Rapha launch new Training & Racing range

It's the kind of stuff you ogle at, but never lay down the notes for, I could never justify why I needed to spend 140 quid on a jersey, even if I saved my ass off for it. I do sometimes cave to a hat in the sales!

I've got to ask the question, is Rapha kit really worth the money? I love my funkier bib shorts and long sleeve jersey and Altura rain jacket and can't imagine what extra performance I would ever need or gain from such expensive gear.

Don't care how expensive or not it is I prefer Castelli. I don't really know why but Rapha just seems to have an image of a BMW. Nothing wrong with that just not the badge I want

"Ride your bike and stop whining like a tired toddler"

This. Whatever type of product you can buy, there is expensive stuff and cheap stuff. Vintage wine and cheap plonk. Skoda and Porsche. Timex and Rolex. I own no Rapha, because I can't justify the expense at the moment. If next year I can justify it, I'm there, because it looks great, is well made and I'd enjoy wearing it.

These are way too cheap. People who buy Rapha would pay easily twice this. Such bad business sense.

Going to have to get the navy blue and pink short sleeve brevet jersey now as an alternative to my grey and yellow long sleeve one. Options for all weather and all that.

I love the idea that being faster than someone wearing Rapha makes you 'special'.

Who cares what anyone else wears. Why does that give the the right to some sort of weird mindset where you're now better than them.

Or would you like to go back to the frankly shite kit we used
20 years ago?

FFS. Buy what you like and can afford and stop making pathetic judgements about stuff you don't like. Ride your bike and stop whining like a tired toddler. It's pathetic.

Weird isn't it? Tell you what, next time a new poster asks a forum question about what bike they should buy for less than £800, how about all the Rapha wearers (why not the Assoss/Castelli/Vulpine/Road Rags wearers? That stuff isn't cheap either) wade in with "Don't buy that cheapo stuff, if you can't afford at least £3000 then don't bother, take up running!"

Would sound fairly bizarre, no? Not to mention obscene.

I think Rapha make great products, the new range looks great as always, the pro team range is fantastic. Hating on them because they are expensive is absurd. Chameleon78 makes a great point. I guess its a sign of the times, you see someone in a nice car or on a nice bike and instead of thinking 'he must have worked hard for that I'm going to do the same' a lot of people go right to 'spoiled git, he doesn't deserve that, he must be a tool'. The sneaky price rise is a little disappointing, but then they did this a while back on some of the pro team kit and then changed them back when people were not buying them. Love the typical Rapha inspired comments that you always get, especially that 'you laugh at guys in Rapha kit as you pass them'.... Really, do you, I would love to see that.

Hey, everyone complaining about price...it's not too expensive for loads of people. You don't have to buy it. Cheaper alternatives are available. Torm is good. Altura is good. I can afford Rapha, and am not 50, not fat, and not slow. I am the grandson of coal miners from South Wales so not from a priveleged background. I am not a banker.

The implicit message in many of the comments is that Rapha must be mad to think they can sell at these prices, and/or people must be mad to buy it. But enough people do have the money and love of what they make for Rapha to be the riotous success story we see today (and I celebrate that a UK company is doing this!!). A £140 jersey would be the same % of my annual income as a £40 jersey for someone else. It's not a big decision. And there are a lot of people for whom this is true. I promise I am not saying this to show off, but to make the point that there is no fixed absolute of affordability or value for money. Clearly there are a lot of people who can afford Rapha and like it. So those for whom it seems too much should not judge how it may feel as a purchasing decision to others. I would certainly not do the reverse for someone wearing a £40 jersey.

One other thought. I sell a load of Rapha stuff on Ebay, where it often sells for 60-70% of the original price. So actually, you misjudge the price. The cost to me is often just 30% of the price, as I recoop a large share later. In fact I have a one in one out rule for Rapha jerseys, so look out for what I am about to sell to make space for the new pink Classic, and the short sleeve Brevet. So they cost me about 30% of the RRP, and you get to buy them at 30% less than the original price, though admittedly not new. This means I have, in effect, leased a Rapha jersey for perhaps 2 years, at a very affordable cost.

It's all good. Everything is as it should be. Love everybody.

Rapha is the only cycling retailer I'm aware of where you pay £6 standard slow postage unless you spend more than £200. That doesn't sit well with their usual customer service imo.

Lovely stuff, have bought until quite recently, but I'm out.

Well said yiman.

Love the reverse snobbery, how many Rapha wearers post copious amounts of unfounded opinionated shyte about cheap garments?

"Man I hate those cheap shorts and their cheap ass style"

Says something about the Rapha wearers, they like to ride their bike rather than bitch at peoples choice in clothing.

For me I like function and fit and also to look smart. I don't buy into all the garish euro kit but then nor to I prattle on to those that do. Each to their own.

We all have one thing in common and that is to enjoy riding our bikes, be that a 15k bike a £100 bike we all seek the same pleasures, the same goes for our clothing.
seriously guys as I've said before, if you don't like rapha or anything for that matter, don't look at it, don't buy it but more importantly stop griping about it, you're getting very tedious.

Just curious, for all those who can't stand it because of the price and have an aversion to those that wear it, do you have the same aversion to someone who say rides a top of the range Cervelo ?
For the sake of disclosure, I have neither Rapha or top of the range kit but I admire the success of a British business and the Mottrams' success all the while whilst caring for their autistic child, which believe me breaks the majority of affected families.
Perhaps time to put away the green eyed monster and celebrate achievement ?

The blue and white one is nice!

While they are way beyond what I would pay for a jersey, if fat 50 year old businessmen or even skinny 18 year old bin men want to buy them, why would anyone care?

This says far more about the people passing judgement than the people spending their own money on something.

Buy it if you like it but I fail to see where there's any value for money in Rapha kit. Try a jersey from Torm - also made from Sportwool and IMHO really well put together and more importantly, looks equally as good but is less than half the price - a bit of a 'no brainer' in my book.

Well, this looks decidedly like the current Morvelo range.

No one has mentioned the fact that now Rapha have got in bed with Team Sky some one has to pay for the kit, oh yes the punter. Love their stuff but couldn't justify £100+ for a jersey or shorts. They had some good offers on their website as long as you were a small or extra small so next to no one got a bargain!!

Also postage for items over £100 is now no longer free, it's £6 for standard delivery. That's £6!!!

Classic jersey is £10 more expensive and doesn't come with armwarmers anymore

I do like their kit, but it's been strictly sale only stuff for me for a couple of years, which is a shame as it's a British company I would like to support.

non taken

They've put £20 on almost everything over £100 & £10 under £100. e.g. jeans now £170. I'm wearing nearly all Rapha at the moment, but now I'm priced out. Oh well, was nice while it lasted.

I'm not 50, fat or a businessman but Ill have to concede on the slow bit