Oh, Rapha
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I've been looking for a new short sleeve jersey (not Rapha) and a lot of them in the shops are around £75 which I think is way overpriced for a bit of fabric made into a shirt with a zip and a couple of pockets.
I am certainly not sticking up for Rapha or saying things are not overpriced, but you can get plenty of jerseys for well under £50, and still more for even less.
If you want the £75 ones then generally speaking you have to pay more.
There is no point in expecting the quality of the £75 ones for the price of the £25 ones.
If you except that the £75 ones are a better piece of fabric made into a better shirt, with better zips and better pockets then it warrants a 'better' price tag.
If not you would just buy the £25 ones and say nothing.
IME the dearer stuff is usually nicer and I would not now even look at cheap (list price rather than in a sale I mean) cycle clothing because I know I want the quality.
I don't mind paying for quality, its when it becomes too pretentious that I have to draw the line.
More out of principle than lack of funds/willingness to spend said amount on cycle stuff.0 -
if they are selling quicker than they can make it then it is under priced.0
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if they are selling quicker than they can make it then it is under priced.
Do they have a waiting list then?
They should auction stuff if they want to just screw people out of cash. Or better still, sealed bids 8)0 -
TBF to Rapha every so often they have a stonking sale and their product support -repair service and trade in for a new size app appears excellent. I bought a trade team jersey from last years sale and it is beautifully made for the £48 I got it for. Similarly the Rapha ebay store every so often throws up bargains - Pro bib shorts for £80 for example.
At the end of day it appears that people are prepared to pay their prices. The customer discounts codes are sought after and their sales at various places is very well attended.
As others do,I feel the branding comes across as pretentious, however, their apparel mostly reviews very well0 -
I've tried various different manufacturers from the sensibly priced to the Castelli/Rapha/Assos items. After dallying around with a lot of them Rapha now get about 80-90% of my clothing spend;
1) I find all of their stuff just works, it tends to be high performance and pretty functional. The pro team jerseys, pro team jacket are particular faves
2) the customer service is brilliant. I had an issue with some lightweight bibs that I returned two years after I bought them, swapped without any issues in about 5 working days. They stand by their products.
3) their stuff just fits me, consistently. The sizing is really consistent across the range (why can't everyone get this...)
4) I buy when theirs a sale on or I have a discount code. This isn't that hard to do
Some of the marketing doesn't hit the spot with me and the whole city/non-cycling range doesn't do much for me. But the core cycling range is great IMHO.0 -
I've tried various different manufacturers from the sensibly priced to the Castelli/Rapha/Assos items. After dallying around with a lot of them Rapha now get about 80-90% of my clothing spend;
1) I find all of their stuff just works, it tends to be high performance and pretty functional. The pro team jerseys, pro team jacket are particular faves
2) the customer service is brilliant. I had an issue with some lightweight bibs that I returned two years after I bought them, swapped without any issues in about 5 working days. They stand by their products.
3) their stuff just fits me, consistently. The sizing is really consistent across the range (why can't everyone get this...)
4) I buy when theirs a sale on or I have a discount code. This isn't that hard to do
Some of the marketing doesn't hit the spot with me and the whole city/non-cycling range doesn't do much for me. But the core cycling range is great IMHO.
+1 except the marketing stuff. Never seen a Rapha advert in my life except for the promo stuff on the homepage of their website - something they share with 99.9% of clothing websites0 -
Just got another £5.99 jersey from lidl
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Just got another £5.99 jersey from lidl
good for you0 -
1) I find all of their stuff just works, it tends to be high performance and pretty functional. The pro team jerseys, pro team jacket are particular faves
2) the customer service is brilliant. I had an issue with some lightweight bibs that I returned two years after I bought them, swapped without any issues in about 5 working days. They stand by their products.
3) their stuff just fits me, consistently. The sizing is really consistent across the range (why can't everyone get this...)
4) I buy when theirs a sale on or I have a discount code. This isn't that hard to do
Don't all cycling jerseys meet the above criteria? I can't say I've ever bought a cycling jersey that doesn't work or the size being massively out. A jersey is a jersey.
I wonder how much Rapha jerseys cost to produce? Anywhere near it's £130 RRP ?"The Prince of Wales is now the King of France" - Calton Kirby0 -
1) I find all of their stuff just works, it tends to be high performance and pretty functional. The pro team jerseys, pro team jacket are particular faves
2) the customer service is brilliant. I had an issue with some lightweight bibs that I returned two years after I bought them, swapped without any issues in about 5 working days. They stand by their products.
3) their stuff just fits me, consistently. The sizing is really consistent across the range (why can't everyone get this...)
4) I buy when theirs a sale on or I have a discount code. This isn't that hard to do
Don't all cycling jerseys meet the above criteria? I can't say I've ever bought a cycling jersey that doesn't work or the size being massively out. A jersey is a jersey.
I wonder how much Rapha jerseys cost to produce? Anywhere near it's £130 RRP ?
Of course it's not near the £130.00 RRP!
Rapha, like every other company out there, are in business to make money. If their goods were "too expensive" no one would buy and they would go under. Seeing as they are growing as a company, have a desirable (to many) range of products and are turning in a nice profit ... I'd say they've got it pretty much spot on!
There's no other brand in cycling apparel that receives it's own thread on here every time it launches a new product or service. That says something surely.Still thinking of something clever to say!0 -
1) I find all of their stuff just works, it tends to be high performance and pretty functional. The pro team jerseys, pro team jacket are particular faves
2) the customer service is brilliant. I had an issue with some lightweight bibs that I returned two years after I bought them, swapped without any issues in about 5 working days. They stand by their products.
3) their stuff just fits me, consistently. The sizing is really consistent across the range (why can't everyone get this...)
4) I buy when theirs a sale on or I have a discount code. This isn't that hard to do
Don't all cycling jerseys meet the above criteria? I can't say I've ever bought a cycling jersey that doesn't work or the size being massively out. A jersey is a jersey.
I wonder how much Rapha jerseys cost to produce? Anywhere near it's £130 RRP ?
probably not, but the cost of the jersey doesnt just cover the cost of making it alone, Rapha obviously have marketing, designers and staff to cover before they even consider trying to make a profit. and as they also make things in generally such limited quantities they have to maximise their ROI for a particular design, and it is tbf well made stuff it does seem to last, the stitching doesnt fray, the zips work well after many washes.
Im not about to kit myself out and spend £300+ on top and shorts all the time, but Ive picked stuff up in their sales for far less, so I wouldnt object necessarily to buying something from them at full price...but the glasses dont do it for me.0 -
There's no other brand in cycling apparel that receives it's own thread on here every time it launches a new product or service. That says something surely.
Thats not always a good thing."The Prince of Wales is now the King of France" - Calton Kirby0 -
I don't get all the Rapha bashing okay they are expensive but no more than asso and some of the Castelli kit, basically if you like it and it fits well and works well buy it, if you don't then don't.
It's not rocket scieneceRule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.0 -
No, it is not.I don't get all the Rapha bashing okay they are expensive but no more than asso and some of the Castelli kit, basically if you like it and it fits well and works well buy it, if you don't then don't.
It's not rocket scienece
It is marketing and perceived value.
Although I don't know what scienece is, so you could be correct.The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
My blog: http://www.roubaixcycling.cc (kit reviews and other musings)
https://twitter.com/roubaixcc
Facebook? No. Just say no.0 -
You know its great there's so much choice available at a range of prices and quality the real bitch for us as the ultimate end users is theres such a wide range of consistency in fit.
Ive pretty much settled on Castelli bib shorts but find the difference between entry level and top of the range is much the same as two different brands, in Castelli case I find the mid range kit spot on but the higher stuff uncomfortable for super long rides, what hope is there for us if you have such variation within a brand.
Deep pockets and a lot of timeRule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.0 -
Veblen goods. There's an element of this at play here.
To achieve the presence, profile and size they have, globally, in 10 years is hugely impressive. Their branding, message, aesthetic and design is both remarkably consistent and incredibly well delivered.
Many people will consider them overpriced. They're far from alone in that. The mistake a brand like this can make is to try and please everyone, or to compromise to achieve higher sales volume. The cycling market, like all others, is not monolithic.
A huge part of their low profit right now is due to the Team Sky deal. But the global awareness as a result is enormous. Mottram isn't stupid and plays the long game. He's clearly doing that with Team Sky.Napoleon, don't be jealous that I've been chatting online with babes all day. Besides, we both know that I'm training to be a cage fighter.0 -
Turns out you get what you pay for.. Rapha 'bidon' vs Camelbaks own bottle, nowhere near as good. So much for the people who spout 'they are the same', 'you are paying for the name' etc.0
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Only £195. I might get each colourway.
I think the kind of person that uses the term 'colourway' might also be just the customer Rapha's looking for
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Only £195. I might get each colourway.
I think the kind of person that uses the term 'colourway' might also be just the customer Rapha's looking for
2 pages that took. 2 pages. Standards are slipping round here. But kudos to you being the first one to get that. I wondered if someone even would!My blog: http://www.roubaixcycling.cc (kit reviews and other musings)
https://twitter.com/roubaixcc
Facebook? No. Just say no.0
