preferred-google-button
log in
register

Rapha sample sale – Manchester

  • This topic has 7 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 14 years ago by zzgavin.
  • Creator
    Topic
  • May 25, 2012 at 11:40 pm #15916
    notfastenough

    So I received an email inviting me to a preview evening for the Manchester Rapha sample sale, with the chance, allegedly, to pick up a bargain or five without the jumble sale madness that will accompany the full-on event tomorrow (Saturday). I arrived about 30 minutes before it was due to start, which handily put me right at the front of the queue. Talking to the chap on the door established that one of the picks was the Paul Smith performance rain jackets for £50 (close to 75% off I think), so I went straight in that direction once everyone was allowed in. 

    No jumble sale madness? It was bedlam! Good though. I ended up coming away with:

    PS rain jacket
    Cross 3/4s
    Pro bib short
    Merino/padded undies
    Cap
    Mitts
    La doyenne t-shirt
    Arm-Warner’s

    That lot cost less than the RRP of the rain jacket alone, so i’m well chuffed.  Get yourselves down there, but allow plenty of time to queue and pay, it took ages. Thanks for putting the event on guys.

    (I like the fact that the staff are cyclists, so they did ‘get’ the product etc. they had their own bikes stashed at the back of the basement too – the red Merckx looked sweet!)

  • Creator
    Topic
Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
  • Author
    Replies
  • May 28, 2012 at 4:25 pm #681931
    0
    zzgavin

    the cross 3/4 stuff is
    the cross 3/4 stuff is lovely, I got the top in the winter sample sale and picked up the shorts from sigma sport. Wore my spanish top, with a craft under vest on the King of the Downs yesterday and was perfectly comfortable.

    May 28, 2012 at 2:16 pm #681929
    0
    notfastenough

    I’m sure your beloved would
    😀 I’m sure your beloved would have been well pleased with that – my missus took one look at all my new gear and promptly announced that she needed a pair of designer sunglasses to enjoy the weather in – “er, but they’re just a luxury love – Rapha kit is an essential human right!”

    May 28, 2012 at 2:06 pm #681927
    0
    Joselito

    Yeah, fair point on that they
    Yeah, fair point on that they could have railed up some sizes for people to try on but it kind of worked out in the end.
    Just checked emails and found an invite for Friday night preview – D’oh.
    Mind you, to go on Friday I would’ve had to say to the better half ‘Sorry, can’t pick up keys to our new gaff with you as I’m off to spend more money on more cycling gear.’

    May 28, 2012 at 12:36 pm #681925
    0
    notfastenough

    +1 re the padded boxers, they
    +1 re the padded boxers, they were so comfy I’ve been eyeing up the non-padded ones on the web as a treat just for everyday undies!

    Didn’t see the bomber jackets, but the rain jacket is awesome, and I probably won’t have to wait *that* long to use it, knowing our weather.

    I wore the pro bib shorts yesterday for 60 miles and felt great, I don’t normally go in for pro-team branded kit but at £40 it would have been churlish to refuse…

    It would have been nice to grab a cross jacket to go with the cross 3/4, but then I might have felt a bit self-conscious being quite so Rapha’d up with the colour-co-ordinated flashes, not sure about that. [checks ebay anyway!]

    To be fair though, the one thing I really went for, I didn’t find! All the jerseys were the wrong size, not helped by the fact that my actual size wasn’t what I thought it was (s/s jerseys seem to have different sizing to the l/s jerseys).

    May 28, 2012 at 12:34 pm #681923
    0
    phax71

    Sorry, I didnt mean it was
    Sorry, I didnt mean it was disorderly whatsoever, just a bit of a scavengefest rooting through all the boxes and everything getting so mixed up, strewn about, etc ..

    The Essentials case is great isnt it, I’ve really struggled to find something that held my 1st Gen Iphone, Tyre Levers, etc but this is ideal..

    May 28, 2012 at 12:10 pm #681921
    0
    Joselito

    I thought it was very
    I thought it was very civilised, I’ve seen rougher jumble sales.
    Most people were fairly co-operative, quite a few passed me gear if it wasn’t their size and thought it was mine. So, ta for putting it on Rapha and ta for the bargains.
    And also was impressed by the variety of stock – albeit most of the bibs had gone.
    My haul:
    Bomber jacket £50 – in sunny 0161 getting it back home on the bike was fun but it’ll be earning its corn from October.
    Track Top £40. Like the jacket, to not buy it would have been an insult to Rapha’s hospitality.
    And all together for another £55:
    Essentials case – lovely thing.
    All black Cap – well, you can’t have too many, can you?
    Padded boxer sorts – absolutely fantastic.
    Pro team mitts -albeit in white but at least white matches my celtic arms.
    And a chamois butter sample – which is nice stuff.

    May 28, 2012 at 7:21 am #681919
    0
    phax71

    I went on Saturday and it was
    I went on Saturday and it was a BUNFIGHT!!

    Luckily I was pretty much front of the queue at around 8am (doors opened at 10am) …

    I came a way with a few bits and pieces
    LS Winter Jersey
    SS Rapha Club Jersey (Nice but its a promo piece effectively given as part of a club membership in Polyester)
    Black Cap
    Black Kneewarmers (very happy with those)
    White armwarmers (more on that later)
    Essentials wallet (fantastic item)
    3/4 Fixie shorts (beautiful, my second pair)
    1 pair of Pro Socks (white)

    The armwarmers I grabbed at as they had become detatched but only found out they are slightly differing sizes when I returned home, one may be a little too restrictive I fear .. (Ebay ???) ..:)

    Overall, the jerseys were find so long as you were a SMALL or EXTRA SMALL Spaniard (Country Jersey) or if you wanted the Pink/Grey/White jersey …. I didnt.

    The Bibshorts all seemed to be XXL
    There were no Gilets (really wanted a new one as ruined my white one)
    There were no rainjackets (no real surprise there)

    There was tons of stock but I feel they really should have railed it all up and the BUNFIGHT could have been a lot more civilised and the stock easier to view.

    The staff were great though, a nice bunch of lads who were happy to chat and keen to get everyone out riding on the Sunday … I had returned home by then though..

    All in all, it was Ok ….. I’d just reiterate that perhaps railing all the “hangable” stock would make a lot more sense … IT WAS JUST BEDLAM and with the heat within the shop I had to get out after a while.

    So, there you have it …

  • Author
    Replies
Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.