Rapha & Team SKY
Comments
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[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19739467#p19739467]disgruntledgoat[/url] wrote:I'm sure it's just me but I'm still not sure why this makes people rabid with interest as to who Sky's clothing supplier will be the season after next.
Is it just that their Rapha gear will lose status?
Rapha was once for the rouleur type - bit fashion conscious, male, enjoyed the retro cycling styling. Not quite hipster (demographic too old for that) but certainty identified a bit with counter culture cool. Hence the love for Wiggins and his mod stuff. References a counter culture more familiar with middle aged men.
Sky pro cycling is many things, but counter cultural it ain't.
That really rubbed with some of the harder-core Rapha folk. Sky ain't cool but Rapha was.
That's why there is interest.
What a bizarre insecurity. If brand is cool - wear it, what does it matter whether they also dress SKY or not?0 -
[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19739467#p19739467]disgruntledgoat[/url] wrote:I'm sure it's just me but I'm still not sure why this makes people rabid with interest as to who Sky's clothing supplier will be the season after next.
Is it just that their Rapha gear will lose status?
Rapha was once for the rouleur type - bit fashion conscious, male, enjoyed the retro cycling styling. Not quite hipster (demographic too old for that) but certainty identified a bit with counter culture cool. Hence the love for Wiggins and his mod stuff. References a counter culture more familiar with middle aged men.
Sky pro cycling is many things, but counter cultural it ain't.
That really rubbed with some of the harder-core Rapha folk. Sky ain't cool but Rapha was.
That's why there is interest.
What a bizarre insecurity. If brand is cool - wear it, what does it matter whether they also dress SKY or not?
This is my puzzlement with tge whole "brand" thing. How can a brand be cool? It's a manufactured and packaged set of associations and emotions designed to sell you stuff. Why would you choose to wear something on the back of that?
Surely "I like the way the clothes look" or "they work well on the bike" is more important than the "brand"."In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19740764#p19740764]disgruntledgoat[/url] wrote:[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19739467#p19739467]disgruntledgoat[/url] wrote:I'm sure it's just me but I'm still not sure why this makes people rabid with interest as to who Sky's clothing supplier will be the season after next.
Is it just that their Rapha gear will lose status?
Rapha was once for the rouleur type - bit fashion conscious, male, enjoyed the retro cycling styling. Not quite hipster (demographic too old for that) but certainty identified a bit with counter culture cool. Hence the love for Wiggins and his mod stuff. References a counter culture more familiar with middle aged men.
Sky pro cycling is many things, but counter cultural it ain't.
That really rubbed with some of the harder-core Rapha folk. Sky ain't cool but Rapha was.
That's why there is interest.
What a bizarre insecurity. If brand is cool - wear it, what does it matter whether they also dress SKY or not?
This is my puzzlement with tge whole "brand" thing. How can a brand be cool? It's a manufactured and packaged set of associations and emotions designed to sell you stuff. Why would you choose to wear something on the back of that?
Surely "I like the way the clothes look" or "they work well on the bike" is more important than the "brand".
You sound like my dad
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[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19740764#p19740764]disgruntledgoat[/url] wrote:[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19739467#p19739467]disgruntledgoat[/url] wrote:I'm sure it's just me but I'm still not sure why this makes people rabid with interest as to who Sky's clothing supplier will be the season after next.
Is it just that their Rapha gear will lose status?
Rapha was once for the rouleur type - bit fashion conscious, male, enjoyed the retro cycling styling. Not quite hipster (demographic too old for that) but certainty identified a bit with counter culture cool. Hence the love for Wiggins and his mod stuff. References a counter culture more familiar with middle aged men.
Sky pro cycling is many things, but counter cultural it ain't.
That really rubbed with some of the harder-core Rapha folk. Sky ain't cool but Rapha was.
That's why there is interest.
What a bizarre insecurity. If brand is cool - wear it, what does it matter whether they also dress SKY or not?
This is my puzzlement with tge whole "brand" thing. How can a brand be cool? It's a manufactured and packaged set of associations and emotions designed to sell you stuff. Why would you choose to wear something on the back of that?
Surely "I like the way the clothes look" or "they work well on the bike" is more important than the "brand".
Tbf, one of the major purposes of Capitalism is the turning of commodities into cultural signifiers. Kind of a big part of Western Culture for the last 60 years or so, at least.Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy0 -
I think they have read the haters on this forum relating to their association with Sky and the team in general and deciding to ditch them.
BR Pro Race is all powerful in this decision.0 -
Religion is dead. Long live branding – the modern belief system.In that (London) context, £200 is pocket change.
Not my cup of tea but that does work out at about £17 a month, which is better than a gym membership almost anywhere, I guess.0 -
Brand loyalty is nothing new though. When I first went to secondary school it was de riguer to have Dr Matrens boots and a Fred Perry shirt. Later it was all about Nike trainers, Lacoste shirts and Tacchini track suit tops ... and so it went on. In my lifetime, branding has always been a big thing. Apple are probably the most succesful of this at the current time?2020/2021/2022 Metric Century Challenge Winner0
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Certain brands have a 'cachet' and are instantly recognizable which to that brand is a hugely valuable commodity. Mercedes, Chanel and Tiffany being the highest I think but BMW/Omega/Rolex all have it supposedlyM.Rushton0
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[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19741269#p19741269]Le Commentateur[/url] wrote:Religion is dead. Long live branding – the modern belief system.In that (London) context, £200 is pocket change.
Not my cup of tea but that does work out at about £17 a month, which is better than a gym membership almost anywhere, I guess.
Good point ref the cycling club cost. This is not designed for the old school rider but the new blood coming into the sport who would use this instead of the gym. So in a way its actually a cheaper option for the people that it is aimed at, plus when you add in to it the extra sales of rapha products that goes with the membership its a great business idea.
Just think of it in this way, free coffee in London. One pre and post ride once a week and you've covered the cost in savings. Hell if you added a small gym area into the locations for cycling based workouts I dare say you could charge £300-400 a year.
Are they BC registered?eating parmos since 1981
Canyon Ultimate CF SLX Aero 09
Cervelo P5 EPS
www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40044&t=130387990 -
£17 a month though... My club doesn't charge that a year and I get a really decent support network for that.
It's an interesting comparison.0 -
But do you get free coffee?0
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But do you get free coffee?
ZING0
