Yeah the stowaway is tight. Looks really nice in person too but sweet jesus do they charge a premium. I'd go with the softshell instead cause the material is more breathable.

Whatever. Almost every stitch of clothing I actually buy comes from a bike shop. (except the thrift store pants that wear through every couple weeks.) It's nice to occasionally find something that looks good that I can ride my bike all day in without being uncomfortable. Especially things that aren't some hideous bright 'safety' orange/yellow/green.
Those rapha jackets are the jam.

Looks like a late 70s vintage adidas warmup jacket. Who the hell pays $265 for something that looks like that? I don't care if it's made of pure unobtanium, that **** is ugly. Sure other companies make good quality cycling jackets for less, but only Rapha can make something so awful looking and get away with it.

Wow, anyone have their epic cap? It looks like it would be pretty swank. I may have to pony up for one.

How does being circumcised make a jacket fit any better?

Tresspasser might. He's got one of their ones but they both look kinda boxy to me. Works for some but not my stupid dome.

i'm gonna purchase at least one of every item rapha makes. no lie. i will be lookin' so deck.

I was in the naysayers' camp until I saw the Rapha rain jacket in person. The owner is hardpressed to remember all of the features built into this thing. Way nice.

One could say the same thing about Microsoft Office, but that doesn't make it worth even half the asking price.

apples and oranges matty, apples and oranges!

rapha is the ****in' jam. the jam is expensive. it's expensive to be a man.

Hahaha.. As an Open Office user, I appreciate that. Thing is, I don't drool over talking paperclips. This jacket is more functional than fashionable. And that's not at all a knock at its style.

Hi, that's me. It's a nice ****ing jacket. It cost me about 160, which isn't a whole lot more than my previous nice ****ing jacket, which wasn't even cycling-specific.

The asymmetric front is so that you can hold the top of one section in your teeth for a few seconds while you zip/unzip. It only takes one hand, so you can keep control of the bike. So even besides the fit on the thing, it's built for the stuff you DO on a bike. Like going 29mph in the rain and you want to vent a little.


I mean, I can understand the hate, my crapass Bellwether jacket + light wool zip sweater (15 bucks total) works 90% as well. But given how much time I spend on my bike..... meh......

Or to maintain the analogy, the jacket is WAY more OSX then MSOffice. The only arguably superfluous "feature" is the eyelets for headphones cables.


Please let this not become an Apple/Windows thing. = )

$160 is a hell of a lot better than the $265 they list on their website, and if it works for ya, mo power to ya. The looks are not my cuppa, but I often wear ugly clothes if they are practical. Mainly I was just in a grumpy mood this morning, and Rapha was such an easy target. I would buy their pants though if they were about half the price.

aw go on matty! git yerself some of them britches! you been a good boy haven't ya??

no... not really

Well, I'm only speaking of the softshell jacket, not the stowaway one.... = )

Ah that one's a bit more plainer janer, and less scornworthy than the Stow away one. With the shininess and the stripes I dare say one needs to be pretty secure in their sexuality to wear that in public. (this from a guy who wears a kilt)