Rapha Clothing

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andyindo
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by andyindo

I think Rapha are pretty smart. They have a unique angle and are playing it well. But I dont own a single piece of Rapha kit and dont think I ever will. I can justify spending cash on bib shorts and maybe a good winter jersey and bibs, but theres no way in hell I'd pay £125 for a short sleeve summer jersey or £50 for a silk scarf(really?WTF are you going to do with a scarf while cycling?)!

But cycling is an emotional sport and if Rapha helps people connect with that emotion then more power to them. From what I hear their stuff is well made with excellent service.

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HammerTime2
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by HammerTime2

I don't get it. What's with all the Rapha hatred?

I mean, do you think Assos or Castelli are going to produce timeless classics such as the Andy Hampsten Gavia Pass jersey, complete with Andy's race number and four safety pins to attach it? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnrwdlzbFdw

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prendrefeu
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by prendrefeu

HammerTime2 wrote:I don't get it. What's with all the Rapha hatred?


People like integrity, and dislike lack of integrity?
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veloruche
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by veloruche

prendrefeu wrote:
HammerTime2 wrote:I don't get it. What's with all the Rapha hatred?


People like integrity, and dislike lack of integrity?


Please give me an example of Rapha not having integrity?

1. They tell you where it's made and what it's made of.
2. They make no apologies for what they charge.
3. They give great customer service in return for what you pay.
4. They have regular sales to encourage people who are non-Rapha owners to try their product.
5. They take back things that are defective or had issues without any questions and are polite and even offer discounts for new product after they've replaced or repaired something for you.

Let's just get to the point the real issue is here is that is style conscious and romanticizes the bike and cycling clothes and makes it into more fashion than sport. this makes some of you distrust or even hate the line but it's really unfounded if you like something different that's fine but why hate on everything to someone else's likes.

Give me an example of a company to meet all your criteria and I'll shoot holes in it. It's easy, we can all point out the things that we don't particular care for in a company but the rhetoric should always be friendly.

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corky
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by corky

shoiw me another clothing co. that sponsers a race team.
that sponsers and arranges races
that sponsers and arranges roller races.
that publishes a magazine
that has a blog
that will exchange a jersey for a smaller size if you lose enough weight within a given timeframe.
that isn,t plastered in logos
that makes films/documentaries
that arranges film screenIngs/tour coverage
that organizes rides.

Yes all of the above can be construed as marketing if you wish to be cynical, but no other clothing company does as much for your hobby/sport whatever.

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prendrefeu
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by prendrefeu

A question mark was intentionally added because my answer was a possibility. :roll:

Chill out, guys.
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Dov
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by Dov

Maybe they work for Rapha?
Brooklyn Gangsta V4 with DXR
Cannondale CAAD 10 Track
Cielo Classic Sportif U8000
Cinelli Supercorsa DA9000
Colnago C64 R12
Concorde DA7800
DeRosa Nuovo Classico SR12
Eddy Mercks Corsa Extra Ch12
Felt F1 DA9050
Trek L500

Long time supporter of Rapha
Strava

sawyer
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by sawyer

corky wrote:shoiw me another clothing co. that sponsers a race team.
that sponsers and arranges races
that sponsers and arranges roller races.
that publishes a magazine
that has a blog
that will exchange a jersey for a smaller size if you lose enough weight within a given timeframe.
that isn,t plastered in logos
that makes films/documentaries
that arranges film screenIngs/tour coverage
that organizes rides.

Yes all of the above can be construed as marketing if you wish to be cynical, but no other clothing company does as much for your hobby/sport whatever.


While I don't dispute the list, the importance attached to each is of course a matter of opinion. I would argue Sportful's involvement in the GF Sportful for example is worth more to me as a cyclist - one who has done that race 4 times - than your entire list.
----------------------------------------
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prendrefeu
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by prendrefeu

corky wrote:But no other clothing company does as much for your hobby/sport whatever.


False, absolute rubbish.

Let's start off with a few names (but we can go on for quite a while).
Sugoi
Pearl Izumi (from Shimano)
Hincapie
... yes, even small-time manufacturer Voler.
Swrve (small)
Chrome (growing)
Capo (growing)
ChampionSystems

What do they do on your list?
They sponsor plenty of racing teams - more than just one, in fact.
They sponsor and arrange races, and they also collaborate with other brands to produce bigger events (just like Rapha does).
Publishing a magazine... that really matters? :noidea:
Rapha has a blog. So do other companies. Huh.
Pearl Izumi has a lifetime warranty on all their products, they'll even exchange an older product where the stitching has gone awry for the current model-year equivalent. But they don't boast about it.
Rapha's non-team jerseys don't have logos plastered all over them? That is innovative how?
Rapha's team kit has just as many logos as any other pro-level team. Nothing shocking, son.
Other companies organize rides - in fact, they organize and sponsor more than just cycling rides. They sponsor running, triathlons and even down to 5k-walk-a-thons that will support medical research and organizations beyond cycling. Rapha may do that too, occasionally, but certainly less so by sheer reach.
The difference? Other companies don't organize rides with the pure intention of people riding/marching around in their clothes. When they do organize rides, the proceeds always go towards non-profit or humanitarian purposes
Other companies sponsor films and documentaries far more than you realize, they just don't put themselves across the titles - check the credits.
Other companies organize film screenings and tour coverage.

So... it's just basic marketing, nothing any greater in merit than other company's contributions to this sport, to the cycling community, nor to the world at large.
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corky
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by corky

. The Companies you list only provide those activities in the US but I guess you only care about the US?

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prendrefeu
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by prendrefeu

First, Sugoi is in Canada, supports events in Canada and is a Canadian company.
Things are localized, but apparently it wasn't made clear that the discussion was restricted to 'international' versus 'local' ? Huh. News to me.

and no, I don't care about "only in the US" but my point (which apparently you clearly missed) is that Rapha isn't doing anything any greater than any other company. Are you claiming that Rapha is doing more for the under-privileged of the world more than other companies do?

In fact, let me re-quote it for you since you missed it the first time:

prendrefeu wrote:So... it's just basic marketing, nothing any greater in merit than other company's contributions to this sport, to the cycling community, nor to the world at large.
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ultimobici
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by ultimobici

prendrefeu wrote:
corky wrote:But no other clothing company does as much for your hobby/sport whatever.


False, absolute rubbish.

Let's start off with a few names (but we can go on for quite a while).
Sugoi
Pearl Izumi (from Shimano)
Hincapie
... yes, even small-time manufacturer Voler.
Swrve (small)
Chrome (growing)
Capo (growing)
ChampionSystems

What do they do on your list?
They sponsor plenty of racing teams - more than just one, in fact.
They sponsor and arrange races, and they also collaborate with other brands to produce bigger events (just like Rapha does).
Publishing a magazine... that really matters? :noidea:
Rapha has a blog. So do other companies. Huh.
Pearl Izumi has a lifetime warranty on all their products, they'll even exchange an older product where the stitching has gone awry for the current model-year equivalent. But they don't boast about it.
Rapha's non-team jerseys don't have logos plastered all over them? That is innovative how?
Rapha's team kit has just as many logos as any other pro-level team. Nothing shocking, son.
Other companies organize rides - in fact, they organize and sponsor more than just cycling rides. They sponsor running, triathlons and even down to 5k-walk-a-thons that will support medical research and organizations beyond cycling. Rapha may do that too, occasionally, but certainly less so by sheer reach.
The difference? Other companies don't organize rides with the pure intention of people riding/marching around in their clothes. When they do organize rides, the proceeds always go towards non-profit or humanitarian purposes
Other companies sponsor films and documentaries far more than you realize, they just don't put themselves across the titles - check the credits.
Other companies organize film screenings and tour coverage.

So... it's just basic marketing, nothing any greater in merit than other company's contributions to this sport, to the cycling community, nor to the world at large.


In the main I agree with the whole lot, bar the highlighted.

Rapha organise plenty of events but fees if any are pay to enter, and none are dependent on you wearing their kit. This year they organised a ride around the lanes & tracks north of London on the Sunday Paris Roubaix was on. It was free, well signed and at the finish there was a free beer and a big screen showing the race in the pub. Total cost to me SFA, all I had to do was register in time and turn up.

BTW I wore no Rapha kit at all that day, only Assos & Santini.

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prendrefeu
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by prendrefeu

Yes, I've too participated in a Rapha ride: the one year anniversary ride of a local shop that happens to carry Rapha (and I'm friends with the owners). Certainly the shop could have hosted the ride themselves without Rapha, but that's not the point. Rides are just a marketing bit, it's not any greater than other companies in merit. A rider also crashed and died on that very same ride, and a few weeks later Rapha produced 'memorial' type hats with the rider's name stitched on the side, all black. Tragedy not withstanding, I would imagine any company doing the exact same thing should they have been the sponsor for the ride in which tragedy happened... so there wasn't any "pluses" in my book as to Rapha being any more superior in merit than any other company that would have been in their place.

The other companies will also put on events - registration fees will go towards non-profits or humanitarian causes. Which is something I admittedly like (especially considering my background*) : if you are putting on a ride, which is something that people can be doing on their own anyway, you might as well make the proceeds go towards something good now that you've gathered all these people for a particular event/moment/place/reason.

ultimobici wrote: BTW I wore no Rapha kit at all that day, only Assos & Santini.


:mrgreen: Never said a person riding on a Rapha ride has to ride in their kit, and that has never been stated in any Rapha ride, but it is certainly part of the marketing push. :wink:




*Organizer of several fundraising events (many have been rides), VP Board of Directors for a county-wide cycling advocacy organisation, tireless volunteer for plenty of other worthy causes both local and international.
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inthedrops
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by inthedrops

If only the passion some people have shown in this thread was directed towards something useful!

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ultimobici
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by ultimobici

inthedrops wrote:If only the passion some people have shown in this thread was directed towards something useful!
Thanks for putting a smile on my face! Having been drenched on my way home it took some doing.

by Weenie


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