[Closed] Rapha stuff - Worth it?

depends.

Is good quality stuff with excellent service. Not cheap though. Whether its worth it is up to you.

It's lovely stuff, fits well, looks good and is very comfortable. Whether that means it's worth it given you can buy a good pair of shorts and a merino base layer for half that is your call to make.

As above, the stuff I've bought, and I've got quite a lot has been worth it.

There's a Rapha outlet in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, where good reductions are to be had.

Training for my bike road ride this summer, I've been wearing my Morvelo jersey for every weekend ride and its been great. Now I've lost some timber, I've just got a Morvelo Nth series Jersey and Bibs and the quality looks great. Can't wait to test them out this weekend. Haven't bought new cycle kit for about three years, so I'm expecting magic from the new pad...(Like when you buy a new pillow!)

Edit: to answer your question I'd say look elsewhere.

Stuff is good. For me it's only worth it at 50% off in the sales.

Only you can decide really. I've got one piece of Rapha gear, a Pro Team Jacket, It's more than paid for itself on the wintery rides I've done in it and still is one of the better fitting and harder wearing bits of bike kit I've got.

Wouldn't dare wear it for mountain biking though.

I tend to buy stuff when the sales come up, always fits well and not fallen apart after a few washes unlike some bits I've had recently.

The stuff is lovely and very well made but it's a bit too pricey for me at normal prices, the sale prices make it more palatable.

Rapha bibs are pretty much an essential bit of kit for me now, superlights in the summer, classic in spring/autumn, 3/4 in winter on both road and mtb rides. Really is fantastic kit, comfy, great fit, free repairs.

Jerseys aren't quite at the 'essential' riding kit level, but again, really nice, looks and fit well.

If you can afford it, it's worth it.

Stuff is good. For me it's only worth it at 50% off in the sales.

Much of it has 60% off in the outlet centre and there's a fair amount of stock. The boy bought a really nice roadie/commuting jacket for around £125, looked to be good quality and well made.

Another closet fan here - but only in the sales too

FWIW I have 2 Rapha merinos I bought just after they launched, so at a guess 10y or so ago
Ive worn one or the other on just about every bike ride I have ever done since (2-3 per week) and washed them when they smell, actually not that often

10y down the line they are starting to get a bit saggy and one has a couple of holes in it, but they are not dead yet

Id say that represents pretty good value so I will replace like for like - in the sale........

I was once in this game. The fabrics they are using cannot have cost more much than about £2-5/sq m, so work out for yourself where the mark up is.

The store in Shepton Mallet is the same prices at the end if sale 50% off ish and limited sizes, don't go expecting a full range in all sizes

Loads of xxl and xxs - when I popped in last week (twice 4 days apart) they had a total of 3 jerseys/bibs in large, and a handful in medium

The Randonée shorts are probably the same fabric as the touring - it wears quickly but they do free repairs, I have a couple of pairs in rotation, ones always away being fixed - usually 3000km or so

I wear it on the mtb as well, apart from the Touring shorts if it's wet as mud eats through them

Again I tend to buy in the sale/discount codes, but I have a few things I've paid full whack for

I do like the Rapha clothing I have bought over the years, not much of it is riding gear though.
That said, seems like sales are less common now and the prices have been creeping up steadily over the years.

What else could you get for £150 if you shopped around?
Or don't... if the brand means that much to you, buy it...

It always looks really nice and is well designed. Personally for me it isn't worth it as I believe it is diminishing returns. Shorts just as good can be had for less. How much do you like the image and brand?

Don't have much of their stuff but what I have I really like. Their merino base are brilliant, particularly the winter one with the long neck. Have an old Country jersey too which is one of my favourite bits of kit. All mostly brought in sales 🙂

For years I really thought Rapha was a joke. No way is it worth the money. Much cheaper kit will do the job as well.

Oldboy
I was once in this game. The fabrics they are using cannot have cost more much than about £2-5/sq m, so work out for yourself where the mark up is.

Finished product costs loads more than raw material - shocker! Sure a lot goes into marketing but the service and kit is really good too.

IMO it's worth it at sale price or bundle price, the shorts I have are great (better than my Assos pair), base layers really soft and durable and my Pro Team Jacket is easily the best jacket I've owned, was rarely off my back all winter and still looks as new. And the off-centre gilet zip is genius. So yeah, a bit of a fan...

For years I really thought Rapha was a joke. No way is it worth the money. Much cheaper kit will do the job as well.

Tried it, have you?

http://www.rapha.cc/gb/en/shop/logo-t-shirt/product/LOT03

This would make me question the VFM but that's not what Ralpha is about. Happily I don't fit into their gear so it's a moot point for me.

The few Rapha items I have bought (on sale or on ebay) have been the best fitting, best thought out and most durable things I have bought.

I just don't have the disposable income to buy more of it or at RRP

That said, Howies are producing some nice stuff now.

Tried it, have you?

Dont need to I have ridden bikes enough in all conditions and over all sorts of distances and havent suffered for lack of Rapha kit.

I've got some Jerseys from the sales and really like them. Don't know if I would pay full RRP.

Sale prices only

It's nice, but not 'twice the price of everything else' nice

Rapha don't price on a cost-plus basis. They price on a 'it's way more expensive than anything else basis' - that's the entire point of their pricing strategy.

Premium pricing works very well in certain categories of goods - see [url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veblen_good ]Veblen goods[/url]

Rapha, to their credit understand the nature of Veblen goods very well and have built a very successful business on the back of it.

Personally I don't buy their stuff because I'd rather spend my biking cash on the bike rather than the clothes, and you can get great kit which will last you 10+ years for half the price... but if you want top quality kit and you have the cash, go ahead... just remember Rapha are one step ahead of you 🙂

I've got Aldi kit and it's every bit as good as Rapha, but without the s****y, pretentious image. I can grow my own straggly beard and look really gaunt and haggard and spend the money I save on flashy underwear instead. And don't get me started on people who take the Rapha coin, lead their so-called club rides or dress their defenceless 10-year-olds in Rapha when they're too young to know what it is.

And don't get me started on people who take the Rapha coin, lead their so-called club rides

A couple of my clubmates work at Rapha and lead their rides. Bloody strong riders, both of them. Nice people too...

Mind you, I participated in a Rapha ride once. The ability to ride in a group was near to non-existent, ability to accept instructions from the ride leader also non-existent and the moaning that the Rapha coffee van wasn't at the mid-ride stop was, I assumed, a joke. Until my mate who leads the rides said it almost certainly was serious. But that's idiots being idiots rather than anything you can blame Rapha for...

Aldi kit every bit as good as Rapha? 😆

I've got Aldi stuff & Rapha sale kit. There is absolutely no way that you could say that they are comparable. sorry.

People pay 10k for a bike. To them (and there are a lot of them) a couple of hundred on fancy pants is nothing.

At 50% off its worth it.

I like Rapha stuff.

My back pack has lasted years, and gets used daily.
The merino base layers are excellent.
I've taken delivery of some of their classic bib shorts, and shall know in a few years if they are worth it.
Also, I have bought the Cima Jersery [img] -MEDIUM?context=bWFzdGVyfHJvb3R8NzQxMzB8aW1hZ2UvanBlZ3xoNTUvaDBlLzg5MDEyMTA3MDE4NTQuanBnfDEwZmE1MGFhOGEyYzBmYjhjYjlmMzU2NGM5NDg4MjEzZjczZTQ4ZTAzZDc1NDUzMWQyNWY2NWFkODI3MGQxNTc[/img] but it just seems way to nice to ride in it... I don't want to get it all hot and smelly, but will do at one point.

The bib shorts are excellent snd last twice as long as cheaper stuff, so actually value for money. I dont likr jersey styles but I bought one and after 3 years usage got 50gpb for it on ebay.....

Wow, not many haterz here are there..
Where are the Faux black and white photos that CFH so loves posting ?

Epic fail.

😆

Na all the haterz are queuing up for cynical' posts.

Rapha kit certainly is a joy to use and seems to be lasting far better than high street stuff - can't see the problem with the cost of Rapha, the more you ride, the cheaper it works out

I've got Aldi stuff & Rapha sale kit. There is absolutely no way that you could say that they are comparable. sorry.

Yeah I know, I was being silly. I used to be very cynical about Rapha's marketing, you know, all the grimy, monochrome faux retro stuff and stuff about the Kings of Pain - try explaining your 'Kings of Pain' branded package to your postie - but then I got to try some of the kit for free.

I have to say that the bibs are really good, better than Assos ime, and the stuff's generally very nicely made and well cut.

Is it 'worth it'? Value's a moving target. As a lot of people have already said, I don't think I could justify buying Rapha at full whack, but given the other overpriced tat that our consumerist society throws out in the name of designer fashion and technological innovation, it's not so far out of kilter really.

Kings of Pain though... 🙄

The only piece of Rapha kit I have is a cycling cap, which is very nicely made (should be for £25 - thankfully it was a freebe)

However, I do have a pair of Oakley racing jackets, which I guess means I'm on a sticky wicket when complaining about overpriced riding kit.

Looking at the prices some 'hobby cyclists' are willing to pay for bikes I'd say Rapha have positioned themselves well in the market place...
Those who feel the need to spend £2k on Zipp wheels for the Saturday morning club run (yep - have seen them around where I live) obviously have no issues with paying £200 for a pair of bibs.

Looking at the prices some 'hobby cyclists' are willing to pay for bikes

My bikes aren't cheap, but I do reserve a big chunk of my nominal budget for clothing, helments and shoes. A good pair of shorts makes a lot more difference to your day than having Ultegra rather than 105, say.

🙂

I do like my rapha kit, have a club jersey for road biking, a couple of tour de france t-shirts, and socks lots of socks! Some of there urban range is good for mountain biking, ive got a a merino polo shirt really fits well and feels comfortable in the summer biking through the trees!

Heard good things about the padded bib shorts, but a little pricey for me, hopefully will get a pair with my bonus this year.

Those who feel the need to spend £2k on Zipp wheels for the Saturday morning club run (yep - have seen them around where I live) obviously have no issues with paying £200 for a pair of bibs.

If you want to spend 2k on a set of wheels for a club run then why not?! It's just a hobby. If you've got the cash and it makes you smile then go for it. People spend a lot more on stamps, model trains, beer, coke and hookers... etc.

(I don't have 2k Zipp wheels btw!)

Those who feel the need to spend £2k on Zipp wheels for the Saturday morning club run (yep - have seen them around where I live) obviously have no issues with paying £200 for a pair of bibs.

If you want to spend 2k on a set of wheels for a club run then why not?! It's just a hobby. If you've got the cash and it makes you smile then go for it. People spend a lot more on stamps, model trains, beer, coke and hookers... etc.

(I don't have 2k Zipp wheels btw!)

Absolutely - and that was my point - If you have £2k to spend on wheels then why not - I probably would if I had the money - just as I would probably buy Rapha bibs...

Absolutely - and that was my point - If you have £2k to spend on wheels then why not - I probably would if I had the money - just as I would probably buy Rapha bibs...

Fair enough, just sometimes the inverse snobbery you often get on these threads makes me feel like having a rant 🙂

I've got Aldi kit and it's every bit as good as Rapha,

Really? what are the aldi overshoes like and their deep winter tights? and their merino base layers? what about their cycling caps? do they do a nice line of off the bike shirts that fit narrow waisted cyclists with broad shoulders or are they all for couch potatoes with a paunch?

And don't get me started on people who take the Rapha coin, lead their so-called club rides or dress their defenceless 10-year-olds in Rapha when they're too young to know what it is.

You have met my friend Will then? he’s a really nice bloke and dotes on his young son who loves to wear his Sky/rapha t-shirt when watching cycling or cheering on his Dad beating David Millar at hillclimbing (5th at last years Bec hillclimb) if you have been dissatisfied with his ride leadership then maybe let Rapha know?
I find it hard to believe anyone would have a bad word to say about him either professionally or personally.
Despite being a talented tailor who has made suits worn by oscar winners and being fairly handy on a bike he’s still just an everyday family man who loves cycling.
anyway i’ll let him know your concerns, i’m sure he’ll take them on board.

p.s. he rides a £7k bike, is that o.k?

Oohh... "oscar winners" was he that Spanish sprinter who retired a couple of years ago after having been world Champion 3 times?
Amusing levels of both snobbery and inverse snobbery.
I've got quite a bit of raphe - because I quite like it and it fits into the price band that I'm comfortable with. It has a similar level of performance to other similarly priced cycle clothing - I'm just rather going off it as it very much seems to have become driven by fashion publishing timescales rather than being designed functional clothing as it was before... but then I am wearing a pair of rapha / Raeburn jeans today so what do I know?

I'm pretty much howies and rapha kit now (all rapha has been sale prices), even the chap in the rapha shop agreed the howies kit is pretty nice.

MrSmith - Member
I've got Aldi kit and it's every bit as good as Rapha,
Really? what are the aldi overshoes like and their deep winter tights? and their merino base layers? what about their cycling caps? do they do a nice line of off the bike shirts that fit narrow waisted cyclists with broad shoulders or are they all for couch potatoes with a paunch?

And don't get me started on people who take the Rapha coin, lead their so-called club rides or dress their defenceless 10-year-olds in Rapha when they're too young to know what it is.
You have met my friend Will then? he’s a really nice bloke and dotes on his young son who loves to wear his Sky/rapha t-shirt when watching cycling or cheering on his Dad beating David Millar at hillclimbing (5th at last years Bec hillclimb) if you have been dissatisfied with his ride leadership then maybe let Rapha know?
I find it hard to believe anyone would have a bad word to say about him either professionally or personally.
Despite being a talented tailor who has made suits worn by oscar winners and being fairly handy on a bike he’s still just an everyday family man who loves cycling.
anyway i’ll let him know your concerns, i’m sure he’ll take them on board.

p.s. he rides a £7k bike, is that o.k?

I think you may have missed my second post. The first bit was so silly I can't believe anyone took it seriously, the second was a light-hearted dig at a couple of mates who post regularly on here. I'm sorry it sees to have wound you up 😐

not wound me up at all, i find it funny that people can be so annoyed by what clothes others wear, your post may have been in jest but Rapha seems to provoke some strong opinions (particularly from those that can’t afford it) which for me is one of the benefits of wearing rapha and the angst it provokes. people immediately judge you by it, it says more about them than the person wearing it.

Merino baselayers are rubbish for cycling no matter what the company.

Rapha certainly isn't good value, but it isn't supposed to be. For me I'd rather Castelli/Sportful or GoreWear for fancier stuff and then DHB for everyday commuting.

I'm more amused by the notion that the amount you spend on bike and kit should somehow be proportional to how good you are on a bike 🙂

It's a bit like saying that if you are middle management then you should only be wearing shirts from M&S or Next, and leave the nice tailored stuff to senior management!

Merino baselayers are rubbish for cycling no matter what the company.

Spent a lot of time in the Rapha winter merino base last winter, a great bit of kit for the job.

I'm more amused by the notion that the amount you spend on bike and kit should somehow be proportional to how good you are on a bike

i’m even more amused by the fact it was posted on here

Rapha isn't the only expensive/niche cycle clothing company around, it just seems to be the most well known (on here anyway)

Check out some of the brands they sell at alwaysriding.co.uk. They don't make Rapha appear particularly expensive.

i’m even more amused by the fact it was posted on here

The irony was not lost on me, when you see posts of fancy new carbon santa cruz's awash with colour coordinated Enve wheels and finishing kit that will only ever be used for dicking about around trail centres.

Rapha isn't the only expensive/niche cycle clothing company around, it just seems to be the most well known (on here anyway)

It is however the one with probably the most cringeworthy marketing. Does make me wonder if it is all a bit tounge in cheek and they're actually having a laugh. The clothing however is top notch.

Rapha seems to provoke some strong opinions (particularly from those that can’t afford it)

I can afford Rapha, I just choose mostly not to buy it at full price, I suspect a fair few others are similar.

Fwiw, I think people are entitled to make their own call on whether something represents 'value' to them, and that can mean anything from 'enhanced performance' to 'enhanced image', but yeah, it's a bit daft to castigate others simply because their perception of what's worth buying is different from your own.

I still think the whole 'Kings of Pain' thing is funny though. It sounds like the name of an SM mail order house. .. I guess to sum up, I like the product, but some of the marketing occasionally strays close to being self parody. Unless I've missed something and it's tongue in cheek?

I'm with somewhatslightlydazed. Why does Rapha get all the Haters ranting. There are tons of high end bike brands that charge as much as/more than Rapha.

I've never heard an anti Gore rant, but their top jacket is £219 and bibs £189. Rapha equivalents are £260/200.

Dantsw13, I think it really boils down to their marketing. When I've used their web site to buy stuff I've often almost been put off by their marketing. I really don't understand who it's aimed at!

Ooh, I've just seen they're doing a long sleeve wool jersey for £60. Thats actually quite cheap for a wool jersey.

I've just slid down the road and ripped the arm off my aging rapha "fixed" jersey. I'm quite tempted.

Nice but a bit pricey.

Honestly the stuff is good, had some of it myself and you can normally shift it one without too much of a loss.

[url= http://www.tweekscycles.com/Product.do?method=view&n=3670&g=394162&p=394292&c=215&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Base&utm_campaign=Tights&gclid=COGF8eanrcUCFSvJtAodA3YAoA ]http://www.tweekscycles.com/Product.do?method=view&n=3670&g=394162&p=394292&c=215&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Base&utm_campaign=Tights&gclid=COGF8eanrcUCFSvJtAodA3YAoA[/url]

doesn't even come with a pad....

Assos, indeed very pricy kit. I have a couple of Swiss mates who wear it, say it really nice stuff and that I should try it sometime.. but to me it looks shouty.
But you should ride out in Switzerland one day, the roads are covered in the stuff. 😉

Assos (mostly in tir size) was by far the most popular gear in Mallorca recently.

I love my Assos shorts, but the tops just don't fit me. The Rapha ones do so I wear those instead (annoyingly for my ocd which hates the mixed branding

I've got some Rapha merino base layers that must be four years old and have lasted really well. I'd buy again when they wear out.

A lot of their other stuff is just too expensive; I did fancy that Lammergaier-themed jersey they did but couldn't justify it.

The rapha sale is very good, and the Rapharacinguk ebay shop has some extremely cheap stuff too.

Wouldn't pay full price, but all their stuff I've had has been faultless. I'd hang on just now though, their annual survey usually comes out around now which normally gives 20% discount code on completion.

not wound me up at all, i find it funny that people can be so annoyed by what clothes others wear, your post may have been in jest but Rapha seems to provoke some strong opinions (particularly from those that can’t afford it) which for me is one of the benefits of wearing rapha and the angst it provokes. people immediately judge you by it, it says more about them than the person wearing it.

You find it strange that it provokes people, yet the 'benefit' of wearing it is to provoke angst in others?

I tend to wear what's practical and comfortable on the bike and not care if anyone else likes it or disapproves.

I think the snobbery and inverse snobbery comes from the Rapha marketing. That last debacle with the interviews with Brick Lane types was awful. I think some people see it as not real cycling gear, and others see it as overpriced. It's decent stuff and it's overpriced. If there's a sale on then I'll usually be tempted by something.

A defencless ten year old. 😉

[img] [/img]

Aldi and Lidl stuff can be pretty bad. I have a few tops for biking and some from the motorcycling range that they put out a few years ago and the cut is hellish. The stitching and the placement of panels is poor too. Some items feel like you've possibly put them on back to front.

I don't see Rapha as expensive and wonder why some folk moan about the price like it's Savile freekin Row.

I like Rapha. Just to add another opinion into the mix, I actually really like the cut. Whilst the range of women's cycle clothing is improving greatly, it can still be a bit hit and miss. For me, the cut and fit of Rapha kit is bang-on - technically it works really well, it's comfortable, fits well, lasts ages and looks awesome.

In a previous life I'd happily spend money on nice clothes - so no difference for me. I spend more time on a bike these days, and if I can feel / look feminine too then I'm happy to pay a bit more for that 🙂

Could never bring myself to spend that much on cycle clothing, but some it looks ok. I'd be surprised if it's 2-3x better than Gore etc...

Could never bring myself to spend that much on cycle clothing, but some it looks ok. I'd be surprised if it's 2-3x better than Gore etc...

Probably not since it's priced fairly similarly....

I don't see Rapha as expensive and wonder why some folk moan about the price like it's Savile freekin Row.

because not all people earn the same amount of money

Had a look at a Gore Xenon ss jersey the other day, nearly £100 and really nothing special - their stuff seems to me to be a weird mix of race style/leisure fit and the construction is all a bit "patchwork quilt".

Rapha gear is expensive. I will admit that the design work is lovely, and (especially in recent years) their material choice and fit is absolutely top drawer. But, and it's a big BUT, their stuff is still made in China, and I'm not 100% sure it's worth the retail price.

Were it made in in England, I'd be happier paying the asking price. Imperial Works gear was the right idea, but added a further premium to an already premium price.

Why do you think China made wouldn't be worth a high retail?

I'd be surprised if there's any difference in quality between a high end Far East clothing manufacturer and a high end WE one.

I don't think it's a question of the quality in China, it's more the marketing of Rapha being a British brand