Rapha, nice but a bit pricey?

Half price on their Tricolor jersey:
http://www.rapha.cc/index.php?page=176

Half price on their club jersey:
http://www.rapha.cc/index.php?page=108

Of course, it being Rapha this means that they're now priced realistically ;)

my mate got me a "fixed" merino jersey for £16 during thier big sale

instead of £85

I wouldn't have paid £30 for a top, but £16 is ok :)

Their stuff is incredible. I've got a quite a bit of stuff from them, but nearly always in their sales.

If you sign up the email list you get emails about new products (resist!) and also about sales (give in!).

I'm not sure their fixed shorts are worth the money even though I have a pair. I wear my Chrome ones far more frequently as they're tons more comfortable and the amount of pocket space is occasionally extremely useful.

doh! just splashed out on a pair of their fixed shorts - what with the weather getting warmer i could resist no longer. Wish i held out a little longer to i read that

Hehe, resistance is futile!

The material is dead nice though, and slightly water resistant (shower proof I think the phrase is).

Watch out for the buttons on the bottom of the leg though, consider them aesthetic only. If the wind picks up, don't attempt to do up the buttons to make it tighter... they'll pop off and you'll lose them.

There's something about buttons, no-one ever sews them on in a really solid way.

Nice! Thanks for the heads up from LA.

the evilgoodness.

Rapha makes probably the most expensive cycling gear in the planet, and i know a lot of people who thinks they are "made in London" or "UK"...

A friend of mine wrote to them to find out why their clothes costs so much, since well, they are made miles away from UK - just like Nike, Puma, Adidas or Reebok.

*Hello,

I am an avid cyclist and a custom of yours, I purchased the tricolor
jersey and the merino classic jersey a while back. I was surprised
after washing my garment for the first time, to see a tag of which
materials were used, and the production land. I was amazed that it
said Made in China, I paid top money to purchase your items as I
understood they were hand made in the UK. I am also a bit puzzled
about the price, how can a jersey be worth 120 UK pounds, when the
labor cost in China is about 1 percent of that. Is the mark up just a
marketing scheme. I am sorry to say that I will not be shopping from
you guys again.

Kind regards,
Raffaele G.*

Reply from Rapha:

***- Forwarded message ----------
From: Simon Mottram simon@rapha.cc
Date: 17-Jun-2007 23:43
Subject: Re: Great products but...
To: Raffaele G.
Cc: Enquiries enquiries@rapha.cc

Hello Raffaele

Thanks for getting in touch and for buying our products.

We manufacture some garments in China because the quality the factories
offer there is first rate and they are very reliable producers. The cost
price advantage is a secondary issue.

If you've ever tried to have products made in the UK, you'd apreciate how
hard it is to get craftsmanship and reliable delivery. I wish it was
otherwise.

Our high prices come from the expensive fabrics and trims we use, not from a
'marketing scheme'. We have yet to make a profit (but are working hard at
changing that).

Thanks again for getting in touch. If you have a problem with Chinese
manufacture I don't suppose I will have changed your mind. But I hope I have
clarified why and how we use factories there.

Kind regards

Simon

Simon Mottram
Managing Director

R A P H A
Performance Roadwear
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

http://www.rapha.cc/
simon@rapha.cc
Office: +44 (0) 20 7485 5000
Mobile: +44 (0) 7979 597 807

Rapha Racing Ltd.
Imperial Works
Perren Street
London
NW5 3ED

hahah, ahh roberto, lets start spamming them, or try to get some free stuff from them

good work!!

and some fing pck at condor sez to me as i say i don't think it's that funny to spend £110 on a pair of cycling shorts : " well, you want quality, you pay for it
me :" haha!( i can't see the titanium stiching)"...(coglione di merda)
me: "well i'm looking for some summer mitts are there any you would reccomend?"
him:"they're all here mate"
me: "(mate??!!)thanx C U Next Time...mate"
some guy whispers :"the hell's his problem?"
me:" i don't fancy the Rapha prices"
the guy that whispered wlaks to the rapha corner that looks like some shop in Corso Montenapoleone in Milan looks at a tag then another one then steps closer and whispers:"'kinell"
me: "i know"

I just treated myself to the most expensive knicks I've ever bought.. £75 for a pair of Assos shorts.
They better be fscking comfortable!

hippy I just treated myself to the most expensive knicks I've ever bought.. £75 for a pair of Assos shorts.
They better be fscking comfortable!

At least Assos have proven that they will last you ages and ages. No blah blah, just performance.

They are (well should) be made in switzerland...not china

I don't really care where they're made (to a certain extent, ie. I'd still rather by local) I'm just interested in comfort.
I figure I'm starting to get out on some long rides again and I've always promised myself a pair of nice knicks.
Finally bit the bullet and skipped the bargain bin.

holy shit! £ 75 at the sale? what the hell can you do with those things? piss in 'em?or go for the ful monty in perfect comfort?

Stef and some fing pck at condor sez to me as i say i don't think it's that funny to spend £110 on a pair of cycling shorts : " well, you want quality, you pay for it
me :" haha!( i can't see the titanium stiching)"...(coglione di merda)
me: "well i'm looking for some summer mitts are there any you would reccomend?"
him:"they're all here mate"
me: "(mate??!!)thanx C U Next Time...mate"
some guy whispers :"the hell's his problem?"
me:" i don't fancy the Rapha prices"
the guy that whispered wlaks to the rapha corner that looks like some shop in Corso Montenapoleone in Milan looks at a tag then another one then steps closer and whispers:"'kinell"
me: "i know"

I bet it was that short fucker with the black hair (dunno his name). He's a right fucking twat, he is. The taller guy with the shaved head - he's well safe i remember him at bedford square.
But not shorty, nope.

Stef holy shit! £ 75 at the sale? what the hell can you do with those things? piss in 'em?or go for the ful monty in perfect comfort?

They're Assos knicks. They have a reputation for being the best (from road racers who actually use it not Rapha cafe-bound wearers). I want to test this reputation.

nah it was the old guy with the long hair, there's actually anice guy at condor now he used to work at evans in spitafields

My gf is a fashion designer, she's worked for several +++well known couture houses in Paris. All of them get their things made in China (and Italy, but mainly China). So everyone's at it.

Anyway, I have a black longsleeved Rapha cycling top. Merino wool, cost £85. Very nice, but bobbled within a week.

should have let my ex wash it, then it would be grey and fit a action man,.

haaaaaa

[cite] lpg:

I bet it was that short fucker with the black hair (dunno his name). He's a right fucking twat, he is. The taller guy with the shaved head - he's well safe i remember him at bedford square.
But not shorty, nope.

"Shorty" is actually a very nice and knowledgeable guy. As is "shaved head".
And to respond to the original post - Rapha probably DO struggle to make any money at all, and yet they produce great stuff (Rouleur magazine being one of them), have fantastic taste (I love their Citroën van), and cater to a side of the market that needs catering for.
Do they advertise their products as being "hand made in the UK?"
If so there is ground for complaint.

7 pages of Rapha chatter on C+
http://www.cyclingplus.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=128130

by the words of that letter the guys at rapha are getting ripped off somwhere along the process.
It's true that china manufacturers are high quality nowadays but it's still cheap as.

Of course, our computers and even some of our food comes from Asia, it's ok, but their overpriced stuff just annoys me.

Talking about quality cycling gear, Giordana also makes nice stuff and it's cheaper than Assos...