Rapha Pro Team clothing now available

So, what are you saying, that the only people who should be allowed to have an opinion on the value-for-money of a company's products are people who know precisely what their markup is? That would limit the discussion in this case to just the private owners of Rapha, their accountants, and those prepared to believe them without question. Sounds rather cultish to me. By the same logic, the only people who would have been qualified to discuss, say, Contador's doping bust and subsequent trials, would have been him, his trainers, and his supporters. That would have denied the world a hell of a lot of top-quality steak jokes, which would have pleased his fans, as much as a ban on Aldi and Lidl jokes in relation to Rapha would please some around here.

Sadly, cycling journalism in general is becoming more than more like automotive journalism: focussing on the luxury end of the market, where sensible approximation of costs must be abandoned, lest someone points out the emperor is strutting around in the buff. Such a move is great for the journalists, but might not be so great for the industry in the long term. I doubt, for example, the US government would bailout Specialized and Trek, as they did Ford and GM, should the current generation of MAMILs decide the golf is more their speed after all. It's just my opinion, but I prefer the approach of electronics and computing magazines and web sites, the more reputable of which do "tear-downs" of products from the likes of Apple, Sony, Samsung, etc, to determine - as best anyone outside those companies can - what their profit margins might be. They interview experts in the appropriate fields. They gain the knowledge to be able give their readers are fair impression of who is giving them the best value-for-money. Rather than just coming out with nonsensical stuff like "the more expensive something is relative to the other products available, the less value is a factor in your decision to buy it", and waiting for the next consignment of luxury samples to arrive to be reviewed, or the next press release to regurgitate.

Oh, and I'm not sure why you think I wouldn't regard Assos as a rip off too. Which I do. Although they probably do have more costs than Rapha, such as all-European production and actual factories with employees, not just suppliers they can squeeze, so I'm not sure their markup isn't a tiny bit less ludicrous. That said, from the lack of any Assos stuff in the road.cc reviews archive, I guess they have one less expense than Rapha: they've never sent you anything.

How do you know what Rapha's mark-up is Ubercurmudgeon? I seriously doubt that it's out of line with anyone else's in the cycle clothing industry, certainly i bet it's a lot lower than say… Assos. It's also quite possible to produce in high volumes at a lower unit price and build in a higher margin than a low volume high unit price producer.

Also I don't see how you can single Rapha out as being a rip-off when there are other brands who's clothing costs at least as much and quite frequently more - Assos for starters. Also unless you actually own any Rapha kit how you are in a position to judge whether it's worth the money or not?

Finally, as so many other comments on here seem like they're cut and pasted from previous Rapha reviews I'll ctrl-c ctrl-v this in…

It does rather mystify me why whenever we feature something like this [from the other week's Vespertine Vesp review] or from Rapha a load of people who aren't going to buy whatever it is feel the need to tell us all why they aren't going to buy it which is usually accompanied by telling us that anybody who does has more money than sense… as if it's any business of any of us what people chose to legally spend their money on.

I don't actually own any rapha, save for a winter collar. so you're basically saying that i'm religiously protecting something i've invested £24.99 in. I'm not. I just think you're trying hard to live up to your handle without really saying anything useful.

it doesn't cost £140 to make a jersey? no. it doesn't cost the RRP of any product to make the product. that's how companies can continue to make things. You say the markup is the highest there is. where's your data to back that up? are we talking percentage, or plain poundage, or what? I'm curious, because i haven't see the figures that you so obviously have.

do you buy all your products based on extensive research of what the markup is, or do you just buy, you know, cheap stuff? if you buy three dhb jerseys and the percentage markup is the same, then you've given the same amount of money to wiggle as you would to rapha for the same spend on the same product. but that would presumably be okay, because, you know, it's not rapha.

you did touch a nerve. my 'someone said a stupid thing on the internet' nerve. it gets touched quite a bit, i find

'£120 for a pair of Sky mitts. Mitts.'

Join the team, and you get them FREE.

you gets wot you pay for and the bikes keep getting dearer
and dearer and the shorts------get shorter????

Who wears short shorts ...

I know it is an old argument and it always comes up on Rapha threads, but the prices are ridiculous. I keep thinking, perhaps I have got it wrong because people keep talking about the quality, but then I go back to the website and can't believe it...

http://www.rapha.cc/team-sky-grand-tour-gloves/?locale=UK
£120 for a pair of Sky mitts. Mitts.

Believe in Better

Well, Rapha should consider a new pricing politic for Sky related stuff, which would fit bankers etc. perfectly:

Flexible pricing just like shares, Porte wins price up, Froome doesn't price drops. Wiggins has a crash - price crashes as well. Pricing would be very sensitive to wins of UK riders.

So my software did calculate towards of TDF could be good time for purchase as people realise that Sky will not win, expect a drop in interest and price. Caveat! also expect price drops towards 30-40% by the end of year. So as a result: Very small chance of making a decent win combined with a risk of 50% write off. Limited editions preferable less than 200, might give a win on a long term base, like a pink one if Wiggo wins the Giro.

Dr. Ko, independent adviser

LOL, Token products.

Wildoo your profile says "Full carbon stealth machine Blinged with Token Products - shame i do not have the legs to make it go fast!" yet you feel people who buy Rapha clothing have more money than sense? Why didn't you buy a basic bike from Halfords?

'Rapha kit is bloody gorgeous, it's well made and oh god how much do I want some of this new stuff.'

This. Apart from the Sky kit. Not sure why anyone would want that if they're not on the team.

@iamelectron

I salute you, sir. You are obviously the exception that proves wildoo's and ubercumudgeon's rule. I suspect that they both have a little bit of Rapha that 'a friend bought me', hidden away behind the socks in the bottom drawer that they, in a quite moment, look at, touch, feel and maybe sniff.

I'm 170cm tall, 65kg light and neither a lawyer, a banker or dentist. I am however minted, ride a top end Italian bike kitted in Super Record and have lots and lots of Rapha kit. My wife is seriously fit too. Sucks to be you

Quote:

The fabric is a lightweight polyester/polyurethane fabric...

So, they are charging 140 quid for something made from the same raw materials as bin bags and dinnerladies' tabards?

I have to admit a sneaking admiration for Rapha's ever-growing ability to fleece (pun intended) the rich. Apologies in advance to anyone on here who has paid full price for any Rapha kit. I know taking the mickey out of a brand someone has bought from, and in to, is almost as bad nowadays as blaspheming a person's religion was a hundred years ago (and for the same reason.)

Quote:

...with a coldblack technology

Ah, I see, you put ice cubes in the bin bag, and shove it down the back of your jersey. Does it only work with luxury, artisan ice, or can you use 99p-per-kilo bags of ice from Aldi (ignoring the cycling jerseys on sale there too, if they have them, for about a twentieth the price.)

Rapha kit is bloody gorgeous, it's well made and oh god how much do I want some of this new stuff.

It is overpriced though, even compared to Assos, but it's lovely. I've twice queued up for the sample sale, twice come away with more stuff than I needed, and twice not regretted it. Well, maybe a bit, when I needed to eat and stuff.
Sahme they don't seem to do the sales any more, but they were getting a bit ridiculous. I got there at 8am for the last one, and was queuing until 11.

That's all a massive aside to say: yes please. Please someone buy me this. I'd look just lovely in it.

Rapha makes Gore Bikewear look positively a bargain. The T shirts look very nice and everything but I just can't my head round spending £140 on one. Tangential point but feel same way about Asos gear.

I like it. Either black with yellow or black with pink.

You're so right, wildoo. All the people Rapha make kit for are fucking idiots. Paedophiles, probably. And certainly very, very thick in their heads and their bellies. So thick that they can't see over their huge, great guts to piss straight. Ha ha ha. Just like that Wiggins bloke. Oh, hold on...

Hmm, interesting analysis, think Lord Sugar.

Rapha kit sells mostly to bankers, lawyers and stockbrokers who do have more money than sense. Many are short and fat so need XL & XXL shorts but have short stubby legs. For people with this body build long inseam shorts go would over their knees making them look even more stupid. Rapha will no doubt be aware of this so make the leg inseam shorter to fit. The downside is that taller leaner riders appear to have shorter shorts.

Is it just me or are Rapha shorts a bit 'short.' Bit of a subtle difference on bike shorts I know but don't want to see a new trend.