Rapha 20 celebrates the brand’s 20th anniversary this autumn, returning to London’s Truman Brewery where they launched back in 2004 for a Rapha20: Past Forward exhibition, pop-up shop, and a host of special events including group rides. It seems hard to believe that Rapha has been around for two decades – we’ve only been reporting on bike tech & rumors since 2008. But two decades ago, Rapha’s original merino blend Sportwool jersey set a new benchmark for rethinking road riding apparel. Their simple design aesthetic, forward-thinking technical designs, and focus on the little details, set off a renaissance of smarter high-performance cycling kit. And we all still benefit today from the spark of competition they ignited in the early 2000s…
Rapha’s 20 years of “Performance, Progress & Panache”
It was 20 years ago during the 3 weeks of the Tour de France that Rapha debuted at the Truman Brewery with their Kings of Pain exhibit, focusing on some of cycling’s greatest champions and their willingness to suffer for the beauty of the sport.
That set the stage for their simple monochromatic black Rapha Sportwool cycling jersey with their trademark subtle pink details. And of course, the brand’s “ex duris gloria” motto… glory through suffering. It was a huge shift from – and a direct reaction to – the overly bright euro-style plastic-feeling road cycling jerseys of the time, plastered with team sponsor logos. Rapha proposed a better way forward, a simpler cycling kit inspired by history, but remade in a modern way.
Rapha 20: Past Forward exhibition at the Truman Brewery in London, England
As part of this year’s London Design Festival from September 14-22, Rapha will again take over the Truman Brewery for a “kinetic installation, housed in an ethereal world of archive product and imagery” paired with a stacked program of cycling industry panel discussions talks, parties, and group rides. It’s a celebration of twenty years of cutting-edge designs. And a look back at the transformative ethos behind the company that has since expanded from recreational road riders to the highest level of professional cycling. And then expanded to take in gravel cycling and mountain biking too.
“Rapha’s progressive aesthetic, inspired by mid-century road cycling, futurism, fashion, and modernist typography, disrupted the status quo and forever changed the cycling industry. Since then, this rebellious approach has seen Rapha worn by Tour de France winners and receive accolades from around the world. Today, the brand has transcended the cycling industry to become a global movement.”
So on September 14, 2024, Rapha 20 returns to the Truman Brewery to open Past Forward. It’s meant to be an exhibit that celebrates their designs and products of the past two decades. But also to set the stage for their next developments. Plus, Rapha say they will “explore how cycling will continue to change lives, transform cities and be a radical force for social and environmental progress“.
Rapha’s full description of the exhibit:
RAPHA20: PAST FORWARD EXHIBITION – G4, Ely’s Yard, The Truman Brewery, London E1 6QR
Rapha has commissioned creative duo Isabel + Helen to produce the centrepiece of the experience, Rapha in Motion; an installation inspired by the past and future of Rapha’s first merino-blend jersey. Visitors will discover a large-scale kinetic sculpture which brings to life the movement of cycling, and incorporates nods to the product innovation and craftsmanship that has driven the brand from the beginning.
Rapha also enlisted top branding agency Made Thought to create the exhibition’s spatial and experiential design, and visual identity. As visitors enter the space, they will embark on an emotive, abstract journey through a selection of Rapha’s archive and definitive moments for the brand.
Completing the show is The Future of Cycling Manifesto, a printed publication that sets the stage for the next 20 years, and explores what the future of cycling could hold. Rapha has spoken to an alliance of contributors to produce a holistic take on how the sport and culture of cycling has changed over the past 20 years and how it could continue to grow, with contributors including Rapha’s founder Simon Mottram and new CEO Fran Millar, EF pro cyclists Lachlan Morton and Alison Jackson, AMANI’s Tsgabu Grmay and Transport to London’s Will Norman. All visitors will be able to take a copy of the manifesto away with them to read in full.
Register in advance
The ‘Past Forward’ exhibit is free with online registration (here), from next week in London on September 14. Read more later about the full program of accompanying events and how you can join in at: events.Rapha.cc. There are catered parties almost daily including a book launch featuring a talk with Rapha founder Simon Mottram and Rapha’s new CEO, Fran Millar. In addition, a sustainable design discussion, a brutalist architecture tour, city rides, and group rides on some of Rapha’s favorite road cycling routes in and around London.
Pop-up shop with custom Rapha20 kit
Plus of course, there will be a special Rapha20 pop-up store on-site at the Truman Brewery. Rapha will offer limited edition Rapha20 design products and a selection of Rapha’s latest top products. There will also be some “rarities” on offer that you won’t find anywhere else. And a ‘Customisation Atelier’ where you can customize those products you purchase from the pop-up shop.
