Rapha Kit

The value/worth of something can be determined by looking at the price that customers are willing or able to pay for it. We all have different preferences and budgets, so some people will look at the price of a product and conclude they are unwilling and/or unable to pay for it. That does not mean the good is 'not worth it'. It just means that you are unwilling and/or unable to pay for it.

I have some Rapha kit (winter tights, rain jacket lightweight jersey, caps) and I've had really good experience of their repair service. I bought some of their winter tights when the forst came out (2005ish?) and at the time they seemed good quality and price was close to other high end kit.

I finally wore through the backside (pointy sit-bones?) a year or so ago and they were repaired to a very high standard (inserts rather than patches) without any hassle.

I wore through a newer second (red leg flash - get me!) pair in the same place just before Christmas and agin these were repaired to a similar standard and back to me within a week. I think I've had good vfm from these.

I like the imagery and 'ethos' that rapha promotes and I accept that it's not for everyone, I'm a self-confessed bike tart. I don't like it because it's Rapha - some designs are pretty hoofing IMHO and their LS jerseys never fit my forearms comfortably.

I'll give a second very strong recommendation for Morvelo, really good quality kit, a great range of designs (probably something for everybody) and keen prices. My drawers are slowly filling with more of their kit.

I'll by more Rapha as I want it but it's not the be all and end all. Nice stuff tho.

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Ugh. I cannot get my head around people's seemingly uncontrollable need to pass judgement on others' kit, bike etc. These cretins are everywhere. https://patatechasseur.wordpress.com/2015/01/11/the-snobbery-complex/

that was a good read, puts it all in perspective.

Best bit of kit I own is a Rapha Pro-Team jacket (windproof front, roubaixy back). It seems to work from early autumn to spring, with only a switch of baselayer depending on how cold it is. Their classic bibshorts are good too and are understated. All their plain merino/mix is classic.

I'm not a fan of Rapha's weird 'homage' jerseys or the leather goods which have lost the plot in my mind. Personally I'm not a fan of the 'Captain Scarlet' Assos look either, and definitely not the over-logo-ed euro pro stuff, but if it floats your boat then go for it.

I wonder if James Blunt wears Rapha? Stuff your reverse-snobbery. Vive la establishment, Vive la 1%!

So in conclusion; buy what you want based on your own perception of value and aesthetics (it's unlikely what you'll get will be BAD, but equally unlikely to be cheap), and let's all nevertheless be excellent to one another and get along sublimely! ＼(^▽^＠)ノ

For what it's worth, the Winter Merino Baselayer is £40 at the moment, and several flavours of Merino Hat are all £15. Given that they're both likely to be worn underneath something else, you should also be able to avoid all the vacuous debate about how buying such an item contractually binds you to a freaky cult of pathetically aspirational city big-wigs whose noxious lifestyle will one day destroy the earth... or something.

On the other hand, you'll lose any right to call someone pathetically aspirational city big-wig whose noxious lifestyle will one day destroy the earth... or something.

Tough decisions...

Used to be on the side of "wearing Rapha, all the gear, no idea" but since actually buying and wearing some of the stuff, and decidedly on the side of "it's actually worth the money" now
Bought some 3/4 bibs for my b'day back in November, very comfy, very well fitted. Then bought the hardshell jacket in the sale for xmas. I have worn that for every ride I've been on since. The best jacket I've got for winter riding. Bought the winter base layer in the sale a few weeks ago, combined with the jacket, it's an unbeatable combo. Now saving for the winter longs.
It's so comfortable to wear, it actually makes me want to go out cycling in inclement weather, which is crazy.
I'm sticking with my Gore winter gloves though, as the Rapha items are not supposed to be very good, and take a lot of looking after.

The only Rapha kit I own, are a couple of bag covers. They are very well made though.

I only have 2 bits of Rapha clothing; a lighweight jersey and a city rain jacket. Both are excellent; fit, performance, quality, style etc. Rapha do a seriously good sale with big price reductions.

Team kit I think that is a differant story, I tend to think if you not in the team don't wear the kit, I wouldn't think badly of anyone who does wear it in the same way is I don't prejudge people in Rapha, just not for me, though conversely I own a blue replica football shirt? I must have double standard or at a minimum poor judgement in my football shirt

Bottom line is cyclists are just as likely to be a**holes as anyone else you meet. If you like the Rapha clothing wear it. Ignore what anybody else thinks. Other than the few a**holes out there, most cyclist won't give your clothing choices a second thought. And it could be worse - you could be an unpaid shill for Sky, Tinkoff, Garmin etc. just like those mugs who wear replica team kit.

Rightly or wrongly I see Rapha as the cycling version of Harley Davidson motorcycle clothing, a bit midlife crisis

You can have this debate about everything... Next shoes made in China or Loake handmade in Northampton, one mans poison etc. as long I am not wearing the next shoes it doesn't bother me what anyone wears. I won't buy the aldi stuff even for commuting, it might be ok, but I am a bike snob don't mind admitting it. But what I wear is my choice as it is everyone else's. Rapha is good kit. I vist london at least once a month and I always pop into the cafe, have a mooch at the kit and a chat with the cycling enthusiasts and have found them to be nothing but welcoming.

I was bought a couple of pairs of winter merino socks for Christmas a few years back, they lasted about 10 weeks before holes started appearing in the toes and heels (they were the correct size and I cut my toenails regularly), I sewed them up and kept them going for a couple of winters mainly because of the price & didn't want to upset the Mrs, but ultimately they were pretty rubbish. Have been using merino socks from another brand at 1/3rd the cost for a number of winters now with & they haven't worn at all.
I don't buy their gear as I got locked into Assos shorts and Castelli & Etxeondo elsewhere after a few years of cycling & haven't felt the need to try anything else.

I have a Rapha cap, it's no better than any other cap, but cost twice as much.

I'm mostly wearing Ebay 2nd hand Castelli. It's beautiful stuff, fits well, nicely finished and they have a long history in cycling sponsoring a lot of teams over the decades. And I've got Craft bibs (great) and a Craft commuter jacket (outstandingly durable & waterproof) and a few other jerseys that look nice.

I guess re. Rapha it's the overbearing advertising that annoys me, that costs a _ton_ of money that they could spend on sponsorship or on technical development.

Re. Dunwich Dynamo, there are a few riders who are practiced in inverted snobbery who do it. I got heaps for riding a fluoro pink Planet X a few years back.

I have a few Rapha bits, however I don't believe they are worth their RRP - if you can get it on sale fair doos. They do look good and are well made certainly. The super light jersey was a good send in the alps when it was pushing 33c this past summer. However, I find the Castelli stuff to be far better when it comes to technical performance.

Yes Rapha does look great - that is undeniable; although it does seem to be one of the great divides in British cycling. There is a perception that its the guys in head to toe Rapha on their 3K Cervelos and Pinarellos out pushing the big gears struggling up the hills, while on the other side there evidently is the reverse snobbery that mocks the Rapha lifestyle and sneers at people spending so much on the kit (yet, as mentioned previously, no one laughs at people for buying the Castelli or Assos stuff that often costs more!)

In part, the controversy is there as Rapha is the brand most associated with cycling becoming 'the new golf'...

Anyhow - all the racers I see here in Belgium tend to wear stuff like Santini.

I don't have any Rapha (but I'm sure at some point I will), but do own some items from Vulpine and Icebreaker, and some higher-end Gore as well. All those brands are similarly priced and work extremely well for their purpose, wear well, and look fine. The reverse snobbery around Rapha is just that. Same with snobs who look down on dhb or B'Twin stuff, which also works pretty well and can look good too.

I ordered a summer jersey and a rain jacket from rapha, just before I was clattered by a car, not had chance to wear it yet. But it looks well made and I had 30% of both of them it brought them down a price bracket.

Their stuff is very overpriced, you pay extra for things like the free repair service, which is rubbish. I have a long sleeve jersey which got small holes where the pockets are attached quite early on, I eventually sent it back for repair expecting them to sew it up and for it to be as good as new but it came back with bloody great patches stuck on it. It now looks ridiculous and is unwearable.

I have Rapha stuff that I won in a comp Classic jersey, Bib shorts and hat, Its great kit especially for free I do get some snide comments as my bike is a Pinarello , Rapha & Pinarello combo equals knob apparently, I could not care less what people think or say. I also get some snide comments when I wear decathlon stuff and ride my BTwin MTB, its just one of those things and its water off a ducks back.

I don't own any Rapha and it's unlikely I ever will. At the same time I'm not going to critique someone for decking themselves out head to toe in Rapha.
I have no issue spending my hard earned on expensive kit if in my eyes it's good value. I'll look at a pair of Assos shorts and can see and feel the attention to detail, they feel like a clothing item that's been developed and tested, developed some more and throughly tested again before hitting the shelves. To me it seems Rapha kit hits the shelves on the back of a fancy marketing campaign. I struggle to see how the item justifies its price tag.

Why is it ok to bash a Rapha wearer when similar but more expensive kit from Assos or Castelli usually earns a nod of approval?

I really like riding my bike and I tend to think that anybody else who likes riding theirs is bound to be a good guy. It's always a crushing disappointment when I realise that the knobeads such as the Dynamo gobs are just as numerous as in normal life.
There's so much talk about what to ride, and what not and what to wear and why, it's embarrasing.
I often tell my girlfriend to stay in the car if I have to go into certain bike shops as I don't want her to think I'm in any way affiliated with with the kind of arse muching tech chat that goes on in such places.
I'm must be guilty of some of that myself but try at least to keep it to good mates only.
Anybody who casts aspersions to complete strangers to try and show off is a dick, bike or no.
Personally I don't own and may not ever own any Rapha kit, it feels like joining a club which I've never been into but I can see it's really well made kit that's had a bit of thought gone through it, great materials too. The stripe is too much like a badge for me but do I think any the worse of a guy dressed head to toe in it - no way...

I think the haters are just jealous because they can't afford it themselves. You'll always get those sorts of anti-snobs in every walk of life.

If you like the style, its comfy and actually does what it says on the tin, then great. If it makes you happy, then its worth every penny!
(I don't own any rapha myself BTW, I'm too poor and am relegated to sale items in Decathlon)

@casperccc a mate gave me a Rapha musette as a thank you for a favour, and I figure it will be very useful to stock up at feedstations. That said, the event I have in mind is organized by Rapha, so maybe I'll be ok there!

A very measured debate, strangely more restrained than those on the product review pages. I have noticed a strong correlation between those who own Rapha and say it is value for money and those who don't own it and say it is not worth the money. Most people who buy Ferraris are quite happy with them even though there are plenty of cheaper cars.

I personally am a fan of Castelli as I have been buying their kits since team ONCE days and they have innovative items like the San Remo. I took the 'What kit you should buy' test and it correctly guessed Castelli. So if you think it is city wankers who buy Rapha, then you are probably right, just be glad they are paying VAT. Stow your jealousy. Ride your bike.

Softshell jacket - best softshell I've ever owned

I've got and wear in combination Rapha, dhb, castelli, campag, gore, aldi, lidl ...

They're all got value, its just a question of how you ride, the aldi stuff can be a bit boil in the bag but great for commuting.

The Rapha is fantastic for long days in the saddle and several day tours because the merino stopped me stinking so much.

The dhb is somewhere in between.

I don't regret any of the purchases, overall the best thing I ever bought was a gore windproof. Eight years of wear commuting all winter and a few other seasons too, and still in great condition.