Honoring A Monumental Grand Tour In Iconic Style, Rapha Salutes The ’74 Giro

” Each can be had for $220. ”

Put that at the top of the page then it will save most people having to go through these homo-erotic money shots of over priced Chinese made mass produced rubbish.

agreed

good for them. rapha does a great job with the marketing part of things, targeting the folks with a lot of $ and trustfundies. i don’t buy their stuff, can’t afford them, and don’t agree with their ethos. to me cycling is a people sport and those folks are catering to the 1%, of which there are many. can’t understand why clothing that is also made in China gets away with such a steep price tag. it’s not like folks are racing on them. it’s exclusive to the point of “we want only non-racing riders with strong affectation and deep pockets.” bottomline they’ll always have a following. the price tag is the fee for their exclusive club, which is fine by me. rapha makes a lot of $ and they deserve it. don’t like their stuff, don’t buy them. i think that for the money you can get just as nice bibs and jerseys from castelli and actually look like a racer.

do people actually stop mid ride for just espresso?

Nothing says ‘I like to ride bikes’ like sipping coffee with a haunted, brooding stare.

@LP There is no way I could afford rapha when I was a bike messenger on my 250-500$ a week earnings.

Rapha pretty much makes me sick. They kind of make make me want to stop riding bikes.

I do wear Rapha and I can afford their exorbitant prices! Their ‘stuff’ looks good and performs. At least I don’t look like a wannabe racer in my 10 year old Postal replica kit 2 sizes too big for me.

So listen up all you haters and inverted snobs. Just live and let live and stop pigeon holing people; you’re no better than the folk you think you a ridiculing.

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People who wear Rapha look so homogeneous, especially in groups. It is almost embarrassing how weirdly distinctive the look is now. But their super fit women group rides are awesome.

Haters gonna hate, eh? Complain, complain, complain. Not all pieces are made in China and before all of the stones are cast upon Rapha, check your frames, components, wheels, handlebars, etc., made overseas as well. There are very few, if any, derogatory comments about a Dura Ace crankset, in terms of origin or cost.

Also before you pass judgement on “douchey” riders, be thankful for the fact that new individuals coming into our sport increase cycling awareness as well as supporting the industry as a whole.

The hatred and animosity directed towards Rapha is unwarranted and disgusting. Cycling in the United States is a sport that is challenged on every front for acceptance and understanding yet in this forum as well as many other cycling forums, we continue to tear down and degrade the very companies that encourage growth and sustainability.

In light of recent professional rider scandals, would our energy be better served supporting the companies, local dealers, local riders and racers to ensure cycling can rebound and thrive for the betterment of all?

Relax guys, it’s just a jersey.

Don’t have anything bad to say about Rapha. Free market makes both, cheap and expensive things.

Looking at the bar scene above, though, I think that back int ’74 the riders might not have been all that frugal, sharing a single banana them three.

I actually like and wear some of their bits. Especially enjoy the winter hat. It’s not to say I don’t also wear brands (predominantly) such as castelli. Anyway, not sure all the hate for the brand. It’s akin to hating a porsche or ferrari, or park city if you can’t make it there. And, well, a nice ride in Europe w/ a coffee break doesn’t sound so bad to me.

Can bikerumor post a score card so I can keep up w/ the who to exclude and hate crowd? I ride for enjoyment, the camaraderie and competition. Hate on, people.

I like their stuff so much, but their branding is so over the top… I don’t want to be labeled for wearing it. I don’t like the no helmet thing either, somebody mentioned that below. Put on your bucket, mate. It’s almost too cool. However I can’t say I’ll never wear this stuff. Their other gear is understated and I hear rave reviews about their base layers.

Was trying to think of a response, but I think everyone has already summed it up well. Good to know that their are a few folks out there that don’t buy into this (deleted) crap.

Get off the over priced china made carbon fiber high horse you rode in on and let people buy what they like.

I actually like the Rapha kit BUT it’s too expensive – if you’d like something which is similar (very similar actually) but not as fancy and without the “branding” then try Torm. http://www.torm.cc also from the UK.

Rapha tried to put them through the wringer over copying them but it’s kind’ve the pot calling the kettle black as Rapha seems to be rather similar to the Raphaeal team from mid last century.

Corrections:

“Cannibal” (not Canibal)

“$250” (not 220)

Ah the good ol’ hatin’ on Rapha schtick, move along people

Not buying into The whole “respectfully made in China” crap. I wonder what their profit margins are on one said cannibal jersey. SURE i bet it fits great and rides like a dream jersey made of babies head hairs, but the fact that it costs 250 and probally costs no more that 20 bucks to make (being generous here) is complete BS. This thread reminds me alot of one that you would find on HYPEBEAST about the latest supreme lookbook. Im sorry but as a bike racer whos money goes mostly into equipment, races, traveling, etc. this stuff just simply does not appeal to me. If you can afford it then more power to ya, just more motivation for me to blow your doors off.

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what’s up with all the complaints about making a profit? profit margins are abound and varied in the cycling industry. if you don’t like capitalism, defect to north korea.

1) Who cares what Rapha’s marketing shows? Either the product is good, or it’s not. People don’t buy multiple pieces of Rapha kit because of hipster photoshoots.

2) Rapha’s stuff is GOOD. Great, actually. I wish it wasn’t, because then I’d save money getting Castelli or Capo. But Rapha (and Assos) are just objectively better stuff to wear. And anytime I suffer a little less on the bike, it’s a win. And that’s not even touching on style. I wish other kit manufacturers would give up the lame swooshes and “high-tech” looking touches that look gaudy and — yes — poser-ish. Rapha’s understated classical styling is easily the most beautiful in the biz.

3) Is Rapha worth the cost? The workmanship is stellar. The materials are solid. The attention to detail is exquisite. Does that justify the premium price? For me, it does. And I wish it didn’t. But like almost everywhere else in life, you get what you pay for, and in this case, you’re paying for the best.

So you hate Rapha because it’s expensive? Kinda lame. You must go through life constantly hating, because there is always something more expensive somewhere.

You hate it because of their cheesy photoshoots? It’s cycling gear, not wall posters.

You hate it because the people wearing it aren’t grizzled cycling racers who can blow the doors off everyone else? Good for you! Be the guy on the Schwinn crushing the guy on the Pinarello if that’s what validates you.

Everyone else should be applauding the growing popularity of cycling, encouraging every single person on the road for supporting our great sport, and celebrating the capitalistic fact that the high end doesn’t just drive the R&D than eventually trickles down to lower price points (look at gruppos, or bikes), but also spurs cheaper knock-off copycats, like the several companies linked on the thread above.