Loving the depth of this thread...

I own quite a bit of rapha stuff and I find all of it decent quality. I haven't paid full price for much of it (except a jersey perhaps) but it fits very well, is comfortable, it looks good and it works well from a functional point of view. However, I do think its overpriced, but so long as people are willing to pay these premium prices rapha will continue to charge what they like. I do take slight issue to the fact it's now made in china (my older bits were made in Italy/turkey), not because I hate china but I would rather support countries who are closer to home, don't pay their workers peanuts and have more conscience when it comes to environmental preservation. People don't consider that these days. And the fact it's made in china means that (I'm assuming here but it's probably true) rapha's profit margins are huge. You can't blame them as they do sell good products and have an excellent marketing strategy, but there are flaws which some of you have pointed out.

On a side note, some of my more hardcore roadie mates do scoff at the fact I have expensive rapha duds, and I can sorta see the aspect of snobbery that others have described above, but who gives a *f##k*. Let your riding do the talking. If you whip someone up a steep hill they soon pipe down! I do feel that rapha could quell more this hating by challenging it with action. I.e. listing where factories are located on their website, and showing they conform to certain standards etc. I think as a cyclist, or someone who uses the 'great outdoors' to seek pleasure by way of riding a bike, that we all have a duty to protect the environment, therefore I can understand why some people have beef with this company. We must practice what we preach!

you dont know if my post is horse shit because you live in a different city.

and road cycling is not about who gets to the top first unless it is a race (a real life race where you pin a number on, not one on a website) - road cycling is about attitude

a lot of people have the right attitude. the loud minority seem to have the bad attitude.

ill continue riding around with a smile on my face, laughing at my ridiculous outift while i enjoy riding with my friends.

Rapha is not really sold at many stores. That's a problem. Dallas ft worth, the fourth biggest city in our country does not sell it.

It is also wool and wool sucks ass and from a weight standpoint wool is much heavier than the futuristic fabrics of assos.

I also do not hate Rapha, I have not gotten to try it. I am in the middle. I like bike clothes, but I'm not a vintage guy, so if it wasn't made in hell I would buy some to pick up chicks in San Francisco.

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Exp001

I've traveled a few times to your fair city to ride my roadie and my sweet fixed gear cycle back when I still did and its not that bad..
There is always a few idiots, where ever you go.. Mostly people new to the world of road cycling taking them selves way to seriously. But after 'pinning on a number' and getting to know local racers both young and old, they are pretty Kool guys, pretty darn friendly actually as long as you don't act like a dick or ride dangerously.
But then in your city there are cliques that don't get along in the ever dwindling fixed gear scene.. So maybe there are plenty of dick heads..

Funny thing is when you start racing you stop been on the out side of the more serious cycling circles, and once you stop been a Fred or an ironic hipster they are really pretty good guys


Also every cafe I've every been too is full of fixie hipsters who are every single bit as contrived as those kids in the rapah cafe video.

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http://fairwheelbikes.com/cycling-blog/ ... ee-z5.html

dont you mean epic middle aged men?

thanks for the post but i think you are missing the point a bit

rapha make 'ok' products. are they 200-300% better than the other options around? imo, no (having owned a few of their products).

but rapha are not about the products exclusively, they are trying to market a lifestyle. and the people who get sucked into this exclusive lifestyle/epic marketing are generally the sort of people i would like to stay away from in all parts of my life. which i do. and i want nothing to do with their little made up food chain.

ps here is something funny

rapha coffee cup, yeah its only about US $125 .... ! makes your morning coffee that much better though.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Rapha-Espres ... =RTM742988" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Exp001

rides a fixie mostly... very edgy

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http://fairwheelbikes.com/cycling-blog/ ... ee-z5.html

If you see someone wearing a brand of clothing, decide you don't like them and therefore associate that brand with people you don't like....... well that's just shallow.

People on Bikes are a good thing.

Take your inverted snobbery and inverted elitism and shove it....

What I don't get is the Team Sky sponsorship.
So now they´ve spent 10 years making a niche for themselves (successfully I might add) and now they try to be Castelli?

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The unbearable wallet lightness of being a weightweenie

Rapha Condor has been around for at least 3 years. Sky is just a more well known team.

Also Sky fits their lifestyle. Endless pockets. Simple classic design without logos. British roots.

@corky, I agree with you. I know some people that wear high end gear who are very nice, and some of the biggest jerks I have met are out there riding in their team kits I don't mind, I'm out on my bike to have a good time and get some exercise in
I have two Rapha items coming to me right now, it will be interesting seeing how they compare to a few items I have from other manufacturers.

That a good point. The biggest dicks are the guts wearing their cat4 team kit for every ride around the park.

Dudes, everyone just chill. And that includes people on all sides of the issue.