Rapha Kit

I’ve got a fair few bits of
I’ve got a fair few bits of kit from Rapha, and it’s all great. Comfortable, lasts well, and works well. It’s expensive, yeah, but if you spend enough time on the bike you get your money’s worth. And if you keep an eye on the sale then you can get it for a decent price. (Got a winter baselayer on the way – £40 for a merino baselayer isn’t too bad in my book.)

To be honest, my biggest problem with Rapha is other people. There’s a lot of people who have a real issue with it. It’s so tied up with the whole Mamil, city-wanker thing that I feel really self-conscious wearing it.

Twice I’ve got snide comments from total strangers about wearing something by Rapha. (Both on the Dunwich Dynamo, as it goes.) No doubt that says more about them than me, but I wasn’t in the mood for getting grief from a random guy at five in the morning…

I still wear it – it’s too nice not to – but I wear it in spite of the fact it’s from Rapha, rather than because it’s from them. If I could buy a totally unbranded version then I reckon I’d own more of their kit than I do at the moment.

gdmor10 wrote:yeah open ended

gdmor10 wrote:

yeah open ended can generate the best discussion B-)

I like the retro style of a lot of the rapha stuff and have in the past bought quote a few things from prendas as I like the old style jerseys, just looking for a high quality unfussy pair of black bib shorts to go with them.

I have experience with Rapha bibshorts. Classics and Pro-teams are excellent, the lightweights I had fell apart in minutes.

May I suggest Morvelo? They have a range of bibs from understated to outright nuts and are as comfortable and as good quality as any pair of rapha shorts I’ve owned.

Anything is worth whatever
Anything is worth whatever the buyer wants to pay for it – and that goes for most things in life.

I have a few bits and pieces from Rapha. Without exception, they’re well made, durable and exceptionally presented. I thought the hidden race stories were brilliant the first time I saw them.

But then I also have plenty of excellent value kit from DHB and Decathlon – none of which I have any doubts about putting on either if they happen to be at the top of the kit drawer.

Thats a very open ended
Thats a very open ended question and one that is sure to herald the start of a pro-Rapha anti-Rapha war of words.

I have several Rapha jerseys, a gilet and some caps. I can’t argue with their quality and attention to detail so for me they are worth the money.

But someone wearing full DHB kit is likely to get just as much enjoyment being out on the road as me wearing my Rapha. Enjoyment of cycling is what it is about. So it is difficult to define ‘worth the money’.