Rapha-Sky ends 2016

You can’t buy history.

Rapha is wonderfully marketed, and some of their products are lovely, but a classic cycling brand it is not.

Maybe if they were on the shoulders of many Grand Tour and classics winners over a number of years then they would create the history they’re looking for.

Pity they didn’t stick it out, but obviously not working for them financially. With the massive amount of exposure that they will give a company, it makes sense for it to be something for a bigger company than Rapha. Shame, as it could have been something quite iconic had it continued.

Rapha is wonderfully marketed, and some of their products are lovely, but a classic cycling brand it is not.

Neo-roadies don’t give a shit about that. It’s expensive and works for people who didn’t know cycling existed before Wiggins won. As before, calling your bottle a bidon doesn’t give you “heritage”, but it can make someone millions.

Rapha are bloody geniuses. Tapped in to the market perfectly at the perfect time to milk the MAMILs. Genius. Bloody genius.

So much hate in one paragraph there, so much.

Aww, diddums. Did the nasty man say something you didn’t agree with about your beloved brand?

Hate? Not really. Amusement that so many suckers have bought in to their genius? Yes.

Find a new brand to show off how much you spend instead.

Nothing to do with how much you spend, more about clothing that performs well and looks good. The fact your choice of cycling clothing causes so much consternation in those who don’t chose to buy similar is just a bonus and adds to the value.

I suspect the Rapha image harms the brand as much as it aids them. I cant be alone in feeling a bit embarrassed wearing a new bit of rapha kit for the first time but after a while i forget that because its really comfy and well made, so my concerns are put to one side.

The finish of the clothing is IME better than most of the competition with the exception of Assos. The customer service is also pretty good too.

Good thing it’s over soon, the connection with Sky cheapened the brand.

There must be far more words on the internet debating the moral value of Rapha than reviewing their actual products.

And often from people that you’ll find spaffing over premium-priced watches and other consumerist guff in other threads.

It’s time to get over it guys. Or am I going to have to post the “Let It Go” video?

I must confess I too was a rapha hater for many years till a non cycling friend got me rapha vouchers .. Being a tight wad I just got there arm warmers(6) years ago .. They’re still in good nick and my go too arm warmers ..

Over last few years I’ve acquired winter jerseys-bib shorts-knee warmers and a few casual type items and it’s honestly some of the nicest best made durable kit I’ve owned !! Only ever bought on sale though

8)

I tried wearing Rapha but it didn’t work. I was no faster than before. I think the weight of history slowed me down. Seriously though, you’ve got to love a brand that sends out packages labelled ‘Kings of Pain’ – what must the postman have thought? 😉

Hate? Not really. Amusement that so many suckers have bought in to their genius? Yes.

Find a new brand to show off how much you spend instead.

I agree if you’re talking about things like the Paul Smith tie in, but most of the stuff is priced as per other premium clothing brands. Assos, Exteondo etc are often more expensive. The quality of those brands are top notch and can make a huge difference to you when you’re spending long days out on the bike. I have no Rapha stuff (other than a cap I bought my son), but people tell me the quality is top notch. I certainly don’t think it’s about showing off. People get cars for that, not cycle kit!

@captainflashheart has it spot on.

i bought rapha when they first started , just because i liked the understated look and quality of it, but have stopped getting anything from them for many a year, partly due to the ever increasing cost, but also because i got disillusioned with the image they are aching to create / project – especially the “limited editions” every 2 months seem a shallow marketing scam to try and bring history of exceptional races / moments in cycling into their brand at a more than premium cost.

I associate the brand with ‘surrey man’ and having had to spend a painful number of mornings stuck behind a group of Rapha clad MAMILS as they wobble their way through Esher, Epsom, Dorking etc it has tarnished the brand for me….same as if i won the lottery i wouldnt wear a Rolex or drive a Ferrari, just something ‘yuck’ and a bit try-hard about those brands.

i bought rapha when they first started , just because i liked the understated look and quality of it, but have stopped getting anything from them for many a year, partly due to the ever increasing cost, but also because i got disillusioned with the image they are aching to create

I do wish that some companies would sell versions of their kit with the branding taken off completely for people who just want the quality, fit, function and design rather than the tacit connection to the marketing – which may not appeal.

A good example is that Abercrombie & Fitch polo shirts are great quality and fit me like a glove. However, if they only sell versions with mega “look at me” branding all over them then they’re missing out on sales because I’m 34 years old and not 14.

I think the one thing that Rapha did well was tap into the British desire for understated clothes. Italian brands while IMO are of better quality, tend towards the Euro fluro, big trade logo style side of things. That’s why I never understood the Rapha / Sky tie up, as suddenly there were logos all over Rapha stuff and a tainted brand at that, weird. However, as I understand it Rapha thought they could milk the Sky supporters market, similar to selling football tops to fans. However, I don’t think cycling typically has that kind of fan base.

Assos are more expensive over here because of the exchange rates.

I suspect the Rapha image harms the brand as much as it aids them.

I wonder what the ratio of Reluctant to Fanboi is? I always used to post the JVA spoofs in any pro-Rapha thread and really disliked the image they try to cultivate. Then I got a long-sleeve ‘smartwool’ jersey in a promo as a bit of a punt. I now own 3 long sleeves and a gilet. All bought in sales so at ~£50 a jersey means way cheaper than my half-price Assos Mille, cheaper than my half-price Giordana FRC. The most comfortable, best fitting (obviously subjective), best finished kit I own. The few of us in our club who wear Rapha get inverted-snob sneers from others, which doesn’t bother me as I get where they are coming from, and love the kit.

I think the one thing that Rapha did well was tap into the British desire for understated clothes.

agree. Loads of brands have followed in their wake – flick thru any roadie mag and it’s full of ‘premium’ brand kit adverts, all of it in muted single colours.

Italian brands while IMO are of better quality,

I bought a Castelli LS jersey for more than any of my Rapha kit. Went straight back without even de-tagging it; poor quality finish (loads of loose threads, dye overrun on the different panels) and a weird fit. Obviously a sample size of 1, but enough that I’ll never buy any Castelli kit ever again. But I don’t judge those who do.

It’s expensive and works for people who didn’t know cycling existed before Wiggins won

You go have stopped at expensive and works. I’ve been using rapha kit since 2004, it works well and in terms of cost its much the same as gore, castelli and assos for example.

Rapha got what they wanted from the Team Sky deal and are moving on whether that’s from choice or because Team Sky want more from them for 2017 onwards, we don’t know.

I own a bit of Rapha stuff. The first items I bought at the sample sale or regular sales and I’ve started to buy stuff at full price occasionally. It’s comfortable and feels high quality and wears well (my winter bibs are on their 3rd year and look brand new still). Even better, the crash repair service saved my almost brand new bibs and jersey going into the bin recently after I crashed.

Is their marketing occasionally a bit too ****? Yes. Are their tie-in jerseys sometimes a bit desperate (i.e. the Pantani one which I still think has to have been a pissed up Friday idea)? Yes. Will I buy the kit still if I need something? Yes.

I wonder what the ratio of Reluctant to Fanboi is?

The one thing about Rapha is that there is rarely an ambivalent reaction.

They’ve got one group of people paying pretty much anything (albeit for a great product), and one group who would do anything but buy it. It doesn’t matter how much you put off the second group, it’s all about how much you can get out of the fans.

Far better to have a sharply polarised set of customers than all of them being apathetic.

do people really care about heritage?

right then CFH, we have a Specialized fan-boi who’s bought into the gnarmac trend = bought a bike for people who don’t know tourers exist. Almost like people who didn’t know cycling existed before Wiggins won.

Oh, and Specialized seem to have a lovely marketing dept, no aggressive trademark antics about Roubaix there is there.

Whinging about one bike company’s marketing whilst lapping up anothers, is there an “oh the ironing” emoticon on here?

right then CFH, we have a Specialized fan-boi who’s bought into the gnarmac trend = bought a bike for people who don’t know tourers exist

yeah but, he’s fitted skinwall tyres to it, so it’s not just a bog-standard retail mongrel bike, it’s customized 😆

I loved the look of Rapha kit when it first launched and would have bought it if I had managed to slim to the race-snakey profile necessary for it to look good – nothing worse than a bloater in that kit 😆

I have since been put off by some of the ancillary items at ridiculous costs and the Sky tie-up put me off for good.

TBH most of my road riding is on audax events so style is not really my top priority nowadays but I can see why others buy it.

I have recently bought two Endura MT500 long sleeve jerseys for around £32 each after a PSA on here a couple of months ago and they have been great so I cannot justify paying three times the cost just to look good

They’ve got one group of people paying pretty much anything (albeit for a great product), and one group who would do anything but buy it

And another group, of which I’m a part, who generally only buy the kit when its sale time. I rarely pay full price for anything from Rapha as I know there’s a sale twice a year, and then an extra 10% off code at the last week of the sale.

Far better to have a sharply polarised set of customers than all of them being apathetic

their founder said exactly that in an interview

do people really care about heritage?

as poster of that comment, maybe experience, credibility or track record would have been better terms. As I went on to explain I associate brands like Adidas with all that I dislike about football and whilst others have pointed out they’ve been in and out of cycling for years it just smacks of a mega brand exploiting a niche, and I can just picture lots of soulless corporate speak around the decision, all mature and emerging markets, co-opting a lifestyle choice etc. I have my own image of Adidas just as brands try to cultivate their own.

I dont get the whole replica kit thing. Its one thing have a logo on the garment from the company that made it, even a large one. But I dont get the whole walking advert trying to look like those who do get paid to wear it. Why do people do that? I quite like the black/blue design of the kit but dont want to ride around with Sky and who ever else sponsors the team written all over me.

They just do it to give Flashheart and Mr Smith somebody to look down on.

Assos, Exteondo etc are often more expensive. The quality of those brands are top notch and can make a huge difference to you when you’re spending long days out on the bike. I have no Rapha stuff (other than a cap I bought my son), but people tell me the quality is top notch. I certainly don’t think it’s about showing off.

my road kit is largely Sportful, Etxeondo, Rapha and Endura, with the more expensive stuff, incl all the Rapha, purchased through the sales. I cannot fault the Rapha quality; it is the best and nicest of my stuff, closely followed by Etxeondo and Sportful. The Endura stuff is basic and functional.

If it was about showing off I wouldn’t have the Endura stuff at all 🙂

I also bought into the mountain bike trend back in the 80s. Had skinwalls back then as well! 🙂

and I can just picture lots of soulless corporate speak around the decision, all mature and emerging markets, co

They’re probably just trying to globalize their verticals. Or something.

And another group, of which I’m a part, who generally only buy the kit when its sale time. I rarely pay full price for anything from Rapha as I know there’s a sale twice a year, and then an extra 10% off code at the last week of the sale.

I don’t know what other premium clothing brands do regarding sales but I do wonder how many people buy stuff at full price and how many simply sit there and wait for the sales. Last year they had a Black Friday sale which crashed their website almost immediately.

Re Sky, I simply think they’ve decided that there are probably better ways to spend that money, not least their plans to be opening 2 new cycle clubs per year. New one in Spitalfields should be open in a few weeks time – a new hangout for all the Shoreditch hipsters.

Maybe we could run a sweepstake on how long it’ll be til CFH is spotted in there. 😉

Rapha are bloody geniuses. Tapped in to the market perfectly at the perfect time to milk the MAMILs. Genius. Bloody genius.

I totally agree. I’ve bought a few Rapha bits in sales, and I have to say, even at near half-price, I’m not impressed with it. Overpriced made in China stuff. I fail to see this ‘quality’ that others rave about. There are quite a few other brands offering much better quality than Rapha, with clothing made in Europe, rather than Far Eastern cheap labour factories. If you want ‘heritage’ cycle clothing brands, then Cafe du Cycliste and Pedal ED are similar to Rapha, but offer made in Europe stuff. Similar pretentiousness, but maybe a bit less ‘mainstream’. 😉

Personally, I’d favour Adidas over Rapha for cycling gear, because they have a far greater ‘heritage’ of making sports clothing. If I want anything ‘stylish’ to wear on the bike, I probably won’t be buying much ‘cycling’ clothing.

Too many apostrophes.

I fail to see this ‘quality’ that others rave about.

Out of interest what did you buy?

Rapha, with clothing made in Europe, rather than Far Eastern cheap labour factories

Some of their stuff IS made in Europe but by no means all and almost never the cheaper stuff.

Out of interest what did you buy?

A jacket, a pair of gloves and a top. And I’ve browsed their stuff in shops. The quality isn’t proportionate to the price, in my opinion. There is better clothing on offer, and often cheaper. I can spend a similar amount on non-cycling clothing, and get a much better deal.

The Rapha brand puts me in mind of Superdry, for some reason. But I think if you’re deliberately wearing a brand to try and prove your participatory credentials, you’re trying a bit too hard anyway.

If you want ‘heritage’ cycle clothing brands, then Cafe du Cycliste and Pedal ED are similar to Rapha, but offer made in Europe stuff. Similar pretentiousness, but maybe a bit less ‘mainstream’.

And to out-niche everbody, my favorite piece of “heritage” cycle clothing was made for me by a firm in Scotland. I had to wait three months for it mind. But I think the seamstresses name was Sue.

What is this ‘quality’ people speak of? I’ve some tops that are 10 – 20 years old made by all kinds of random (generally Italian) manufactures and they are all fine. Shorts tend to fail through usage at the chamois IME and Rapha use cytech the same as Assos, Gore, Cafe du Cycliste etc.

My merino/sportswool Rapha stuff is made is Portugal (as is a lot of Vulpine and other premium merino brands). Wherever it is made it is hands-down the nicest kit I own bike or non bike.

Ref “quality”, well none of my Rapha kit has dye overrun or multiple loose threads unlike the Castelli jersey I bought, so it looks like at least someone uses QC before bagging and shipping kit out.

if you’re deliberately wearing a brand to try and prove your participatory credentials, you’re trying a bit too hard anyway.

you’ve not read the preceding 70 posts then? Those of us ‘defending’ Rapha are fans of the kit not the brand or the image or the marketing.

and Rapha use cytech the same as Assos, Gore, Cafe du Cycliste etc

And as they cost much the same what’s your point?

I am a fan of the image of Rapha though. But then I ride on my own in the north, and don’t see many Surrey Hills MAMILS to taint it.

*Shrugs* I like the style and the quality is good. It’s a shame it’s expensive but then a lot of good things are.

Rapha use cytech the same as Assos, Gore, Cafe du Cycliste

I’m not sure Assos use Cytech, I thought they were all in house.

Either way, it’s good stuff so no bad thing anyway.