Rapha has been expanding its Clubhouse for a few years now – taking in major cities around the world. Speaking as (mostly) Yorkshire folk at GritCX HQ, there’s always been a gaping hole in its network though. Yorkshire has been severely overlooked. Not the exact location of the Clubhouse, at least we hope not…
We are happy to hear that this spring, a Rapha Leeds Pop-Up will mark its inaugural bricks-and-mortar presence in Gods Own Country. We aren’t entirely sure whether our famously “spend-thrift” population will fully embrace Rapha’s premium pricing, but we are looking forward to sipping posh coffees and checking out the latest cycling kit. Even roadies get lured in by a bit of gravel.
Rapha claims the Clubhouse “celebrates Yorkshire’s long association with, and love for, cycling. This is a region that has cycling in its blood, thanks to miles of quiet and challenging lanes that criss-cross the Yorkshire Dales. Yorkshire was the birthplace of cycling legend Brian Robinson, who was the first British rider to finish the Tour de France in 1955 – the first of a succession of achievements. Brian’s phenomenal impact on cycle racing ripples through to the present day and in part led to Yorkshire being chosen as the setting for the UK Grand Depart of the 2014 Tour de France, which, incidentally, was hosted in Leeds.”
We certainly wouldn’t argue with that, but think Rapha has missed a trick and forgotten about the miles of awesome off-road we have in the county. Not that we like to shout about it…
Location
The pop-up will be located in the swanky Victoria Quarter Shopping Centre and will be open for a month from April 11th to May 19th. This will coincide with the Tour de Yorkshire between May 2nd and 5th. We will always love roads like these though.
A series of Rapha Rides has been planned to run through the duration of the Leeds Pop-Up, and will use the Clubhouse as a base. These will include an opening party on April 12th, a 75km group ride suitable for all riders on the 13th and a ‘Yorkshire Classic Reconnaissance’ ride. It will tackle the Queen stage of the Tour de Yorkshire, also known as the Yorkshire Classic, a few days ahead of the pros. Someone’s ankles love Yorkshire
The Leeds pop-up will also feature a full range of Rapha products available to buy, talks, screenings and guest appearances by pro riders, group rides and events and Rapha’s signature cycle-focused food and coffee.
Leeds Pop-Up at a glance
Opening: 11th April – 19th May
Address: 9-11 King Edward St, Leeds LS1 6AX, United Kingdom
‘…and Beryl Burton, who simply kicked everyone’s arse’