Rapha Team Sky replica kit now available

Fixie Girl wrote:

Who I work for is irrelevant in this context as I am passing a comment as an individual.. I don't run the company I work for. I previously worked as a buyer for an Italian cycle clothing company hence I know the price points on shorts made in italy and china.

I can't understand why when anyone questions Rapha they are criticised as whinging/knocking… I thought you Brits were all for free speech… I have spent $$$ with Rapha over the years so I am disappointed in them lowering their brand and I bet I am not the only customer who thinks so.

Skinny Latte time for me…

FG

Lots of things to pick up so far that are wrong assumptions.

1. Rapha doesn't have shareholders, it's owned by private equity.
2. Burberry never went out and tried to cheapen their brand. In the UK and worldwide the classic print (which they used for nearly 80 years unbothered) was bootlegged to an unprecedented level based on items from a couple of seasons. Their response was to stop using it in their designs until that passed. In case you hadn't noticed, they've been growing considerably in the last few years.
3. I had a look at the various Rapha lines in Evans cycles this week. The supporters range (40 quid stuff) isn't replica kit in the sublimation print on a cheaper fabric model. It's look is identical to the rest of the sky identity but it is distinctly different item which looks to be carefully targeted at people who feel they would look like a dobber wearing a normal cycling jersey in the pub.
4. You don't make a great deal of money putting kit on teams. It will have cost them several million to do so and it looks like they've had to acquire a bigger distribution centre to deal with predicted volumes. 30 riders, 800 items or so per rider, all a cost to the business.
5. Every successful luxury brand relies on principles of accessible luxury for its sales. Or lipstick and perfume as it commonly happens to be. Burberry and Chanel make a hell of a lot more from those than their clothes.

1. All UK limited companies have shareholders.. In the last report filed they have 15 shareholders including Nicholas Evans, wonder why Evans Cycles in the UK are the only retail outlet for the Sky Kit wonder no more...

2. Burberry went to attract a younger market by providing garments to mainstream celebrities in the UK and it went a bit wrong from what I read in the NYT. But that is only an opinion...

3. The samples we were sent in the US look and feel decidedly poly cotton like a polo shirt.

4. So Rapha is now a charity? Surely its picked Sky as the top team to sell kit, there are 47 Sky items available on the US site.

5. Yep, I understand the principle of the on ramp product, Rapha already had plenty of these before the sky kit went online.

fretters wrote:

wow. wow and thrice wow. as a cyclist i get enough flak from

motorists - where's your licence, insurance "road tax"?

motorbikers - where's your engine?

and

none cyclists in general - your bike was how much?

i like rapha, but sadly my funds cannot run to their products (as much as i would like some of their stuff)

however i saw the sky jersey liked it and thought £75 is nearer my budget. Apparently though i now have a new list to be wary of

Rapha fans - you are cheapening the brand

Lidl fans- Rapha you snob!!!! i could get 10 jerseys for that

others - team kit is only for team riders

it's hard enough some times as a cyclist without getting grief from within the brethren
as well. surely showing support for a British team doing well in our sport should be a good thing. No i will never time trial like brad, climb like froomey or do a classic like Geraint, but then i'm not saying i can.

i'm sure we've all seen some dubious sights on bikes before, but f**k it. they're one of us and as long as they adhere to the rules of the road and don't cycle like a k**b then live and let live.

and if in doubt refer to rule 17

...perfectly said.

As a result of this discussion I have decided to wave particularly cheery waves to people in replica Sky team kit for the rest of the year..even (sharp intake of breath) last years kit!!!! ..(though not if they run red lights of course, heaven forbid)...

In fact, I am going to give every (law abidding) cyclist in any team kit particularly welcoming waves, especially if they look new to the sport (you know, unmatching shorts and jersey, slightly..er...odd helmet perched quite far back). I may even say hello to them at lights and say how awesome they look, and comment on how well their team is doing.

Thank you to FixieGirl...you have inspired me to action.

brackley88 wrote:

As a result of this discussion I have decided to wave particularly cheery waves to people in replica Sky team kit for the rest of the year..even (sharp intake of breath) last years kit!!!! ..(though not if they run red lights of course, heaven forbid)...

In fact, I am going to give every (law abidding) cyclist in any team kit particularly welcoming waves, especially if they look new to the sport (you know, unmatching shorts and jersey, slightly..er...odd helmet perched quite far back).

Think I might join you in this! When I got back into cycling I rode for a few weeks with trainers on while I got my confidence back. I passed some of the Academy squad going the other way in their GB kit. They nodded an acknowledgement, but the one at the back looked at my trainers like I was wearing polka-dot furry wellies or something.

@fretters- you were doing so well, but let yourself down with citing some poxy 'rule'.

TBH I am not into wearing pro team kit but I am comfortable with it. Was marshalling a time trial last October to see Mark Cavendish's doppelganger cross the junction. Yep, the Sky world champs jersey. And I thought "Hey, that looks good. He must be a Sky & Cavendish fan". The potential for a faux-pas was negated by the facts that it looked great; it was our supertastic Cav's jersey he so admired he bought one; and that yes, Sky is a British outfit with many supporters in a country which has shunned and mocked cycling for so long.

It's Rapha's brand, they can 'cheapen' it any way they wish (though I doubt Mr Mottram would do it). Let them charge what they want.

My stock answer to "You don't pay road tax" is "Neither do you". But in the end you can't fight wilful ignorance.

First post.. Hmmmmm - Where do you work?

Yes, Rapha is a business and its all about shareholder value… but it plays heavily on its coolness/elitism, thats why I bought into it… Now it looks like its selling out those original values for its shareholders to profit.

I don't remember many people applauding Burberry when they went for a mass market appeal. The cheap shirt is exactly that, a cheap poly/cotton polo shirt with lots of branding.

Feel free to wear team kit but you should respect that other cyclists will judge, it isn't soccer where it is acceptable to replica kit. We have the same in the US with baseball and proper football

The reason I know about the costs is that I work for a well know sportswear company in Portland, go figure. The cost difference between those shorts will be about $5. Well done Rapha for adding £50 of value to them.

FG

Fixie Girl wrote:

First post.. Hmmmmm - Where do you work?

Yes, Rapha is a business and its all about shareholder value… but it plays heavily on its coolness/elitism, thats why I bought into it… Now it looks like its selling out those original values for its shareholders to profit.

I don't remember many people applauding Burberry when they went for a mass market appeal. The cheap shirt is exactly that, a cheap poly/cotton polo shirt with lots of branding.

Feel free to wear team kit but you should respect that other cyclists will judge, it isn't soccer where it is acceptable to replica kit. We have the same in the US with baseball and proper football

The reason I know about the costs is that I work for a well know sportswear company in Portland, go figure. The cost difference between those shorts will be about $5. Well done Rapha for adding £50 of value to them.

FG

...I work in medical research, no conflict of interest....I just tire of all the Rapha-whingeing...I think we need a need descriptor for a certain mindset: Rapha Bashers..perhaps...other options far cleverer than my humble effort?

And I maintain, let's not judge, let's encourage others not to, let's be the change we should want to see...let's love everyone on a bike

I don't accept that making a comment or to criticise as "whinging"… I bet rapha love it.. It's branding is no accident…

No one made them sponsor Sky they did it to make money and if they choose to water their brand by doing cheap replica kit then why can people people be have an opinion? It puts me, a Rapha customer since 2006, right off them.

I don't get how commenting on a raphia post has turned into a cyclist love in.. I hate cyclists that run red lights and some of the couriers in Portland could do well to use soap when they do drop off to my office..

FG

Fixie Girl wrote:

I don't accept that making a comment or to criticise as "whinging"… I bet rapha love it.. It's branding is no accident…

No one made them sponsor Sky they did it to make money and if they choose to water their brand by doing cheap replica kit then why can people people be have an opinion? It puts me, a Rapha customer since 2006, right off them.

I don't get how commenting on a raphia post has turned into a cyclist love in.. I hate cyclists that run red lights and some of the couriers in Portland could do well to use soap when they do drop off to my office..

FG

I turned it into a love in for me because I think we should love every cyclist...even the dude who runs the red light...love him enough to catch them up and say 'no, don't do that, it makes us look bad and worse, you might get really badly hurt'....love the smelly courier enough to think 'damn, that's stinky, but what a smile, and wow, his job must be much tougher than mine'.. love them enough to think maybe this isnt the life they had hoped for, and see if they want a decent and free coffee from a nice company machine. Love the cyclist who squeezes past a lorry on a corner enough to say 'no, you are gonna get smeared over the road, let me explain....etc'.

And Fixiegirl, I love you too....let me buy you that Skinny Latte...and you can have toppings if you want, they are on me...

Hi Fixie Girl,
I assume you work for Nike? If so, the economies of scale and the type of clothing made are extremely different. Do you work on the design and manufacturing side? I thought it wasn't the done thing to knock fellow manufacturers? Or is that just my naivety?

I of course work in cyclewear, design Vulpine and look after manufacturing. I am intimate with most of the specific fabrics, trims and techniques involved. I think it's extremely unlikely there is a $5 difference, particularly at the high-end of the scale. Using a better zip can add that to the cost of a garment alone.

I think what Rapha and Simon are doing is just fantastic. I'm very jealous! Its a dream to sponsor such an awesome team. Smashing. And British. Yea!

Some Fella wrote:

The XXL jersey has already sold out.
Im saying nowt!

http://www.worldofcrussell.com/fat-cyclist.jpg

I'd give them the benefit of the doubt that they haven't made any...

Some Fella wrote:

The XXL jersey has already sold out.
Im saying nowt!

In t-shirts at least, Rapha sizes small. XXL from them is an *ahem* comfortable fit on me - everywhere else I am an XL and at times even an L.

I know I probably have a bit of weight to shed, but even so...

Some Fella wrote:

The XXL jersey has already sold out.
Im saying nowt!

http://www.worldofcrussell.com/fat-cyclist.jpg

Brilliant, it's all about marginal gains, even for big units.

Why so much, the costs can't be that different? Kinda make their classic shorts look over priced…

But as a previous poster said, team kit is for team riders… Let's hope they don't do a world champs, polka dot and green & yellow jersey replicas..