Rapha, nice but a bit pricey?

i saw a bloke on a fixie in rapha shorts and birds tights this morning.

made me laugh.

They weren't bird tights, they were thermal cycling ones!

£30 rapha ones? oooooh!

Hi,hav'nt posted before but have been lurking for some time,also have met some of you at social rides.I bought a pair of fixie shorts bout a month ago (110 quid) and have to say am well pleased with em,well made and extremely comfortable,just the right amount of padding to make a diff but not look like a nappy!!!........expensive ? sure but everythings relative right,I've worn them almost every day....and they make me happy...nuff said!!.............Peace..M.

adoubletap Re. the made in China debate

Of course, like, it doesn't mean it can't have a good quality just because it is made in China, but there's a lot of people who thinks Rapha is made "somewhere in North London"...

Yeah I think that's where the shock comes from. The fact that people assume all the items to be made in London. China have a massive clothing industry. Why would ou want to make things here where the clothing industry is dying when you could make it in a country with a booming industry with lots of competition.

Roberto [quote]adoubletap Re. the made in China debate

Of course, like, it doesn't mean it can't have a good quality just because it is made in China, but there's a lot of people who thinks Rapha is made "somewhere in North London"...[/quote]

Suckers!

Mouse My only input on this would be my observation from the Catford Hill Climb cycle:

Whilst they have good marketing ideas (e.g. organised rides) they are very disorganised. The Rapha people did not know where they were going, just had two maps and they didn't offer so much as a coffee to get us on the road. For the amount people spend on the product (and god knows there were enough people queueing to part with their cash at the sample sale) they could spend a bit on making the 'events' at least half as premium as their clothes.

It's probably just a marketing strategy - run events like a shit disorganised pro team from a bygone era.

Are we allowed to like Howies? Thats a very good question. Ive been dealing with David, Claire and co ever since they sold stuff from their house in London and have always loved their kit. Their stuff is excellent, best merino stuff ive come across, lovely denim (Im actually wearing an 10 year old pair of Howies heans today), nice dsigns. Can we still love them now theyre owned by Timberland is the real question?

As for Rapha, ive got quite a bit of their stuff and none of it has conked out yet (praps ive just been lucky) and I love their "fixed" shorts very very comfy.

I just took back a black rapha classic sports wool jersey it had turned purple over the shoulders. I've had it for nine months, it did get a lot of use in the summer.

They exchanged it and said that this had happened to a couple of other black ones, but not many.

dam the riders journal is sold out only 135 gbp

http://www.rapha.cc/index.php?page=205

I hadn't noticed that was £135. That's insane. An excel document can keep all of that information in a much neater way.

But then. If you had tons of cash and had cycling as your main hobby would you not buy one? I'm sure I would.

i have a white sportswool jersey. have had it for nearly three years and it has seen plenty of use. still in very good condition and with just one small tear appearing near one of the rear pockets (which have been heavily laden quite a bit). my mate bought a black one around the same time, it has held together well but has faded in colour quite a bit - a bit purplish actually as caspar says.

i have a rapha gilet too. i like it. it looks kinky. and makes a nice sound in the wind. parachute silk.

i have a training top too, bought in one of the sales at velorution.

i think rapha are good. i bought their stuff when i was feeling flush. i wouldn't by there 'fixed' stuff though. or their pad of paper.

my advice is if you don't like it or can't afford it don't buy it.

But then we'd not be able to argue about it MrSmith.. where's the fun in that? :)

There's an interview with Rapha's Simon Mottram in Cycling Weekling now.

the only fun to be had is realising you are a brash, insensitive, antipodean, and lacking in any culture then taking the piss out of you. get's boring after a while but not as tedious as meeting you in person.

:-)

nimhbus [quote]lpg E.g someone posted on here a few weeks ago about merino baseleyers on sale at kathmandu? Well i got a black one for £10, worn it for 2 weeks straight and not washed it, i'm pretty sure it performs the same as a rapha one would costing 4x the price, no? Is the rapha one 4x more comfortable? Last 4x longer? I doubt it..

the keyword here being 'on sale' they aren't normally 4 times cheaper, are they.[/quote]

That's a damn good price. As far as I can tell, the Rapha merino base layers are the only things they do which aren't overpriced. A merino base layer will set you back £40 - £50 wherever you go, normally. The Rapha ones do look a bit thin though. I have a nice merino base layer from somewhere (no idea where), where it just about every day for riding and have done for over a year. It's awesome.

I do have Rapha gloves. The only Rapha I ever have bought / will buy. I've heard some say they don't like them, but I do - I don't like synthetic fabric gloves, I like leather. Though everyone says they look a bit fetish. I don't care. Only problem is they're an absolute fuckup in heavy rain.

so ive nearly finished my first attempt at something like a jacket
its basically got nothing to to with riding at the moment untill i start to tweek the design/play with the pattern a bit
i'll post up some pics when the light is a bit better

MrSmith the only fun to be had is realising you are a brash, insensitive, antipodean, and lacking in any culture then taking the piss out of you. get's boring after a while but not as tedious as meeting you in person.
:-)

You can't take the piss out of me.. I'm insensitive. Now fsck off and watch the ballet racist toff.
:-)

On Topic: The Endura socks I bought from Wiggle are thin as fsck and now have holes after a single ride to Brighton. Avoid.

You mis understand the point of those socks. they are designed to disintegrate over a ride so as your energy drops so does the weight which you carry. It is an experiment in a new range of cloths that disappear as you ride. All the pros are going to be using them next year.

Perfect for the weight weenies.

like edible underwear huh tommy ;)

Tris [quote]Mouse My only input on this would be my observation from the Catford Hill Climb cycle:

Whilst they have good marketing ideas (e.g. organised rides) they are very disorganised. The Rapha people did not know where they were going, just had two maps and they didn't offer so much as a coffee to get us on the road. For the amount people spend on the product (and god knows there were enough people queueing to part with their cash at the sample sale) they could spend a bit on making the 'events' at least half as premium as their clothes.

It's probably just a marketing strategy - run events like a shit disorganised pro team from a bygone era.[/quote]

err.... A bit like last year's Tour of Britain event, you mean?