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Rapha launches custom kit with user-friendly online design system

Two clothing ranges are available, with lineup set to grow over coming months

Rapha has today launched a custom cycle clothing programme for both men and women that covers two ranges, Pro Team and Classic, with minimum purchase quantities of as few as five items and up to 40% discount on large orders. The online kit design tool allows anyone to design their own kit using hundreds of pre-loaded colours and patterns, or to upload their own design. 

Rapha Custom Launch March 2019 - 2.jpg

The Pro Team range features Rapha's leading performance technology while Classic is a more relaxed proposition. Rapha plans to expand its custom offering over the course of the year, adding its Core range and more Classic designs. 

Rapha Custom Launch March 2019 - 5.jpg

"Rapha Custom is designed to improve the existing consumer experience of ordering custom kit, with a revolutionary user-friendly platform and a scaled pricing structure," says Rapha. "Save time and money by using the simple design tool to create fully customised Rapha product in minutes. There are limitless possibilities for designs, with hundreds of colourways and options to upload team and sponsor logos."

Rapha-Custom-Design-1.jpg

We had the chance to have a go with that online design ourselves ahead of launch and it really is simple to use (hence the road.cc jerseys here that designer Oli knocked up; they're not actually available for sale). You get to choose the basic layout template – whether you want a plain jersey, for example, bands, stripes, or whatever. Then you pick the colour of each of the panels and add any patterns you like: spots, stars or zigzags, for instance. You can choose the angle and size of any patterns you've chosen or upload your own graphics. 

Rapha-Custom-Design-2.jpg

You see all the changes you make on screen as you go, and it's possible to view the clothing from various angles.

Rapha-Custom-Design-2b.jpg

Order quantities start from as low as five items of clothing. Discounts of up to 40% on large orders mean that jerseys will cost as little as £50 when the range is complete.

As an example, if you wanted to design a custom Classic Flyweight Jersey for your club or a group of friends, the price would be £110 per unit if you bought 5-9 of them, gradually falling to £75 per unit if you bought 100 or more.

Rapha Custom Launch March 2019 - 4.jpg

Sizing is the same across all Rapha Custom clothing and a sample kit is available so you can try it out before committing to buy.

"The premium Clubhouse and Customer Service support enable customers to attend a fit kit appointment with a Custom Champion in each location," says Rapha. "Rapha Clubhouses will be equipped with the Rapha Custom tool box consisting of inspirational design guide books, Rapha Custom brochure, fabric swatches, reference books and sample kit of each product."

Rapha Custom Launch March 2019 - 6.jpg

There are five Rapha Clubhouses in the UK, all of them in England: two in London (Soho and Spitalfields), one in Manchester, one in Bicester (Oxfordshire) and one in Kilver Court (Shepton Mallet, Somerset). https://www.rapha.cc/gb/en/clubhouses

The Rapha Custom range currently comprises short sleeve and long sleeve jerseys, bib shorts, gilets, base layers and arm warmers. Leg warmers and knee warmers will be coming soon, along with many more shorts and jerseys and the Pro Team Aero Suit.

For more info head over to rapha.cc/custom

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. 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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11 comments

Avatar
Htc | 5 years ago
0 likes

I’m ordering 5. I’d be buying them for them summer anyway so might as well create something unique.

Avatar
kil0ran | 5 years ago
0 likes

It's good fun.

I do wonder if it's going to water down the brand a bit. Also wonder if there's an increased counterfeiting risk and whether it will be harder for them to defend against those in court.

Avatar
Glov Zaroff replied to kil0ran | 5 years ago
0 likes

kil0ran wrote:

It's good fun.

I do wonder if it's going to water down the brand a bit. Also wonder if there's an increased counterfeiting risk and whether it will be harder for them to defend against those in court.

 

Eh?

Avatar
philhubbard replied to Glov Zaroff | 5 years ago
0 likes

Jimmy Walnuts wrote:

kil0ran wrote:

It's good fun.

I do wonder if it's going to water down the brand a bit. Also wonder if there's an increased counterfeiting risk and whether it will be harder for them to defend against those in court.

 

Eh?

 

People making their favourite team kit or styling it on their favourite non-Rapha jersey to try and create a replica

Avatar
mtbtomo replied to philhubbard | 5 years ago
0 likes
philhubbard wrote:

Jimmy Walnuts wrote:

kil0ran wrote:

It's good fun.

I do wonder if it's going to water down the brand a bit. Also wonder if there's an increased counterfeiting risk and whether it will be harder for them to defend against those in court.

 

Eh?

 

People making their favourite team kit or styling it on their favourite non-Rapha jersey to try and create a replica

It's already easy enough to get a custom jersey made by lots of companies and some places only have a minimum order quantity of 1, so if you wanted a fake it's probably never been easier. But it's probably cheaper just to buy the real thing if these jerseys are nudging £100?? Anyway, I'd imagine most custom kit companies would want to keep their reputation and not get sued.

Avatar
Chris Hayes | 5 years ago
0 likes

Damn....just wasted 45 minutes on this now...

Avatar
Chris Hayes | 5 years ago
0 likes

Great idea....they get to cut up their old, unsold stock, sew it together and sell it at a premium.  I would like a well-made Brooklyn-style jersey to go with my Gios, but don't need 5.  Any other Gios riders out there?

Avatar
richiewormiling | 5 years ago
0 likes

The guy in Pink, that is a serious fashion violation.

Avatar
philhubbard | 5 years ago
0 likes

Hopefully will be a bit cheaper when Core comes out, seems a strange one to not have the Aero suit in considering a lot of clubs may want this for tt's

Avatar
Organon | 5 years ago
0 likes

Quite nifty idea, of course the 5 jersey minimum £80+ might be an issue for some. I went to New York a few years ago to do the 5 Boro's ride and had in my mind a crisp US (Obama era,) themed jersey. Here is my design (stripes not quite right Rapha but nice try.)

Avatar
macrophotofly | 5 years ago
0 likes

Well thats going to ruin my excuse for not wearing the hideous club colours yes

 

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