We really need a "like" button.Quote:
Originally Posted by mcski
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We really need a "like" button.Quote:
Originally Posted by mcski
you mean they don't put unpopular stuff on sale to kick out ? Mec used to be like that as a coop but it changed when they got boughtQuote:
Originally Posted by The Reverend Floater
Rapha the next to fall?
Found it hard to believe Rapha even made it. Hipsters running out of money?
The one piece of Rapha I have - an MTB long sleeve jersey - it one of my favorite things I own. If they go under, I hope they have some great sales on the way down…
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Rapha just closed their North American office. Laid of 6 out of the 8 employees they had.
I think we covered this on the last page
Take a Lap
Fuck I'm too tired for another lap. Yeah, now I see the 6 people comment but no one noted that North America office was shut down and that they only had 8 people to start with. So I'll use that as my excuse for no lap.Quote:
Originally Posted by buttahflake
What is the Rapha market play? It looked like the Assos/Castelli/$$$$ dentist market segment?
Trek just started carrying rapha and put in this big push of "we're carrying rapha now buy some it'll increase sales" on the b2b so I wonder if this is related or if the deal is going away or what.
Step #1 should be to keep the Trail Knee Pads in stock. Those things are hard to get.Quote:
Originally Posted by sfotex
Yeah. Honestly, I was super skeptical of Rapha's entry into MTB (I associated it with espresso sipping hipster roadies), but every piece of their MTB stuff is super well thought out and constructed, with very minimal branding. As someone who's turned off by giant Fox heads and moto-inspired gear, it looks really good to me.Quote:
Originally Posted by SKIP IN7RO
I keep picking their stuff on sale and love every piece. Besides 2 pairs of the knee pads, I've got their trail pants, trail shorts, 2 trail tech tees, 1 tech LS, and their wind shirt (merino/wind shirt). There's plenty of pockets on the pants/shorts which are also well placed so stuff in them doesn't get in the way. The cell phone sleeves in the thigh pockets work so well that I keep checking to make sure my phone is there because I can't feel it. The knee pads have great upper shin protection, but are also comfy enough that I can leave them on for half a day without any irritation or chafing.
Yeah. Very non-TGR comment - but most MTB apparel is pretty far behind modern fashion trends… baggy, lots of branding, aggressive fonts, logos, colors… much of it looks like it was a 2006 14 year olds wet dream… The Rapha stuff is modern. Minimal logos, Clean design, muted colors. Well fitted…. More importantly, the stuff is workwise on the bike…Quote:
Originally Posted by Andeh
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Agreed. Their trail pants are my favorite piece of mountain biking clothing I own. I just ordered some of the lightweight trail pants and they shipped from the UK…
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I had to go check out Rapha since I had never really heard of them. $160 shorts that don't come with the $125 liner? $130 jerseys? So nearly 500 bucks for one set up? I hope there are some generous 50% off sales floating around….
Yeah, it’s full-on road weenie, dentist kit, I’m actually shocked how many of y’all are running this stuff. It’s very good looking kit, just too pricey for me.
Their MTB line is relatively new. Never owned their road stuff. The prices are not out of line with other high quality mountain bike brands, and are often cheaper on sale. Patagonia, 7mesh, POC… all that stuff is very pricey. Not saying it’s “worth it” but the quality is there in my experience.
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I’m a full-on road weenie, I usually look at NeoPro when I need kit.
Also a big fan of The Black Bibs
The Rapha mountain bike stuff is legit. A number of different companies are making them now but a long sleeve jersey with a block of windproof fabric in the front of the torso is quickly becoming my go-to layer for anything other than splitter t-shirt weather.
Love my Rapha vest as well as their wool leg warmers. Didn't seem like they needed their NA office, stuff ships from UK if you order direct anyways. Takes awhile but IMO worth it. You'd think if they were going under they wouldn't have so many riders on their stuff nowadays, usually the first sign of impending doom when they drop their riders. As smmokan said- Walton money, I doubt they are going anywhere.
I have some Rapha MTB stuff. Got it all on sale. Even used them as race jerseys a couple years ago. Legit the best fabrics and highest sew quality MTB stuff I have ever owned for sure.
I’ve got a few Rapha roadie kits. Classic styles, reasonable fits and the bibs don’t hurt my gooch on long rides. No complaints.
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Rapha cotton shirts are $60. They have plain sweatshirts that are $100. What kind of cotton or sweatshirt fabric and high end sewing are they using here guys?
I buy $15-20 low-key running shirts to bike in and they have never unraveled mid-descent or prevented me from performing like a mediocre biker, as most of us are here.
A nice pair of bike shots is key of course, but should not literally be worth a key
I'm to cheap for it, but Rapha stuff has always been super nice and the minimal branding is a winner in my mind.
I'm sure it was the business model that worked, but I've always wondered if they could have delivered equally high quality clothing at a lower price if they hadn't been focused so much on building a lifestyle around it. But that lifestyle branding probably raised their margins more than enough to cover the marketing costs.
A former teammate of mine helped launch their brick and mortar store in Chicago where he ran the Cafe side of the business and also helped open some other locations. I doubt the retail side of those stores made a profit on their own, but they certainly helped build brand visibility through throwing events, group rides, becoming a coffee/meeting spot for local cyclists, etc.
They also did things like made rental bikes available for "club members" at their stores in major cities. Good way to tap into a new target customer of business travelers who previously stuck with things like jogging or swimming due to equipment needs...now they can go on a ride with clients (road riding is the new golf, right?) or join a Rapha group ride. Of course you'd feel silly showing up to a Rapha group ride without wearing at least some Rapha kit.
As far as I can tell, those stores are still all operating and it is just the small number of USA-based corporate employees who are impacted.
Based on the amount of Rapha kit I see riding around Boulder, they’re doing just fine.
And not everything is eye-watering expensive. Their Core jerseys ($80) and bibs ($130) are a pretty good price for what you get.
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That's a good description. I'm a road weenie myself, but I always found their stuff too smug and too expensive for me. Then I had to buy a bunch of shit in a hurry when I was in Belgium for a cycle tour and the airline lost my bag. I wound up with some Rapha leg warmers that I have to admit are awesome.Quote:
Originally Posted by buttahflake
Yeah, what I got out of that wasQuote:
Originally Posted by Eluder
1) Being at a large bike festival makes you feel good about bike stuff, even when some are packing their bags.
2) There are a few who think that rebound, or at least steady out is imminent.
3) A few hinted at not going hair on fire mode during the covid boom and they seem to be weathering
4) A diverse portfolio helped a lot of brands
I went nuts during the mega sales and bought two new bikes. It’s hard to imagine paying close to full price when I inevitably think about upgrading in a few years, but who knows what will be out there. I’m glad there’s optimism but I’d think the “borrowing from future sales” problem is going to extend a while.
my spending habits for the next while will be mostly apparel and consumables. And trail building tools. But my experience is not universal obviously.
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Since the rise in popularity of MAAP and Pas Normal, Rapha stuff looks downright economical. The MTB stuff has always been a solid value. I've never been let down by their stuff.
Quick comparison and it looks like rapha is often more expensive than those two. So it's all kinda the same?Quote:
Originally Posted by grabtindy
Buy what you like I guess, I was a bit harsh last night commenting.
Rapha North America Abruptly Lays Off Staff in Bentonville OfficeQuote:
Originally Posted by smmokan
https://velo.outsideonline.com/news/...ays-off-staff/
Maybe, but calling Rapha "downright economical," and "solid value" makes me believe the old trope about everyone here being dentists is true. I'll probably never know what I'm missing out on by not having an $80 T-shirt paired with $300 shorts.Quote:
Originally Posted by muted reborn
this could be you!Quote:
Originally Posted by zion zig zag
https://content.rapha.cc/_next/image...g&w=3840&q=100
https://content.rapha.cc/_next/image...n-model_13.jpg
She looks way too tan to be me.Quote:
Originally Posted by muted reborn
Roadies have been throwing gobs of money at cycling clothes for decades. Mountain bikers were the dirt bags of the cycling world for a long time, and the clothing prices (and quality) reflected that. But now mountain bikers have grown up and, like road bikers, are frequently dropping the better part of $10k on a bike. So it's not really too surprising that brands like rapha, 7mesh, etc. have figured out that mountain bikers will also pay good of money for nice clothes. Whether they're worth the money is going to be pretty subjective.
For all my biking related cloths, road/gravel or MTB I go to Endura. VERY VERY nice quality, stuff lasts forever and it is 1/3 of Rapha and the other high end stuff.
https://us.endurasport.com/
For all my biking related cloths, road/gravel or MTB I go to Endura. VERY VERY nice quality, stuff lasts forever and it is 1/3 of Rapha and the other high end stuff.
https://us.endurasport.com/
I shop fleabay in the fall/winter for new in the bag /last years team wear. I got 2 new pairs of Louis Garneau Yeti/Shimano team bibs for $30 each a few months ago. The logos are black and white and pretty muted overall and they have 3 pockets in them.
After being a dirt bag racer in college I got pretty used to wearing whatever was left over from the spring team order.
I have a few pairs of neo pro shorts for shorter rides or to throw under baggy shorts. Not to bad for the money, the shammy is kind of spongy but ok for stuff under 2 hours...
Guess I'm not the Rapha target market.
Yeah, kind of a weird move, especially saying that the "North American HQ is still in Northwest Arkansas"... I guess the Waltons feel good about saving a tiny bit of money by outsourcing their CS, while laying off employees so they can get even richer.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dee Hubbs
Ah. sorry, that is a woman. Here is some mens raphaQuote:
Originally Posted by zion zig zag
https://media.rapha.cc/image/upload/...nnequin_10.jpg
While I'm happy you all found a way to combine your two main loves of being outside and consumerism, it has suck to ruin a $500 kit crashing on a MTB. Good gear scuffs well, as I'd hope Rapha does, and I suppose there's the apre-crash joy of buying a new kit too?Quote:
Originally Posted by toast2266