[Closed] Rapha Manchester

All the planned rides are in Cheshire or Derbyshire.
Most of them start down on the south side too.
At least they know their demographic, but ignoring all the decent riding to the North of the city puts me off for a start.

Might pop in for a look, but tbh I have no interest in buying lifestyle accessories as I have an actual life to be getting on with.

Wow and ouch in equal measure. Don't forget to pick your handbag up on the way out.

Rusty spanner yesterday
[img] [/img]

My mate DJed at the opening. I might pop in and not buy anything.

I'd love a trike!

Pretty accurate apart from that though.
🙂

rapha? cheapest bibs, 160 quid... given that's a good chunk over the cost of everything else you really have to wonder why you'd bother

Idle curiosity and a bit of people watching. I'll buy some stuff when they have another clearance weekend.

rapha? cheapest bibs, 160 quid... given that's a good chunk over the cost of everything else you really have to wonder why you'd bother

Unless you were after a pair of high quality bib shorts and didn't want to pay Assos KuKu-penthouse prices? Then perhaps you would bother to enter Rapha's northern outpost clothing emporium?

Rubbish.

Plenty of excellent bibs for far less than that.

It's an ostentatious display of wealth but not necessarily taste.
The Range Rover Sport of cycle clothing.

I find Rapha gear is often worn by those who define themselves by what someone else has told them to buy, rather than who they are.
A personality substitute, if you like. *

* Not everyone of course.
I'm sure no one on here is at all like that.
Oh no.

Rusty Spanner - Member
Rubbish.

Plenty of excellent bibs for far less than that.

It's an ostentatious display of wealth but not necessarily taste.

That's me in my Rapha bib and jersey and on my Orange Five ****ed for this forum's fashionistas then.

fwiw, I ordered, in one batch, a pair of bibs from Rapha, and 20 different pairs (brands) of bibs ranging in price from £40 to £200 from Wiggle at the start of the summer. The only ones that came close to the Rapha in comfort and fit were Assos and they were even more expensive!

I fail to see why a pair of shorts is an ostentatious display of wealth, when you're riding a £4000 PUSHBIKE. And the comfort, quality, and importantly, [url= http://pages.rapha.cc/service/repair-service ]crash repair guarantee[/url], make them worthwhile for me.

And taste? black shorts and black jersey will never go out of fashion.

I don't ride a £4000 pushbike. Wouldn't dream of it. 😀
And you may be unsurprised to find I am not a fashionista.

And I said 'often', not always.

The best bit about wearing rapha is the consternation and handwringing it causes in others.
You have to wonder how their minds work when a simple pair of black cycling shorts has such an effect,

It's an ostentatious display of wealth but not necessarily taste.
The Range Rover Sport of cycle clothing.

The only ones that came close to the Rapha in comfort and fit were Assos

Personally i would not wear Rapha if i was given it - then again I am not like MR smith it is kind of you to make sure we can spot you as easily in the real world as it is in the internet world 😛

It's an ostentatious display of wealth but not necessarily taste.
The Range Rover Sport of cycle clothing.

Haha - what a load of crap.

The rapha logo is about 3cm long and gloss black on matt fabric, if you are that close to read it I'll report you for stalking.

not many other companies out there that would have replaced my 18 month old shoes after a crash, and repaired my worn out touring shorts twice for free, not even charging for returns

.....I honestly dont care and i have stuff that ranges from £8 aldi to £60 shorts [ a gift] and there is no obvious difference in use that i can detect.

In that price range I agree, not much difference - but to dismiss an item you haven't tried just because of your perception of people that own it is just ignorance

Rapha is old hat now and fat mamil ware.
Have moved on to Le-Col, bibs are great and their winter jacket very good.

[quote=MrSmith said]The rapha logo is about 3cm long and gloss black on matt fabric, if you are that close to read it I'll report you for stalking.
You mean being slow

to dismiss an item you haven't tried just because of your perception of people that own it is just ignorance

IMHO people buy certain clothes, phones, ipads, cars, replica kits, not because they are intrinsically better but because it shows that they can afford to buy it. IMHO you pay a premium for the "brand" rather than a quality of the item.

The items are not intrinsically better quality than alternatives.

I would be amazed if you were to blind test users that they could tell you what is cheap and expensive and guess the price etc. The huge variation in price wont be explainable by anything other than "branding".

The Wilmslow contingent will drop Rapha like a stone once all the local dealers on stolen Cannondales are head to toe in it anyway.

I'll give it six weeks.

😀

You really do have a huge issue with your geographical location don't you Rusty. Did your heart want Bramhall but your bank balance say Bolton?

I bought a pair of Levi jeans for £60 because they fit better, feel more comfortable and will last three times as long (at least) as two pairs of £30 jeans from Next. If I find myself needing a couple of pairs of bib shorts at the same time, I might buy one pair of Rapha because I've never read or heard of anybody complaining about the quality, comfort, customer service, longevity of the product that I have with Endura.

The items are not intrinsically better quality than alternatives

Who really cares about that? It's a pair of shorts we are talking about here, not making a purchasing decision for the NHS worth millions to perform open hear surgery with. Try them, like them, keep them. Don't like them? Don't buy them again. It's just a pair of shorts.

Only a bedwetter would worry so much about what shorts other people buy.

...I would be amazed if you were to blind test users that they could tell you what is cheap and expensive and guess the price etc.

On some things maybe, there must be a level when performance gains become so marginal they are virtually undetectable.
I was probably one of the most reluctant Rapha buyers and certainly find them expensive for my budget, but I can certainly tell the difference.

Only a bedwetter would worry so much about what shorts other people buy.

Your trolling is so subtle and well executed its a joy to watch it played out
I have fed you enough today.

"The items are not intrinsically better quality than alternatives"

Yes they undoubtedly are. Night and day difference between Rapha and Altura for instance.

I admit to being the proud owner of a pair of Rapha over socks. I hope to graduate to a pair of 3/4 bib longs this autumn. Not the Shutt VR crap I bought last year. Oh no, never again.

Monksie.

I may not be entirely serious.
Hold onto that fact and we might all just get through this ok.

It could even be fun.

Burnley btw.

£180 😯

Someone is getting fleeced - See what i did there

*Minor Wilmslow (and two Cannondales) thank you very much 😆

Ohmygodhesaid....."Burnley". It's worse than I thought. You have my sympathy.

You really do have a huge issue with your geographical location don't you Rusty. Did your heart want Bramhall but your bank balance say Bolton?

oh i see? it’s a regionalist thing?
well people always moan about London sucking up all the money and talent so when a class leading brand decides to open a store while not exactly complementing the others in London : Tokyo : New York : San Francisco : Sydney, it might just give them a taste of the high-life the locals turn their noses up at it?
theres no pleasing some people.

Some people aren't happy until they're unhappy [s]junky-[/s] Mr.Smith.

that comment upset me
Thanks for cheering me up

Me? i’m as happy as a mamil in rapha getting a gold sportive time. 🙂

‘wobbles, punches-air'

Your trolling is so subtle and well executed its a joy to watch it played out
I have fed you enough today.

It's just banter.

Aaaaannnnyyywwwaaayyys up, anyone actually been in the store yet?

I know Rapha to some induce mild panic and bedwetting, but I'm not interested in that..

Wot'sdaShopLike??

I was at the opening 'working'. It was fun because there was free beer and cured meats, of which I consumed much. I didn't buy anything. It's nice though, in a branding kinda way. Some photos here:

[url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/13995637@N08/sets/72157647646825518/ ]Rapha Store Opening[/url]

They'll only need to advertise it in the Bike Rooms on Deansgate. Thats their demographic covered.

Part of their demographic anyway. Advertising on King Street will cover the other half - people who don't know them as a clothing brand with exclusive aspirations.

Bought a water bottle in the London store. And not one of the bright-but-will-scratch-to-pieces ones, either. I thought the £4 premium for the witty information was a premium worth paying (once). The young lady in front of me paid £745 for a modest sized bag of clothing 😯 . I hope it makes her faster, but I can't help but thinking that a year's coaching might have been a better investment.

The young lady in front of me paid £745 for a modest sized bag of clothing

Flipping heck. I hope you informed her that she could buy a bike for that.

I think I'd have been dumbstruck though!

My take on Rapha Manchester - it's not too far away from me but family and work mean I get very, very little spare time - so I think I'll continue to use it riding my bike instead of buying fannyish clothes to do it in.

I guessed her Gold credit card bills are being met by others. But I was as you say, dumbstruck!

Was she a big lass?

Have moved on to Le-Col, bibs are great and their winter jacket very good.

I was curious... it looks like Aldi cycling gear.

I thought you were an [i]aesthete[/i] Mr Smith.

*shakes head sadly*

Seen some very fat blokes this last 2 weeks in Rapha and some trim blokes and birds in rapha too here in the Tramuntara, Majorca.

Nice kit, too expensive IMHO. Howies is almost equal in fit and performance and fabric at a 1/3rd of the price

DHB is even better value fir money if you seek out the Aeron Pro.

Was she a big lass?

Tiny and French.

I was curious... it looks like Aldi cycling gear.

I thought you were an aesthete Mr Smith.

i’m going through a functional/utility phase inspired by dieter rams and max bill. 🙄

I'd pop into the shop for sure to have a nose around. Wish the brand nothing but success and if I was feeling plush/had some money to burn and, what took my fancy fitted, I'd but it. I don't see that happening any time soon.

dirtyrider - Member
not many other companies out there that would have replaced my 18 month old shoes after a crash, and repaired my worn out touring shorts twice for free, not even charging for returns

Yes, other stuff is cheaper and may fit better but you can't fault there after are service but, you pay for it.

Nice kit, too expensive IMHO. Howies is almost equal in fit and performance and fabric at a 1/3rd of the price

Says the man with more custom Nicolais than I have pimples on my arse.

if you can afford it and want it then buy it.
if you can afford it but dont want to buy it get something cheaper.
if you can’t afford it and want it get a job that pays better or save up.
it doesn't have to be any more complicated than that.

whatever your own personal purchasing why have so much angst about what people other people spend on clothing?
apart from making you look like a stingy pikey in comparison why would you care?

All the planned rides are in Cheshire or Derbyshire.
Most of them start down on the south side too.
At least they know their demographic, but ignoring all the decent riding to the North of the city puts me off for a start.

They're still developing the rides list - working out what's practical, what people want and the best routes in terms of logistics. Give them chance, they've only been there 4 days!

The young lady in front of me paid £745 for a modest sized bag of clothing

I've seen people spend twice that!

I went to the opening night gig, was a good event. Nice place, looks smart. And actually most of the kit is at fairly similar prices to other brands. Rapha shoes at £300 - most high end road shoes are at least £260, some go up to £350. Same with shorts: Rapha at £190, Assos go up to £300 so it's not as though it's anything unreasonable. Don't like it, don't buy it!

I guessed her Gold credit card bills are being met by others. But I was as you say, dumbstruck!

Re-read that & then let us know if you feel at all chauvinistic or patronising. Or maybe you actually know the woman.

£745?

That's not a fat lot really is it?

She could've saved up all year, got a bonus from work, living on expenses, may have a decent job, may have a job that means she can't get to the shop, may not like ordering online to find stuff doesn't fit and have the hassle of sending it all back..

£745?

I know women who spend that on a pair of shoes.

Now, enough Rapha bashing lads, whats that coffee like 😀

PSA - I just went in and the coffee is free at the moment. Seemed a friendly bunch.

Now That's News ^^ 😆

Ooo might pop along to one. I wont be wearing or buying Rapha. Just not my thing. Same with mountain bike clothing. I'm more interested in the ride not the clothes.

hora - Member
Ooo might pop along to one. I wont be wearing or buying Rapha. Just not my thing. Same with mountain bike clothing. I'm more interested in the ride not the clothes.

😉

pwnd

Hey that was coincidence! 😀

Ooo might pop along to one. I wont be wearing or buying Rapha. Just not my thing. Same with mountain bike clothing. I'm more interested in [s]the ride not the clothes[/s] spending money on lots of frames.

FTFY

Ooo might pop along to one. I wont be wearing or buying Rapha. Just not my thing. Same with mountain bike clothing. I'm more interested in the ride not spending money on lots of 2 grand+ fashion carbon frames chasing the next marketing-madness.

FTFY

Last time I went in their Soho store they had no soy milk and the smoothie blender was broken. Pretty pants really.

I do like my sportwool jerseys and bibs though.

"Re-read that and then let us know if you feel at all chauvinistic or patronising"

Last time I went in their Soho store they had no soy milk and the smoothie blender was broken. Pretty pants really.

Your story has touched me like none other 😥

Ok so Rapha attracts Hipsters in droves and its a bit of a city click look at me posers type of brand. But Rapha do have a good brand and their kit is good as well as their coffee based on my Rapha Tempest experience, I nearly got to throw my leg over a Pinarello F8 on one of their organized rides but the lightweights cancelled the ride because of the rain 8O. I don't like Manchester so doubt I will make a journey especially to visit the store, although I have a couple of events I'm attending in Manchester so if I have time I may pop in or even join a ride.

All the miserable gits having a moan about Rapha is amusing though!

Last time I went in their Soho store they had no soy milk and the smoothie blender was broken. Pretty pants really.
Your story has touched me like none other

I know, frankly it almost ruined my afternoon. But I had a Perrier limon and the soap in Rapha's bathroom was scented with lavender en Provenance, which was some small recompense.

There was an organised ride from Chorlton one Sunday morning last week. They all met up at the Cafe- I'd say half were in Rapha, the others (mostly) in a mix of Sky clothing. I opened the door for one of them who let it shut in my face when it was my turn but hey.

The cafe is the sort of place where they make the bread slightly thicker, employ eternal students then add 50% to the price. I'd have giggled but £4 for one slice of toast with cheese on hurt 😯

Ah its a good thing, props the industry up, gives it some kudos and style missing from football a d if you don't like it don't buy it.

I owned a rapha jersey once, cost me £4 from a charity shop in holt, bet he was p1ssed when he realised. Best bit, sold it for £100 on eBay!

Lets hope some Cheshire housewives have some clearouts!

There was an organised ride from Chorlton one Sunday morning last week.

Since when did weeks have more than one Sunday?

You made a big profit on a charity shop find? Hahaaaaaaa. Brilliant! Charity mugs eh? And their pathetic, soppy money-raising antics, eh? If someone pointed it out, they could have made some cash on it themselves. To save lives, or puppies, or whatever. But you trousered it instead, Hahahaaaaaaa. And you get to brag about how clever you are on an internet forum. Excellent! Yay for you! You're my hero! You're literally the physical embodiment of Dave's Big Society

🙄

Try thier flapjacks or thier Raspberry Brownies..

Uber Yum.

[i]I owned a rapha jersey once, cost me £4 from a charity shop in holt, bet he was p1ssed when he realised. Best bit, sold it for £100 on eBay![/i]

[i]Excellent! Yay for you! You're my hero![/i]
Please add to your list of crimes, the mild discomfort I'm experiencing while posting my agreement with Binners **Shudders**. As someone who often delivers quality items to my local charity shops, instead of shifting them on ebay or here, myself. It's slightly sad for me now to think that some folk might be surfing such places in order to exercise such [i]entrepreneurial flair[/i]. If you don't feel ashamed of yourself, imo, you probably should.
😕

Anyway, back to Rapha. For me it's a like, hate, thing. I like some of their kit, but hate the sometimes silly prices. Not everything is over priced, but unless theres a sale on, it's not the first place I think of when bargain hunting for new kit.
That said, they seem to ' [i]Play a very straight bat[/i] ' and after experiencing a strange piece of luck, I'm now looking forward to receiving some premium items from Rapha, at a significant discount.

Carry on!