and designs.

Many thanks for your time.

--Patrick Chin-Hong (RUSA #6365).

Concept 1: Exploration. This design was inspired by a recent rando trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains and the sense of exploration we get when we allow ourselves to go outside our comfort zones. The colour scheme is a subtle nod to Old Glory without being too literal and heavy-handed: the blue hues of the hills suggest adventure, freedom of the open road, self-sufficiency and a bit of zen, and the red line running down the middle represents some of the hardships we may endure out on the road. A single star is both a playful design element and a nod to the nighttime riding we may encounter during the longer brevets. Instead of the national club name, this jersey design represented for me a more introspective and singularly solitary journey, and hence the decision to use "American Randonneur" instead of "Randonneurs USA."

Concept 1: Exploration. Of the 8 concepts in the survey, where do you rank this one?

best concept

worst concept

Clear selection

Concept 2: Wanderlust. This design was inspired by a deep desire for travel brought on by the pandemic. It represents the fifty states with a landmark from each state, each against a backdrop of the same blue mountain range used in the first design, itself meant to evoke a sense of curiosity and exploration. The very last circle is the Eiffel Tower, which is a nod to our sport's French roots, and more directly for some represents a journey towards PBP. The font is also meant to inspire travel, in a retro, truck-stop, road-trip sort of way, with the #thatsrando hashtag as a playful element at the bottom. The names of the states were deliberately left out so as not to crowd the design, but also to allow us (and perhaps curious fellow riders nearby) to wonder and guess a little. (Hint: the states are in alphabetical order.) For illustrative purposes, the jersey renderings also show a hi-viz pink version.

Concept 2: Wanderlust. Of the 8 concepts in the survey, where do you rank this one?

best concept

worst concept

Clear selection

Concept 3: Breton Stripes. Rooted more in strong typography and abstract graphic references than the previous two, this design was inspired by the famous 21 Breton stripes, in honour of the region and peoples of Western France where PBP rolls through. The 21 stripes represent each of Napoleon Bonaparte's victories, and apparently was chosen back in the day for high-contrast visibility in rough seas--the mid-nineteenth century version of hi-viz. The colour scheme is a reference to the colours of the Breton flag, with the stripes motif carrying to the neck and sleeve bands. The three red stars add a playful element that represents both the nighttime aspect of our sport and is a personal nod to my rando club (hint: the third state to join the Union).

Concept 3: Breton Stripes. Of the 8 concepts in the survey, where do you rank this one?

best concept

worst concept

Clear selection

Concept 4: Contours. This design was inspired by the simple contour lines of the land we travel across while cycling. Specifically, in this case, the middle panel represents the topography of the highest point of PBP, the gradual climb up the often-mentioned Roc'h Trevezel just outside the halfway point of Brest. In this panel, the PBP route runs east-west roughly halfway up the graphic. Instead of the elevation numbers, the contour line markings represent the various nominal ride distances offered by our sport, from 100k to 1200k events. Again, for illustrative purposes, the jersey renderings show hi-viz options in yellow, pink and green.

Concept 4: Contours. Of the 8 concepts in the survey, where do you rank this one?

best concept

worst concept

Clear selection

Concept 5: Amy X Patrick Collaboration. This was inspired by the work of Amy Gumprecht, local American encaustic artist and ancienne (circa PBP 2019). I chose three pieces of her art that were all done after her adventure in Western France and which resonated strongly from a randonneuring perspective (see Facebook post for details if interested). I deconstructed and re-interpreted the pieces into a "quilt" using the incredible textures of her art as a backdrop for a hi-viz pink design, and with the simplest of fonts chosen to allow the underlying artwork to "breathe." Perhaps not an obvious cycling theme as some jerseys, there is a very strong randonneuring subtext within the art, itself. In the jersey rendering, I included a red-white-blue option with the special appearance of a controversial element, our club logo.

Concept 5: Amy X Patrick Collaboration. Of the 8 concepts in the survey, where do you rank this one?

best concept

worst concept

Clear selection

Concept 6: The Logo. A highly charged and controversial topic for years, why not show our old Microsoft clipart logo a little love? Rendered in red-white-blue with Amy Gumprecht’s beautiful artwork as the backdrop (see Jersey Concept 5), this design was inspired by the love/hate relationship with the RUSA logo and the wars that have been fought on both sides to keep it or replace it. Instead of reducing the logo to a tiny element, I went the opposite direction and embedded it unapologetically in a backdrop of bold, graphic text, with deliberate placement to remove some of the elements that made the piece of clipart a "logo," so to speak, allowing it to return to its origin as a strong graphic element. For illustrative purposes, the jersey renderings show yellow/green/pink hi-viz versions as well as a red-white-blue version with the background textures removed for a flatter look.

Concept 6: The Logo. Of the 8 concepts in the survey, where do you rank this one?

best concept

worst concept

Clear selection

Concept 7: Our Clubs. This design was inspired by the 56 rando chapters currently active across the US. It is an acknowledgement of how scattered we are across the country yet bound together by the common love for our sport. It is a gentle nudge for us to explore other regions beyond our immediate geographies, to meet others who share our passion for randonneuring, to enjoy the camaraderie of other clubs, to invite others into our club to ride with us, to be ambassadors of and for our sport. This design is more playfully whimsical than previous ones, with a (non-logo!) element splashed across the chest against an off-centered spiral, the latter which represents how we sometimes feel during the long rides, and how others think of us when they learn what we’re doing ("You're biking how many miles? I don't even drive that far in my car!") In the background is a list of all the (current) American clubs. The jersey renderings show a red-white-blue version and the three hi-viz versions. (PS: Yes, I realise I got the date wrong!)

Concept 7: Our Clubs. Of the 8 concepts in the survey, where do you rank this one?

best concept

worst concept

Clear selection

Concept 8: The Spoof (aka, Don't Sue Me, It's a Joke). For those who love a particular brand that will go unnamed, this one needs no explanation. It’s also not really a viable option, just here for comic relief.

Concept 8: The Spoof (aka, Don't Sue Me, It's a Joke).

best concept

worst concept

Clear selection

Please let me know if you have any comments, positive or negative. (Remember, these are just concepts at this point.) Thanks for playing along and thanks for your engagement.

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