Rapha, nice but a bit pricey?

I know Rapha is expensive but I’m still surprised every time they bring out something new and how much it costs. Eg. £240 quid or something for a duffle bag

Why the fuck any remotely self respecting anything would use Hermes is beyond me.
I don’t think I’ve received anything that’s meant to have been delivered by them on time.

I've just had another Hermes delivery today which the delivery person left in the lobby, lying on the floor. It turns out the Rapha order which Hermes claimed was 'left in reception' was in fact left outside in the rain on the step leading to the building, and had to be rescued by one of my colleagues before it got stolen or soaked. If Rapha want to lose whatever brand cachet and lustre they might currently have, using a bunch of chancers like Hermes sounds like a very good option.

P.S. I told Rapha about the missing parcel, before my colleague delivered it to my room, and they gave me a £225 voucher code so I could just re-order the stuff. Given the appalling level of service Hermes provides, I doubt this will be a one-off. On that basis, it seems it might be a very expensive way of destroying brand value if Rapha have to give out vouchers for all the stuff Hermes can't be bothered to deliver.

I hasten to add I let Rapha know I'd found the box and didn't use the voucher.

Can I haz dibz on the voucher?

No.

All these lapses in focus on the little things that really matter to people will do exactly that.

It all seems to reek of someone sitting in a position of power who has zero idea about the on the ground implications these decisions have, making them purely because short termist cost savings count as ‘success’ to investors purely looking for financial gain.

One thing which I always enjoyed about Rapha, especially when I worked there, was the attitude of genuinely caring about customers, often too much.

I think that the Explore down jacket is very much like Patagonia ultralight down hoody, witch I do have. Packs small, traceable down, very versatile jacket. (About the same weight and fill power.) I did use that as my only winter jacket few years back, and I've taken it bikepacking/touring etc several times, just do not use during riding. Only after. Keeps you warm.

Nothing bad to say. AND, as far as I remember patagonia was more expensive.

https://eu.patagonia.com/fi/en/product/mens-ultralight-down-hoody/84767.html
https://www.rapha.cc/it/en/shop/explore-down-jacket/product/BDJ01XX

This is keeping me chuckling.

It’s a bit of a joke.
It’s a very minimalist features and slightly boring looking bag.
Why anyone would buy this over a Filson, Patagonia etc is beyond me.

I thought they were returning to core stuff, the down jacket another example of a boring product in a flooded market.
Again why you’d buy a Rapha one over any of the other top outdoor brands baffles me.

down jacket decent points:

• 850 fill power - average. might expect 900 for that price. it does make a difference.
  
• traceable down - good. more companies should do this.
  
  

down jacket so-so points:

• pockets like those are less useful than a kangaroo pocket, on lightweight down jackets
  
• doesn't come in any bright colours, which are useful if you are in remote locations and want to be seen. why would you buy a puffy jacket to try and look cool
  
• isn't synthetic insulation, which I believe is better for very minimal setups in european locations
  
  

down jacket bad points:

• unnecessarily expensive. why wouldn't you buy this sensational jacket instead. 2/3 the weight. much better pocket design. company that knows how to do this kind of clothing.
  
• they don't list the weight of down in the jacket, only the total jacket weight. so could be fuck all down in there, and heavier fabrics. so no idea of it's real warmth rating. stupid.
  

you are such a nerd

I know, it feels a bit pathetic writing such a long rebuttal of a trendy puffer jacket

for real tho, spending that money on a down jacket is a good thing! but spend it on a great small company (PHD, Montbell, Cumulus, Borah, one or two others) rather than a deteriorating big company, albeit one that commissions good advertising pictures.

Based on my current experience at my work, I'd hazard a guess that a 3rd party consultancy firm is currently going around making suggestions on how to cut costs, and they've been directed/contracted by the investment company.

In the short term there'll be enough of a saving to make the consultancy firm look like they're worth their fee.

I like this sort of nerd stuff. Keep it up.

The number of people who need a down jacket for cycling in is extremely small anyway. You're gonna sweat in it and wreck it so, so fast.

My own experience of the Uniqlo cheap-one was entirely the opposite - as someone who runs hot it feels like it regulates temperature far better than other jackets and is actually far less sweat inducing than other similar warm jackets.

Obviously a backpack is a bad idea, but still

I agree, I’ve got a lightweight Uniqlo I wear on dry chilly winter rides and cold commutes, find it much better than a soft shell, hardshell or anything else in terms of regulating temperature. Breezy but warm.

Keep it up

OK!

The best insulation layer for active use (i.e. wearing whilst you're cycling along) is fleece, or lightweight synthetic, emphatically not down. Down is for wearing when you're stopped, or cycling very very slowly, or in your sleeping bag to improve its warmth.
Both fleece and synthetic materials retain their warmth when wet. Down doesn't, and claims of "treated down" or "DWR Down" or "Water-repellent down" are 90% bullshit. A little bit of rain is no problem for most down jackets, but if it's sustained then they become rather useless.

For fleece, you want a lightweight material, 100-weight. This is "thin" fleece. You can get a £5 old Karrimor/Lowe Alpine fleece, or a £100 Arcteryx one, they will perform near identically. I prefer them without any pockets, hoods, or thumb loops.
For lightweight synthetic, anything sub 300g is ok. But the best is the Patagonia Nano-Air Light. It has received rave reviews as an active insulation layer, unfortunately I can't afford one yet.

Agree word for word. Except... I like pockets in my fleeces, otherwise you have to take it off to reach things!

The best down jackets:

• Below £40: don't bother
  
• £40-£100: Decathlon or Uniqlo - the Uniqlo is more stylish but not as warm, and they are (inexcusably) not transparent on their down sourcing
  
• £100-200: Montbell Superior Down Parka or Cumulus Incredilite
  
• Above £200: Montbell EX Light or Mirage if you're going somewhere really cold.
  
  

Arguably the very best is Borah Gear, incredible weight for warmth, but they're not making jackets for another few months. PHD are now charging too much to make a good competitor to the others, but if you need a jacket for -15º or custom dimensions I'd still go there first.

(Note: synthetic may be more appropriate than down for a given usage. Or fleece. It depends.)

I’ve got a Quechua (decathlon) packable hooded down jacket which was about £30-40 2-3 years ago and it’s been great - the only thing I don’t like is the excess of orange detailing - those “forclaz” decathlon ones look really good. Top quality stuff at a silly price.

Thanks Neil. I own a lot of Finisterre kit, but their jackets make me look like the Michelin man.

And for fleeces in aztec patterns?
I'm looking for one for commuting.

I own a lot of Finisterre kit, but their jackets make me look like the Michelin man.

Ah, that's unfortunate. I have a Nimbus and a Nebulas and they are both excellent - really nicely made, and pack down to an entertainingly tiny size. There's a bomber style jacket in the new Raeburn/Finisterre range, I don't know if that'd be a different cut?

I have a Patagonia nano air hoody (not the light one). It is amazing. Pretty water resistant, stretchy and warm but not too warm.