I’ve got Aldi stuff & Rapha sale kit. There is absolutely no way that you could say that they are comparable. sorry.

Yeah I know, I was being silly. I used to be very cynical about Rapha’s marketing, you know, all the grimy, monochrome faux retro stuff and stuff about the Kings of Pain – try explaining your ‘Kings of Pain’ branded package to your postie – but then I got to try some of the kit for free.

I have to say that the bibs are really good, better than Assos ime, and the stuff’s generally very nicely made and well cut.

Is it ‘worth it’? Value’s a moving target. As a lot of people have already said, I don’t think I could justify buying Rapha at full whack, but given the other overpriced tat that our consumerist society throws out in the name of designer fashion and technological innovation, it’s not so far out of kilter really.

Kings of Pain though… 🙄

The only piece of Rapha kit I have is a cycling cap, which is very nicely made (should be for £25 – thankfully it was a freebe)

However, I do have a pair of Oakley racing jackets, which I guess means I’m on a sticky wicket when complaining about overpriced riding kit.

Looking at the prices some ‘hobby cyclists’ are willing to pay for bikes I’d say Rapha have positioned themselves well in the market place…
Those who feel the need to spend £2k on Zipp wheels for the Saturday morning club run (yep – have seen them around where I live) obviously have no issues with paying £200 for a pair of bibs.

Looking at the prices some ‘hobby cyclists’ are willing to pay for bikes

My bikes aren’t cheap, but I do reserve a big chunk of my nominal budget for clothing, helments and shoes. A good pair of shorts makes a lot more difference to your day than having Ultegra rather than 105, say.

🙂

I do like my rapha kit, have a club jersey for road biking, a couple of tour de france t-shirts, and socks lots of socks! Some of there urban range is good for mountain biking, ive got a a merino polo shirt really fits well and feels comfortable in the summer biking through the trees!

Heard good things about the padded bib shorts, but a little pricey for me, hopefully will get a pair with my bonus this year.

Those who feel the need to spend £2k on Zipp wheels for the Saturday morning club run (yep – have seen them around where I live) obviously have no issues with paying £200 for a pair of bibs.

If you want to spend 2k on a set of wheels for a club run then why not?! It’s just a hobby. If you’ve got the cash and it makes you smile then go for it. People spend a lot more on stamps, model trains, beer, coke and hookers… etc.

(I don’t have 2k Zipp wheels btw!)

Those who feel the need to spend £2k on Zipp wheels for the Saturday morning club run (yep – have seen them around where I live) obviously have no issues with paying £200 for a pair of bibs.

If you want to spend 2k on a set of wheels for a club run then why not?! It’s just a hobby. If you’ve got the cash and it makes you smile then go for it. People spend a lot more on stamps, model trains, beer, coke and hookers… etc.

(I don’t have 2k Zipp wheels btw!)

Absolutely – and that was my point – If you have £2k to spend on wheels then why not – I probably would if I had the money – just as I would probably buy Rapha bibs…

Absolutely – and that was my point – If you have £2k to spend on wheels then why not – I probably would if I had the money – just as I would probably buy Rapha bibs…

Fair enough, just sometimes the inverse snobbery you often get on these threads makes me feel like having a rant 🙂

I’ve got Aldi kit and it’s every bit as good as Rapha,

Really? what are the aldi overshoes like and their deep winter tights? and their merino base layers? what about their cycling caps? do they do a nice line of off the bike shirts that fit narrow waisted cyclists with broad shoulders or are they all for couch potatoes with a paunch?

And don’t get me started on people who take the Rapha coin, lead their so-called club rides or dress their defenceless 10-year-olds in Rapha when they’re too young to know what it is.

You have met my friend Will then? he’s a really nice bloke and dotes on his young son who loves to wear his Sky/rapha t-shirt when watching cycling or cheering on his Dad beating David Millar at hillclimbing (5th at last years Bec hillclimb) if you have been dissatisfied with his ride leadership then maybe let Rapha know?
I find it hard to believe anyone would have a bad word to say about him either professionally or personally.
Despite being a talented tailor who has made suits worn by oscar winners and being fairly handy on a bike he’s still just an everyday family man who loves cycling.
anyway i’ll let him know your concerns, i’m sure he’ll take them on board.

p.s. he rides a £7k bike, is that o.k?

Oohh… “oscar winners” was he that Spanish sprinter who retired a couple of years ago after having been world Champion 3 times?
Amusing levels of both snobbery and inverse snobbery.
I’ve got quite a bit of raphe – because I quite like it and it fits into the price band that I’m comfortable with. It has a similar level of performance to other similarly priced cycle clothing – I’m just rather going off it as it very much seems to have become driven by fashion publishing timescales rather than being designed functional clothing as it was before… but then I am wearing a pair of rapha / Raeburn jeans today so what do I know?

I’m pretty much howies and rapha kit now (all rapha has been sale prices), even the chap in the rapha shop agreed the howies kit is pretty nice.

MrSmith – Member
I’ve got Aldi kit and it’s every bit as good as Rapha,
Really? what are the aldi overshoes like and their deep winter tights? and their merino base layers? what about their cycling caps? do they do a nice line of off the bike shirts that fit narrow waisted cyclists with broad shoulders or are they all for couch potatoes with a paunch?

And don’t get me started on people who take the Rapha coin, lead their so-called club rides or dress their defenceless 10-year-olds in Rapha when they’re too young to know what it is.
You have met my friend Will then? he’s a really nice bloke and dotes on his young son who loves to wear his Sky/rapha t-shirt when watching cycling or cheering on his Dad beating David Millar at hillclimbing (5th at last years Bec hillclimb) if you have been dissatisfied with his ride leadership then maybe let Rapha know?
I find it hard to believe anyone would have a bad word to say about him either professionally or personally.
Despite being a talented tailor who has made suits worn by oscar winners and being fairly handy on a bike he’s still just an everyday family man who loves cycling.
anyway i’ll let him know your concerns, i’m sure he’ll take them on board.

p.s. he rides a £7k bike, is that o.k?

I think you may have missed my second post. The first bit was so silly I can’t believe anyone took it seriously, the second was a light-hearted dig at a couple of mates who post regularly on here. I’m sorry it sees to have wound you up 😐

not wound me up at all, i find it funny that people can be so annoyed by what clothes others wear, your post may have been in jest but Rapha seems to provoke some strong opinions (particularly from those that can’t afford it) which for me is one of the benefits of wearing rapha and the angst it provokes. people immediately judge you by it, it says more about them than the person wearing it.

Merino baselayers are rubbish for cycling no matter what the company.

Rapha certainly isn’t good value, but it isn’t supposed to be. For me I’d rather Castelli/Sportful or GoreWear for fancier stuff and then DHB for everyday commuting.

I’m more amused by the notion that the amount you spend on bike and kit should somehow be proportional to how good you are on a bike 🙂

It’s a bit like saying that if you are middle management then you should only be wearing shirts from M&S or Next, and leave the nice tailored stuff to senior management!

Merino baselayers are rubbish for cycling no matter what the company.

Spent a lot of time in the Rapha winter merino base last winter, a great bit of kit for the job.

I’m more amused by the notion that the amount you spend on bike and kit should somehow be proportional to how good you are on a bike

i’m even more amused by the fact it was posted on here

Rapha isn’t the only expensive/niche cycle clothing company around, it just seems to be the most well known (on here anyway)

Check out some of the brands they sell at alwaysriding.co.uk. They don’t make Rapha appear particularly expensive.

i’m even more amused by the fact it was posted on here

The irony was not lost on me, when you see posts of fancy new carbon santa cruz’s awash with colour coordinated Enve wheels and finishing kit that will only ever be used for dicking about around trail centres.

Rapha isn’t the only expensive/niche cycle clothing company around, it just seems to be the most well known (on here anyway)

It is however the one with probably the most cringeworthy marketing. Does make me wonder if it is all a bit tounge in cheek and they’re actually having a laugh. The clothing however is top notch.

Rapha seems to provoke some strong opinions (particularly from those that can’t afford it)

I can afford Rapha, I just choose mostly not to buy it at full price, I suspect a fair few others are similar.

Fwiw, I think people are entitled to make their own call on whether something represents ‘value’ to them, and that can mean anything from ‘enhanced performance’ to ‘enhanced image’, but yeah, it’s a bit daft to castigate others simply because their perception of what’s worth buying is different from your own.

I still think the whole ‘Kings of Pain’ thing is funny though. It sounds like the name of an SM mail order house. .. I guess to sum up, I like the product, but some of the marketing occasionally strays close to being self parody. Unless I’ve missed something and it’s tongue in cheek?

I’m with somewhatslightlydazed. Why does Rapha get all the Haters ranting. There are tons of high end bike brands that charge as much as/more than Rapha.

I’ve never heard an anti Gore rant, but their top jacket is £219 and bibs £189. Rapha equivalents are £260/200.

Dantsw13, I think it really boils down to their marketing. When I’ve used their web site to buy stuff I’ve often almost been put off by their marketing. I really don’t understand who it’s aimed at!

Ooh, I’ve just seen they’re doing a long sleeve wool jersey for £60. Thats actually quite cheap for a wool jersey.

I’ve just slid down the road and ripped the arm off my aging rapha “fixed” jersey. I’m quite tempted.

Nice but a bit pricey.

Honestly the stuff is good, had some of it myself and you can normally shift it one without too much of a loss.

http://www.tweekscycles.com/Product.do?method=view&n=3670&g=394162&p=394292&c=215&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Base&utm_campaign=Tights&gclid=COGF8eanrcUCFSvJtAodA3YAoA

doesn’t even come with a pad….

Assos, indeed very pricy kit. I have a couple of Swiss mates who wear it, say it really nice stuff and that I should try it sometime.. but to me it looks shouty.
But you should ride out in Switzerland one day, the roads are covered in the stuff. 😉

Assos (mostly in tir size) was by far the most popular gear in Mallorca recently.

I love my Assos shorts, but the tops just don’t fit me. The Rapha ones do so I wear those instead (annoyingly for my ocd which hates the mixed branding

I’ve got some Rapha merino base layers that must be four years old and have lasted really well. I’d buy again when they wear out.

A lot of their other stuff is just too expensive; I did fancy that Lammergaier-themed jersey they did but couldn’t justify it.

The rapha sale is very good, and the Rapharacinguk ebay shop has some extremely cheap stuff too.

Wouldn’t pay full price, but all their stuff I’ve had has been faultless. I’d hang on just now though, their annual survey usually comes out around now which normally gives 20% discount code on completion.

not wound me up at all, i find it funny that people can be so annoyed by what clothes others wear, your post may have been in jest but Rapha seems to provoke some strong opinions (particularly from those that can’t afford it) which for me is one of the benefits of wearing rapha and the angst it provokes. people immediately judge you by it, it says more about them than the person wearing it.

You find it strange that it provokes people, yet the ‘benefit’ of wearing it is to provoke angst in others?

I tend to wear what’s practical and comfortable on the bike and not care if anyone else likes it or disapproves.

I think the snobbery and inverse snobbery comes from the Rapha marketing. That last debacle with the interviews with Brick Lane types was awful. I think some people see it as not real cycling gear, and others see it as overpriced. It’s decent stuff and it’s overpriced. If there’s a sale on then I’ll usually be tempted by something.

A defencless ten year old. 😉

Aldi and Lidl stuff can be pretty bad. I have a few tops for biking and some from the motorcycling range that they put out a few years ago and the cut is hellish. The stitching and the placement of panels is poor too. Some items feel like you’ve possibly put them on back to front.

I don’t see Rapha as expensive and wonder why some folk moan about the price like it’s Savile freekin Row.

I like Rapha. Just to add another opinion into the mix, I actually really like the cut. Whilst the range of women’s cycle clothing is improving greatly, it can still be a bit hit and miss. For me, the cut and fit of Rapha kit is bang-on – technically it works really well, it’s comfortable, fits well, lasts ages and looks awesome.

In a previous life I’d happily spend money on nice clothes – so no difference for me. I spend more time on a bike these days, and if I can feel / look feminine too then I’m happy to pay a bit more for that 🙂

Could never bring myself to spend that much on cycle clothing, but some it looks ok. I’d be surprised if it’s 2-3x better than Gore etc…

Could never bring myself to spend that much on cycle clothing, but some it looks ok. I’d be surprised if it’s 2-3x better than Gore etc…

Probably not since it’s priced fairly similarly….

I don’t see Rapha as expensive and wonder why some folk moan about the price like it’s Savile freekin Row.

because not all people earn the same amount of money

Had a look at a Gore Xenon ss jersey the other day, nearly £100 and really nothing special – their stuff seems to me to be a weird mix of race style/leisure fit and the construction is all a bit “patchwork quilt”.

Rapha gear is expensive. I will admit that the design work is lovely, and (especially in recent years) their material choice and fit is absolutely top drawer. But, and it’s a big BUT, their stuff is still made in China, and I’m not 100% sure it’s worth the retail price.

Were it made in in England, I’d be happier paying the asking price. Imperial Works gear was the right idea, but added a further premium to an already premium price.

Why do you think China made wouldn’t be worth a high retail?

I’d be surprised if there’s any difference in quality between a high end Far East clothing manufacturer and a high end WE one.

I don’t think it’s a question of the quality in China, it’s more the marketing of Rapha being a British brand