WTF? I don't shop at Target at all, why would it matter to you anyway?

I bet you buy your clothes at Express, there I can make asshat assumptions too.

rapha stuff looks great, no doubt about it

but i'd rather spend the money on a good pair of pants to throw on as soon as i get off the bike.

just go to salvation army and pick up an old pair of wool pants. cut them, and god, if you have any basic DIY skills at all, you'll be able to figure out how to tighten up the hems.

god, you could use a strip of the part you cut off and a button.

damn, I shop at Express AND Target. I thought about getting the rapha knickers (I received the fixed T as a gift and it is quite nice), but it is way too expensive. If I am going for a real ride I wear real bike shorts, and if I'm just tooling around then jeans or regular shorts are good enough. The price most companies (not just Rapha) charge for knickers is criminal.

how is it that all of the opinions here come from those who do not actually own the product?

because we all too smart to drop that much money on overprice ****

but you concede it looks great? it's fashion not charity.

I don't think anybody wants to admit they own them because they don't want people to call them stupid. There's nothing wrong with buying expensive stuff, especially if it's functional. Nobody complains when people show off their NJS whips that probably cost a ridiculous amount of money. Don't be judgmental because you wouldn't buy it.

$200 shorts=luxury

all i'm hearing is "why would you spend $130 on a pair of jeans when you can get a perfectly good pair at sears for 29.99?"

hmmm...i seem to be the only one. i have the rapha fixed. use them in winter. i love them! nice fit. i have th elargest size they make though and do not consider myself self especially large 6 footish, 80kg...and they are snug, but not overtight. nice and flexy. about the cost, i live in australia and our dollar was doing well for a change and they were actually quite cheap...it was a while back but it was something like 120aud. super. not that i ahve any but i dont think you can get knicks for that much. my other riding pants are ground effects super tankers, which are greta and standard fox baggies. the rapha are the most sleek but i love them all...

everyone i know who does not have rapha thinks its ridiculously expensive and not worth the price

everyone i know who has rapha loves it and thinks it is worth the price

I have a pair of the fixed shorts. Got them a year or so ago on sale, ended up paying around a hundred. The scholler fabric is really nice, very stretchy, much more comfortable than riding in jeans or dickies. I don't find them especially tight either. They are nice to have for commuting and shorter rides around town when you don't feel like rocking the spandex.

I don't think I would pay two hundred for them, but I don't think the price is that crazy. You could pay at least that for a pair of top of the line bibs from assos or castelli...

Well that's kind of a truism -- the type of person who would own Rapha is the type of person who thinks expensive clothing is worth the cost, or else they'd never have shelled out hundreds of bucks for Rapha in the first place.

I don't see what the big deal is...everyone has different priorities and different budgets. For me, I think "hm, a set of Phi hubs or a pair of knickers?" - the hubs win out easily. But I like nice clothes, and if were swimming in dough, I'd probably buy some Rapha.

Thing is, I've never seen any used rapha stuff for sale. His point was that nobody ever has buyer's remorse, even the people that can barely afford a piece of their clothing but splurge for one reason or another. Rather than buying lower quality cheaper stuff, buy high quality once and never have to buy again.

those "fixed shorts" are the AIDS

I have them. In fact, I have two pairs. In my opinion, they're great. The fabric is light but tough, they can be adjusted to be a little looser or tighter around the cuff, they have a styling tailored look, and they have a padded seat. Hate on...

I'd definitely buy them if money wasnt tight.

If I could try them first, I would buy them. B!tching about the price is as pointless as someone who races rolling their eyes at NjS streetbikes.

i like them but id rather just wear normal shorts ha, too pricey for me

Went to Target. Bought a pair of 19-dollar pants that had potential for knickers. Cut off the cuffs. Had the wife sew them neatly.

Very comfortable. Even saved a couple bucks for a cup of joe.

But the Ralpha are nice, though. It would go well with my Panerai watch.

those raphas are ****in sweet. too bad they cost so much.

Did they discontinue the riders journal? that was sweet.

indeed

I wear a $95 jersey, a $25 baselayer, $160 bib shorts, $295 shoes, $12 socks and prescription Oakleys that cost $340. I've got a closet full of cheap stuff that just didn't work for me when I'm doing 70-100 mile rides. Nothing wrong with buying expensive stuff for its functionality or its fashion.

If it fits, feels good, and looks good, buy it.

I'd buy those knickers in a minute but I'm still two hipster levels below Rapha.