Rapha-Sky ends 2016

Lots of sale stuff next year then 🙂

In 2012 Rapha announced the beginning of a four-year Partnership with the world’s number-one professional racing team, Team Sky. Rapha has been a part of Team Sky’s countless achievements since then, including two Tour de France victories and success on all types of terrain and in all conditions. Together, we have redefined performance and style in the peloton, both on and off the bike. It’s been an amazing ride so far and the success of the Partnership has been beyond expectations.

After reflection and discussion, both Rapha and Team Sky have decided not to renew our Partnership beyond the current four-year deal, which concludes at the end of the 2016 season.

For the next year Rapha will focus on the Research and Development projects that are already in progress with the team. With several special new products due to be released in 2016, we now look forward to an exciting final season with Team Sky and celebrating the Partnership in style.

Going forward Rapha will continue to find Partnerships that serve and connect with our customers wherever they are from, and across the many levels and disciplines of this beautiful sport. The success of our Cycle Clubs and the RCC (Rapha Cycling Club) gives us the confidence to keep moving forwards, to try new ventures and trust our instincts. From 2017 we will continue to support racing in many ways, especially locally, but we will also focus on new geographies, partnerships and categories. We will be announcing news on these exciting developments soon.

Good, the Adidas stuff looked much better….let’s see a return to that please!

Aldi ftw

Kinda glad about that really.

Whilst a lot of what Rapha have done in development linked to Sky has been very beneficial to us lot, it does now seem to have come to a natural end.
The Pro Team stuff is just amazing, the new range is clearly head and shoulders above what has been in the range. I hope the development continues and I see supporting a more Corinthian spirit in racing/riding the way forward.
The Clubs (RCC) are fantastic, we get to meet folks from all over the world who ride in the same spirit. That alone has been a huge success for them.

I fully expect Sky to adopt the Adidas range the Track guys and Olympic guys use, seems to fit nicely into their outlook too.

Box Hill will be strewn with finances Rapha tops! The sponsorship has clearly been good for Rapha and I presume they’ll continue sponsorship of other people.

In some ways the team sky and other rapha side didn’t really feel right together. I think their following is strong enough to go well without running a mass line of replica kit in black.

Am I the only one who is hugely meh about Adidas as a cycling kit brand? Maybe I’m too conservative (small c) but I have no interest in wearing or buying a generic big sport brand looking to expand into a different market it has no heritage in? I’d also have thought that was quite a common attitude amongst old school roadies (who I appreciate are a smaller market than the newer riders who make up the boom).

In some ways the team sky and other rapha side didn’t really feel right together.

I always thought that too – the niche/elitist ethos of Rapha and the mass-market, Fox Corporate monster of Sky always seemed an odd mix, but then what do I know.

Am I the only one who is hugely meh about Adidas as a cycling kit brand? Maybe I’m too conservative (small c) but I have no interest in wearing or buying a generic big sport brand looking to expand into a different market it has no heritage in? I’d also have thought that was quite a common attitude amongst old school roadies (who I appreciate are a smaller market than the newer riders who make up the boom).

adidias have made cycling kit for 40 years or more… you probably just don’t really see much of it in the UK.

I can’t see them going back to Adidas, the track and road side are going away from each other, I’m sure Sky are stopping the sponsorship of the track team imminently too.

No idea who it will be next but I suspect it’ll be a bog name, Assos maybe? They don’t sponsor anyone in the pro peleton do they?

the niche/elitist ethos of Rapha

You know who owns rapha don’t you?

Makes a lot of sense, Rapha have had huge exposure from the Sky deal and would continuing to fork out the same huge amount bring them to the same amount of new customers again?

If Adidas do pick it up then I guess they’ll expect to gain credibility as a top-end kit manufacturer – and they certainly have the money to invest in technology and expertise.

No idea who it will be next but I suspect it’ll be a bog name

Twyford? Armitage Shanks?

isnt the adidas stuff all made by Nalini anyway?

while there are many good reasons to buy Rapha kit. Cycling heritage is not one of them….

I never got the fit between Rapha and Sky either, always seemed odd to me. Assos don’t sponsor trade teams for a good reason, they believe their kit to be good enough that it will sell its self.

If Adidas do pick it up then I guess they’ll expect to gain credibility as a top-end kit manufacturer

I don’t think that’s true, its all about reinforcing the brand with the general public. Adidas don’t really do high end kit in many areas, except maybe football boots. Most of it is mass consumer, fashion driven items.

You know who owns rapha don’t you?

several shareholders including Active Private Equity, a firm who also own part of Finisterre and Evans Cycles? Which is irrelevant to the image/ethos/elitism of them as brand – Bentley are owned by VW, Cervelo are owned by Pon who also own budget brand Univega.

while there are many good reasons to buy Rapha kit. Cycling heritage is not one of them….

I completely agree. I used to be a bit of a detractor as I dislike their po-faced image and marketing, but having tried some of their kit I am a big fan of it.

isnt the adidas stuff all made by Nalini anyway?

they’re (Adidas Cycling and Nalini) both owned by MOA so probably a huge amount of overlap. Possibly my attitude is influenced by a lifelong dislike of football (not trying to troll or derail the thread), and with it many brands that I associate with it.

You know who owns rapha don’t you?

Captain Flasheart?

A quick google didn’t provide me with any real answers, out of curiosity who does?

erm, see post above yours?

http://apeq.co.uk/

for Rapha paid to sponsor Sky during that time, they would have to spend x times more in marketing to get the same coverage.

Maybe Sky asked for x amount more, and Rapha has decided is wasn’t worth it.

Sky only go to the Japan cup, because of Rapha, as as they said in their press release, they want to focus on certain geographical areas.

My other thought is, Sky, has been wearing quite ‘fashionable’ stuff, who is going to take that up?

😀

but I have no interest in wearing or buying a generic big sport brand looking to expand into a different market it has no heritage in?

Didn’t they do kit for Deutsche Telekom back in the (bad old) day?
They’ve not shown much interest the last few years but I don’t think it’s fair to say they’re newcomers. Consumers have short memories though I suppose.

Now what will the sportive winning delusionists wear?

benji – Member
Now what will the sportive winning delusionists wear?

Endura or Castelli I guess, like they do now.

I maybe being thick, but didn’t Adidas do the Sky kit before Rapha?

yes, and I heard at the time, that Adidas was pulling out of cycling.
Rapha stepped up, being British, and like the team at time, was going to offer a new British outfit to grow into.
Seems that one of them, may have (or thought to have) grown too big.

Now what will the sportive winning delusionists wear?

maybe they will join a club, wear club kit and learn to ride properly in a group?

maybe thats a bit optimistic 😥

Maybe Sky asked for x amount more, and Rapha has decided is wasn’t worth it.

I don’t think that’s the case. I would imagine Simon Mottram being a branding ‘guru’ has decided now now is the right time to walk away from sky. They’ve increased they’re turnover massively through the partnership and there’s a risk of brand saturation.

Everyone knows Castelli is the new Rapha anyway.

Sportful or Ale will be the new Castelli in a year’s time.

Everyone knows Castelli is the new Rapha anyway.

Really? Castelli is very good kit, as is Rapha, castelli has never tried to imitate rapha

Sportful or Ale will be the new Castelli in a year’s time. Sportful is part of the same parent company as Castelli.

^^ I’ve got a few Sportful bits of kit and they are up there in quality with my Rapha stuff already I reckon.

(Hey, Gary, I hollered at you last Fri afternoon on the M77 cyclepath – I guess you were heading home from work, I was going other way on a blue CDF 🙂 )

I thought that the adidas kit was worn purely because they have the contract to supply the GB Olympic teams for all sports so the track cyclists got it as a result of that deal rather than anything unique about the team.

Given the involvement in the GB Team of a number of prominent members of the Sky road team there has been alot of blurring of the lines as to what is Sky and what is GB Olympic

Thread Hijack on
Yeh I thought it was you Iain but only after I’d passed but I did say hello. I was heading home but not from work, just out for a wee spin as only got back on the bike last week after the surgery. Think we passed earlier near Fenwick going in the opposite directions.

Back to commuting today, picked a fine day for it!
Thread Hijack off

Castelli have a history Rapha would die for, oh and they make proper quality clothing.

Castelli cycling history

Now what will the sportive winning delusionists wear?

DHB? Darn it there goes my wardrobe 😆

dragon – Member
Castelli have a history Rapha would die for

Rapha are far, far better at convincing people they’re buying “heritage” though. Neo-roadies love a bit of heritage in their bidons. Chapeau!

Actually, the new Rapha will be a brand you’ve not even heard of. And once you’ve heard of it, that fashion will have passed and you’ll need to replace all your kit with stuff made by one family who live in an obscure Italian mountain village somewhere in the hills above Bagni di Lucca.

Maybe Lusso should step up to the mark and offer there services, proper home grown apparel with no snob value.

Maybe the new brand will be Zappi???….due to be launched any day now

I’m not surprised at all.

Rapha = elitist
Supporting team Sky is a bit, well, common.

The team sky kit is 25% ish less than the standard versions of Rapha kit – if the bibs have a white stripe they’re more expensive than the Sky blue striped ones. Rapha are basically under selling their own brand.

The team sky kit is 25% ish less than the standard versions of Rapha kit – if the bibs have a white stripe they’re more expensive than the Sky blue striped ones. Rapha are basically under selling their own brand.

Some might argue that it’s the Sky kit that’s at the “right” price, though. No under selling about it….

Maybe Lusso should step up to the mark and offer there services, proper home grown apparel with no snob value.

Lusso kit is mediocre at best, the few bits I owned were binned after they fell apart after hardly any use.
Snob value or not it’s poorly made and looks cheap.