It seems no-one simply ‘doesn’t care’ about Rapha. Nobody will simply shrug their shoulders at the mention of the brand or it’s products. You’re either in the love it camp or a few thousand km away at the other end of the spectrum in the ‘hate it’ camp. A lot of it is unjustified. Mindless vitriol on account of it being at the upper end of the pricing spectrum or that Rapha take themselves quite seriously. Nowt wrong with that. It’s a premium clothing brand, it’s not exclusive in it’s price bracket and many cyclists do take themselves very seriously. It has always seemed strange to me that so many people get apoplectic at Rapha yet Assos, who are even more expensive and are even more ridiculous (Ahem, Assos man) seem to escape such tirades of hatred.
The Assos bellend in £300 knicks. Ridiculous.
The fact is, in the main Rapha produce very good kit. I own enough of it to formulate an informed opinion and I’ve only ever found two items that I’ve felt have been below par. Let’s take a look:
Pro-team bibshorts – Excellent if a little long in the leg, only surpassed by my Poc shorts for comfort.
Pro-team race cape – The greatest waterproof I’ve ever owned bar none, the holy grail of shit weather jackets. It’s actually breathable. BREATHABLE I TELL YOU!
Transfer jacket – Use this as a general, day-to-day jacket. Very nice indeed.
Brevet jersey – A winter staple, truly fantastic.
Classic jersey – As good as anything, but nothing special.
Merino base layer – Utterly lush, cut so much better than cheaper offerings.
Softshell base layer – Odd. Performs exceptionally but has very weird dimensions, not particularly comfortable.
Lightweight bib shorts – Comfortable and great for hot weather but lasted barely 300 miles through the alps and fell apart, terrible. (I’m actually wearing them in the banner above) But to their credit Rapha refunded me completely.
Other stuff – Simply ‘good’.
So there we go, I’m no fan boy and I’ve had issues, but for the most part their products are some of the best I’ve ever owned when put up against their contemporaries. Once you throw in their superb customer service, crash replacement and ‘you’ve lost some weight, well done have a half price smaller jersey’ schemes, it’s mostly money well spent as far as I’m concerned.
Social media shits the bed over the British champs jersey
Recently though Rapha have come in for a lot of stick around the internetz for the release of their Team Sky British Champions jersey to the general public. Many have said you should earn a champions jersey. Now I wouldn’t wear it myself and I’ve written before about why care what other people wear or ride so I really didn’t get that. Especially when other manufacturers have done the same in previous years and got away with it. In fact this isn’t the first time they themselves have done it but it kind of slipped under the radar. Whatever, buy and wear what you want, who fucking cares?
Where was the hate for this?
Now though, it appears Rapha have officially jumped the shark. They’ve gone and released the phantom menace. In previous years they have produced country jerseys that pay homage to differing nations, no problem. They’ve been subtle and somewhat classy. Two days ago they threw out what I thought was a reasonably amusing April Fools gag in time for the Belgian classics, or at least I thought it was an April fools gag (I still think it HAS to be) Rapha released the Team Sky Belgian jersey which is to all intents and purposes, a Belgian Champions Jersey. A fucking Belgian Champions Jersey. Look at it.
Sky’s Belgian champion’s jersey. Hang on…
Last time I checked, Jens Debusschere rode for Lotto Soudal. Team Sky have never had a rider win the Belgian nationals, in fact they don’t even have a Belgian rider on their books (standfast Bradley!) They’ve marketed it as a ‘country’ jersey, this is their spiel:
The Team Sky Country Jerseys are inspired by the leading cycling nations of Europe where the team train and race; Belgium, Italy, France and Spain. Constructed from a breathable stretch fabric, the lower half of each jersey’s tricolour pattern features a sublimated print celebrating key climbs, roads and landmarks from each country. Released in limited numbers throughout the season, from the Spring Classics through to the summer, to celebrate the year’s best races and racing.
The real Belgian champion. Riding for Lotto-Soudal
It’s not inspired, it’s a straight up fucking lift of the Belgian National Champions Jersey. “Oh but the yellow band is narrower” get thee hence with that, that makes NO difference. Now, it’s one thing to berate a cycling fan or amateur for wearing a national jersey, but these are pro riders wearing this thing with SKY and other sponsors of theirs emblazoned across the chest. It’s that that gets me the most. Had it been plain I could have understood and wouldn’t be nearly as arsed but to put Sky and 21st century fox on it and have the riders model it? I’m not just dumbfounded by the fact they’ve done it, but also by the fact that Geraint Thomas and co have happily put them on and been seen wearing them. Now I’m well aware they won’t be racing them and it isn’t official team issue kit but still, what the very fuck?
Woooh! We’re all Flandrian legends!
Rik Van Looy, Roger De Vlaeminck, Eddy Merckx, Johan Museeuw, Tom Boonen. Those men have worn that iconic jersey, those greats that no Sky rider has ever matched have earned that jersey. It must be an April fools, it must. But it’s still on the site….. It’s still for sale.
Actual Belgians.
When they released those shitty trade team jerseys, (especially the Gitane rip-off) I rolled my eyes as I didn’t see the point, why not just buy a proper replica from someone like Prendas? I thought that was cynical. The there was the £200 a year cycling club, which was also raised a good few eyebrows. This though is Rapha and Sky truly jumping the shark and taking a great big shit on cycling heritage and etiquette. As good as the majority of their kit is, I’m making the choice as a customer to never bother with their product again. Not when there are numerous other options out there that match most of what they do.
Hey! make it uglier and sell it!
I never really got the disdain from a large selection of the cycling community toward Rapha, but this has completely turned me away, I’m still 99% sure it’s an April fools that they’ve forgot to remove from their site. If it isn’t though? It’s true cycling blasphemy in my eyes. A line has been crossed. I’m out.
Chasseur Patate 