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TECH NEWS

Rapha & Raeburn launch city cycling collection

Very limited edition clothing from Rapha and fashion designer Christopher Raeburn

Rapha have launched a limited edition collection of city cycling clothing with designers Christopher and Graeme Raeburn, this Wind Jacket being made from recycled military parachute canopies. The prices are going to make a lot of you whistle through your teeth.

Cyclist Graeme Raeburn is product designer at Rapha while his brother, Christopher Raeburn, is a well-known fashion designer who uses re-appropriated military fabrics in his work… hence the nylon parachute canopy fabric that’s used for the front and back panels here.

As its name suggests, the Wind Jacket is windproof, and it’s lightweight and packable too. The spots on the arms and the yoke are reflective, and the hood can be rolled up and fastened away. You get front pockets, one of which doubles as a storage pocket for the jacket as a whole. Each jacket is individually numbered – that’s the reflective race-style number on the back.

Like all of the Rapha & Raeburn products, it’s made in England. For the full story on the collection, go to Rapha’s website

The Wind Jacket is available in green and white versions at, um, £300 (orange versions appear to be out of stock). 

The Rapha & Raeburn range also includes a Short Sleeve Henley merino shirt (£120) and jeans (£180).

According to Rapha, the jeans are made from ‘abrasion resistant and flexible fabric made from nylon, cotton and eslastane blend yarns’ that’s milled especially for them. Only 500 pairs are being made.

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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34 comments

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Ghedebrav | 10 years ago
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Glad someone else mentioned jockeys!

Usually love Rapha stuff (points made above re. high-ish fashion are valid, they have a niche and generally make very high-quality, good-looking items) but that jacket' a bit mingin'.

Jeans are great, as ever, but out of my range.

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11speedaddict | 10 years ago
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I like and own Rapha clothing
but, sometimes i think....Nathan Barley...if you dont know what i'm referring to.....Cock,Muff Bumhole.

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themartincox | 10 years ago
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I think that i probably might quite like it

I like the wife and kids more and I feel I may be separated from them should I be joined to the jacket!

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Lord_Impaler | 10 years ago
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MY EYES! THEY BURN...!  13

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Al__S | 10 years ago
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With this sort of thing, stop even trying to put into the context of value and practicality. As already pointed out, this is expensive fashion instead- and in that context, is priced appropriatly. Would I spend the money? No. Will others? Clearly. Does that mean that it shouldn't exist and that Rapha is evil incarnate because it has created something I neither like the look of or can afford? No.

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notfastenough | 10 years ago
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Well I'll stick my neck out and say I like that jacket, it's funky and original. As for £300, no I wouldn't at the minute, but I suspect that the purchasers of this found it easier to drop £300 on a luxury item than I would right now. The value is subjective (as are the looks).

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sorebones | 10 years ago
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I have a pair of the standard Rapha jeans, and can vouch for the fact they are incredibly hard-wearing as well as looking great. They are a tad dearer than the likes of Levi, but from my experience I get through regular jeans in a few months.

Not a fan of these jackets though and not something I can imagine being worn outside of Soho! I would like to see one in the flesh though

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WolfieSmith | 10 years ago
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I'm sick of skinny jeans - so noughties and so Max Wall. If Rapha made boot cut jeans I'd buy a pair. A Velcro tab to serve as a bike clip... Maybe I should make them.

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kiwiglider | 10 years ago
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God awful at crazy prices. Sticking with Gore.

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The Claw | 10 years ago
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Not sure about that jacket but a pair of Diesel jeans are £120 so if the Rapha jeans are much better made, seems ok to me. The problem with Rapha is they seem to do some stuff which leaves me thinking "well you get what you pay for" and other stuff which seems like a gratuitous rip off.

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Tony Farrelly | 10 years ago
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We've got the jacket in the office, I like it, it is beautifully made and it certainly gets attention. Short run, high fashion stuff costs money. If you don't like it don't buy it.

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Some Fella replied to Tony Farrelly | 10 years ago
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tony_farrelly wrote:

If you don't like it don't buy it.

But you didnt. You got given it.
Would you honestly pay £300 of your own hard earned for it, beautifully made or not?

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Tony Farrelly replied to Some Fella | 10 years ago
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Some Fella wrote:
tony_farrelly wrote:

If you don't like it don't buy it.

But you didnt. You got given it.
Would you honestly pay £300 of your own hard earned for it, beautifully made or not?

Nope, I wouldn't cos I can't afford it, doesn't mean I think it's a rip-off though. Any short run, designer label jacket is going to cost that sort of money or a lot more. Oh, and it's going back cos there isn't much point in testing such a limited edition item.

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colinth replied to Tony Farrelly | 10 years ago
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tony_farrelly wrote:

If you don't like it don't buy it.

thanks for the advice, even though I think the jacket is horrendous I was just about to order a dozen....

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bike_food replied to colinth | 10 years ago
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colinth wrote:
tony_farrelly wrote:

If you don't like it don't buy it.

thanks for the advice, even though I think the jacket is horrendous I was just about to order a dozen....

Brilliant, that made me chuckle.

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Fixie Girl replied to Tony Farrelly | 10 years ago
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tony_farrelly wrote:

We've got the jacket in the office, I like it, it is beautifully made and it certainly gets attention. Short run, high fashion stuff costs money. If you don't like it don't buy it.

I know of another UK cycle clothing company that does short run handmade limited editions that do not cost a fortune.

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The Rumpo Kid replied to Fixie Girl | 10 years ago
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Fixie Girl wrote:
tony_farrelly wrote:

We've got the jacket in the office, I like it, it is beautifully made and it certainly gets attention. Short run, high fashion stuff costs money. If you don't like it don't buy it.

I know of another UK cycle clothing company that does short run handmade limited editions that do not cost a fortune.

So how do they stop the Proles from buying it?

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joemmo | 10 years ago
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Those jeans would be ideal for cycling to the Masonic Lodge I imagine.

It might be the large amount of cheese I've just eaten but putting aside the pretentiousness and price I quite like the big reflective dots on the arms as a detail.

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The Rumpo Kid | 10 years ago
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Nauseating. Oh and don't carry a bag, or the pattern will rub off. (Rapha website).

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varderik | 10 years ago
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Oh dear, Rapha has just jumped the shark. Shame, their stuff was original in a good way when they started, now it's just the King's clothes. Looking forward to the next company that will take their crown. Such is the way with innovation.

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Jonny_Trousers | 10 years ago
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Awful.

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Dr. Ko | 10 years ago
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The question is - what happened to Paul Smith?
Has Rapha switched to a different designer?

Are my Paul Smith items now getting collectors items?  4

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Fixie Girl | 10 years ago
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Oh dear lord no!

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NeilG83 | 10 years ago
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Usually I don't bother commenting on Rapha articles because people should spend their money how they want, plus I think most Rapha clothing looks quite good. But how can that awful looking jacket, made out of recycled material cost £300! Is it sewed together with gold thread?

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Metjas | 10 years ago
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The wind jacket is a stark design piece - you either hate or love it. I'd love to see it in action.

No shortage of takers though as most of these pieces have already sold out. Hats off to Rapha for creating things that sell in these dire economic times.

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mooseman | 10 years ago
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WTF?

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bike_food | 10 years ago
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I think I'd rather wear the parachute, open, into a head wind than wear that jacket.

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Some Fella | 10 years ago
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London

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bendertherobot | 10 years ago
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It is limited and, last time I checked, there's no point checking on Rapha's website as you won't see it, not unless you're an Imperial Works Customer.

I am, for my sins, but wouldn't go near this. It's truly terrible.

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CraigS | 10 years ago
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That jacket is horrendous!

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