Does it make you cool?

Ambivalent.

Nice troll thread

That's kinda how I feel. Stuff looks fresh though, overpriced? Yes. Snazzy? Yes. Kinda reminds me of mac or something.

Yum.....

I have one of there light jackets. Love it.

I've got the blues

Well, I just bought this jacket and sent it back for a larger size. Nice but unassuming for almost $400. It is supposed to be one of the "best" jackets out there but I will see once I get out on the road with it. I was given gift certificates to Rapha and I figured I'd get their signature piece cuz the other jackets were a little less but quite thin. At the end of the day, my $140 retail Adidas Jacket I got on deep clearance at Nashbar for $31 does a good job.

Well, I just bought this jacket and sent it back for a larger size. Nice but unassuming. It is supposed to be one of the "best" jackets out there but I will see once I get out on the road with it. I was given gift certificates to Rapha and I figured I'd get their signature piece cuz the other jackets were a little less but quite thin. At the end of the day, my $140 retail Adidas Jacket I got on deep clearance at Nashbar for $31 does a good job.

I live in AR and was thinking about getting the lightweight jersey for spring/summer. 175$. When it comes to bibs anyone know if price really makes a difference?

Exactly how I feel. I did a case study on the company when I was in business school and the marketing strategy is remarkably like Mac, or any number of companies who intentionally market to the crowd with plenty of money and willing to spend it on style.
Any of you with kids on the way, or little babies, another company to look at: OrbitBaby. They make a $900 stroller!!

The company is named Apple, not Mac. How did you not learn that in business school? Even if you already knew that, most people buy the brand "Apple," not the brand, "Mac."

Are the people who rave about Rapha the ones who complain about Assos?

Yeah the company is named Apple, but most people think of the company as "Mac," as in Mac Computers, Ipods made by Mac. Much of branding has little to do with the legal designation of a company but with the image left in the customer's minds.
They do not market their laptops as Apple Pro..they are marketed as Mac Book Pro.

What kind of temps is that jacket meant for? Love the style, but doubt I could stomach the cost...



I'm sure you meant to say "their light jackets" and in your sig you meant to say "you're going to need somebody."

/grammarnazi

I like the simple jersey designs.

I'll be f'd if I pay that much for it.

The self-titled grammanazi uses "temps" and ends the question with a preposition?

OP - Their stuff works for the intended purpose and I like the style. A bit pricey yes but no worse than Assos.

working well for a B&W marketing campaign?

For that kind of cash, I'd rather apply it on a new bike.. Bike clothing , it's all made of the same stuff from the land of cheap labor.. You are just paying all that hard earned cash for a fancier label..

BF should record the last three responses and automatically apply them to any thread in which the OP asks about Rapha. It would save a lot of time.

I've been VERY impressed with my Rapha bibs.

Actually I find that Rapha's marketing approach tries a little too hard to be cool–to the point that they come across as pretentious. More Abercrombie and Fitch than Apple. Ironically i do see something in their marketing that gets at the soulfulness of cycling being in the ride, however, and not the product. You have to dig deeper into their website though to get at this. As far as I'm concerned, the cycling apparel equivalent to Apple marketing savvy is Assos. Both have a history as innovators. Both market a premium brand based on this innovation and technological advances in their product lines. Both take packaging beyond the norm and make opening their product an experience in and of itself.

I've had construction quality issues on the pieces I got from them. I love the aesthetic, but for what you pay, I expect construction to be up to par. That being said, they responded immediately to my issues with an offer to exchange the garments.

I say if you can afford it and you like the gear, go for it! It's no different from high end non-cycling clothes. Some people appreciate and are willing to pay for it, some wish they could afford it and others think it's ridiculous that people would pay a lot for something nice and mock anyone who does.

Personally, I really like the look of their stuff and don't care what anybody else thinks.