Rapha, nice but a bit pricey?

so, not being english and not owning a single item of rapha gear, can someone tell me how it compares to, say, pearl izumi or assos stuff in terms of quality etc etc?

at some stage i'm going run out of my current bike kit, no doubt.

Beats Pearl Izumi stuff. The merino is lovely, it feels and looks OK so you don't feel like a prick if you wander too far from your bike (pop into a restaurant).

Assos stuff beats Rapha for quality and feel. But that starts to look a little alien, so if you are going to go for a meal mid-ride... well you'll look a little more daft than you would wearing Rapha.

If riding is your thing, buy Assos. If you're going to stop and speak to people and don't want to look too lycra'd up... buy Rapha. If you can afford neither, deal with it however you can, jeans or Pearl Izumi or whatever.