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i had read they were doing sunglasses, but fashion based,
THE RAPHA CLASSIC SUNGLASSESIntroducing the Rapha Classic Sunglasses, the perfect blend of elegant style and uncompromising on-bike performance.Handmade in Italy and designed with a less overtly ‘sporting’ aesthetic, the Classic Sunglasses are versatile enough for training and social rides, as well as time off the bike. Offering a similar weight and field of vision as the more technical-looking styles found in the pro peloton, the glasses have a wraparound shape inspired by the history of bike-racing eyewear. This shape also aids airflow, ensuring the lenses won’t mist up and that the glasses can be worn with all helmet types. The frame is made of a lightweight acetate, a cotton-based material manufactured, by hand, by Mazzucchelli of Italy. Rubber-tipped nose pads and rubber arms hold the glasses in place.
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*gets out 'Rapha Bingo' card*
*licks end of pencil*
about right for decent italian made glasses with zeiss lenses.
would buy a pair but i’m currently wearing carrera 80’s sex-tourist ones for road riding which do me fine.
I do like my Rapha garments but...
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I like my (sale priced) Rapha as well, but like chakaping says...
"The frame is made of a lightweight acetate, a cotton-based material manufactured, by hand, "
handmade acetate???
Pah why not just wear Ray-Bans and save the money?
Jesus, Diedre Barlow's only been dead a week and they're flogging off her specs already?
#norespect
*Awaits post declaring that £1.99 safety specs are all you should ever need and that anyone wearing anything else is an extravagant ponce and has been brainwashed personally by 'The Industry' to the point that they're brushing their teeth with Rapha Chamois cream*
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From that photo it looks like there's a lot of lens below the eye, but he is looking through the top of the frame almost...
I had a pair of Adidas Evil Eyes which you could tilt up when riding the bike, I really miss that on my cheapo replacements.
They must have been designed with input from Chris Froome.
They must have been designed with input from Chris Froome.
Do they have a small, downwards-pointing mirror inside them so that he can always keep an eye on his stem?
Jesus, Diedre Barlow's only been dead a week and they're flogging off her specs already?#norespect
😆
I hope they see this thread now.
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...Not a bad looking woman in her day.
too soon?
Should've gone to......
I like them. I'd buy them.
Feel like your Oakleys are a bit .... you know ... cheap?
Does your massive insecurity dictate that you really need something a bit more befitting of your status, to demonstrate to the world for all to see, your perceived superirity?
Well allow us to introduce these. No.... we didn't think we'd get away with it either. They're a couple of bits of plastic held together with a couple of screws, aftr all
But you can't put a price on you showing everyone who used to bully you at school who the real winner is eh?
Go on.... put those nagging, empty thoughts of self-loathing and worthlessness to the back of your mind and hit BUY.
They won't laugh at you any more in these babies
Oh.... actually.....
Binners haven't you just described 90% of sunglasses brands?
Well most sunglasses brands are owned between them by only 2 companies, both Italian. Hence they can keep the prices artificially high for what is only plastic and some metal.
Nice to see Bez modelling them.
I like em', I just bought 2 pairs the tortoise shell and the grey with pink lenses.
I really do have to show those Bullies whosedabossnow don't I..
8)
TBF the price of just under £200 is on par or less than RayBan and Persol and yadda yadda yaddaaaaaaaaa...
But you knew that, you thought you'd just have a pop, cos' you is trendie n stuff and like pointing fingers and s****ing whilst your inner chimp shouts loudly "oh boy, they're nice, you can't afford them, you are a looser and don't work hard eough to afford them, you are not worth it, don't work too hard, don't save up for them, go buy fagz insead, no one cares about you, everyone thinks you're a looser and they're right aren't they? oh yeah, you are a work shy looooooooozzzzzeeerrrr"
Or somethinglike.
😀
I have nothing to add. Except
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I'm hoping to win the ITV tour de france compo this week.
Prize is a Rapha cycling holiday.
I will make sure I will be wearing my Sunday best Lidl cycling kit every day 😀
Pah why not just wear Ray-Bans and save the money?
Ask Hinault 🙂
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who the **** pays £200 for non prescription sunnies? I paid £90 for some Oakley's over a year ago, i still feel conned and stupid for doing it, they've got good lenses, but that's it, plenty of other brands do better for the same or cheaper -smith and dragon optics are good.
That whole advert makes me feel like i've seen an orange tanned estate agent - violently ill and i need a shower..
Tis but a scratch. Who cares when you looked this cool in the 80's. Compare how Hinault looks here versus the idiot in the Oakleys 😆
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Abit
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Woooowzers L
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😆
[i]Compare how Hinault looks here versus the idiot in the Oakleys [/i]
regardless of looks, at least the idiot in the Oakleys isn't a massive arsehole
I can't help but think that the lenses are the wrong way up....?
When on the bike, I tend to look through the upper half of the lenses as my head is tilted downwards, rather than horizontal.
They should have been more like Dennis Taylor glasses, than Deidre Barlow - would have been more effective.
Like this:
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😆
8)
Those are actually the specs you need road riding! Which reminds me I must order some more contacts.
Surely they're missing a trick with free postage. If they could provide [b]Rapha[/b] postage, there's an extra £40 on every sale 8)
Would the postman look moodily into the distance while delivering your parcel?
double vision. disregard.
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Nana nana,
Rapha rapha,
hey, hey,
195 😯
I love Rapha parcels, my last one was all black but for the address label and had been sealed with 'Kings Of Pain' hallmark tape. Those glasses are a bit grim although I'll withhold final judgement until I see them in real life.
£195 - Pffft!
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Most glasses could be described as bits of plastic held together with a couple of screws.
I am assuming most of you don't have to wear glasses to help your vision? The frames I am wearing sitting here typing were almost £300 (and that is without any lenses)
Walk into a high street opticians and you will be faced with literally hundreds of frames that are £200+.
You need to forget the price and concentrate on A) whether you like them and B) if the lenses are any good.
who the **** pays £200 for non prescription sunnies?
Free shipping, though.
quite like those. probably wouldn't splash out for them, though.
so anyway:
sunnies that cost 5x more than a normal/cheap pair: Stupid
a bike that costs 10x more than a normal/cheap bike: Clearly well worth it
a car that costs 25x more than a 2nd hand Focus: Shut up, i've earned it and i'll spend it how i like
buying a watch that costs 100x more than a Timex: I am a man who knows class when he sees it.
I think the issue here is that the Rapha sunnies are WAY too cheap. 😀
They look ridiculous IMO, and the photo seems to show the opposite of what the blurb says about field of view or whatever. But price wise it's a bit unfair to single them out, although I guess you could say the same about pretty much all Rapha's stuff.
Well lads a confession, I've sent them both back.
I dunna lyke em'
On me they sit a little too high on the bridge of my nose and what with the lenses being large look like I'm wearing goggles.
However, seems the grey/pink ones have sold out already.
😕
They've sold out?
Right there you have the definitive comment on what cycling has now become.
....seems the grey/pink ones have sold out already.
Investment purchases 😉
I thought the whole point of expensive sunnies was that they looked good?
binners - Member
They've sold out?Right there you have the definitive comment on what cycling has now become.
I think there has always been the pretentious roadie show offs, "Sold Out" is great for a sales point of view if you spin it right. Nothing to do with doing a really small production run.
I think it was one of the X-Boxes vs PS. One sold out and people were paying double for one got loads of press, the other had nothing like that. I think the one who didn't sell out sold more by having enough stock to start with.
Considering there is probably only a small number out there it's hardly a damming indictment of the modern world
thecaptain - Member
I thought the whole point of expensive sunnies was that they looked good?
No the point is that everyone else knows that they are expensive.
Well, well, well.
To be honest about this, whilst they really are very well made, aesthetically look really nice, they don't suit everyone.
Like most sunglasses/glasses beauty is in the eye of the other person. Whilst You might think they look uber cool and suit you and your odd shaped face, others look at you and know exactly within seconds what they Really look like on you.
Thankfully I have mirrors all over my house and a wife that's brutally honest 😯 😆
As somebody else has said, looks like it'd be hard to look at the road without sitting right up or having a really flexible neck (easier on a bike with a massive head tube and a load of spacers under the stem though 😉 )
Not only that, but I don't like a frame round the bottom of the lens either - gets in the way of looking back IMO, though the depth of lens below the eye might mean this doesn't matter with these
I think there has always been the pretentious roadie show offs
I think you mean
I think there have always been people who want to spend more than me on some things
No I meant what I said. It's the reason I typed it.
Compare how Hinault looks here versus the idiot in the Oakleysregardless of looks, at least the idiot in the Oakleys isn't a massive arsehole
The 'idiot' in the Oakleys isn't wearing sunnies with glass lenses, that were never intended to be worn while racing a bike on the road. Or anywhere else, for that matter.
I've got a very rare pair of Arnet Hornet sunnies, bought from the bike shop in Vail in '94, just as they were about to send them back.
I'm pretty sure they were a failure because they were aimed at mountain bikers, but with metal frames and glass lenses they were far too heavy and fragile to wear on a bike. Lovely to wear off the bike, though.
Which is why Oakleys were successful, there were no other sunnies around at the time which were suitable for wearing on a bike. Those the guy on the bike is wearing are the original Factory Pilot glasses, whic came before the Blades and RazorBlades, and then Frogskins and Mumbos.
Smith and other manufacturers came after Oakley and Oakley lenses are as good as anyone else out there.
I own quite a bit of Rapha kit. Mainly 'classics' like jackets and merino wool jerseys. I am happy with every purchase. I would however never consider some of their more edgy stuff.
As a brand, every now and then, they produce this kind of thing. I can't help thinking it is all about the publicity and we all fall for it. It creates loads of hype, loads of internet forum space, but ultimately positions the brand exactly where they want it to be. Exclusive, expensive, edgy, controversial etc etc.
The world is full of designer brands producing one-off multi-million £ statements in order to sell more £100 scarves, or £200 small leather items, knowing full well that most people won't buy into the £5,000 handbag or dress. What Rapha are doing isn't new, and is frankly small scale and not really outrageous in the grand scheme of things.
If they produced a reasonably priced, fairly conformist product as a rule, as a brand, would we talk about it as much? Nope.
There is a reason why the grey and pink sold out so quickly, and it isn't overwhelming demand. They were a statement piece produced in extremely low quantities (if indeed there were ever more than just the one photography sample pair).
Now, imagine you own an exclusive, but not particularly cash rich lifestyle cycling apparel brand. Would you rather a) pay several thousand £s for an ad, or b) produce a very small quantity of outrageously priced, controversial product which (admittedly a very small number of) people actually pay you for, but will garner a huge amount of media coverage and internet chat? It is a brilliant piece of marketing which means that when we buy their (good but a little bit overpriced) shorts, jerseys and jackets, we feel we are buying into something a little bit out of the norm and exclusive.
Now, imagine again that you own that same brand. You have sold more shorts and black jerseys with a white stripe around the arm to every big cycling market in the world than the market can stand. You need to branch out. Where can you go? Shoes? (done, in 2 varieties, which are also, guess what really expensive and pimpy looking). Glasses? (ta da!). Helmets (wait for it.......!).
The fact that it isn't for everybody is exactly what the people who will buy these glasses like to hear, exactly where Rapha want to position themselves, and exactly where you want to be when you make a purchase of any more mundane item of Rapha. Chapeau to Rapha I say. You got us talking about your brand [b][u]again![/b][/u]