RAPHA KIT...is IT worth the money....

Zero Sum
Zero Sum Posts: 55
edited September 2007 in Workshop
A while ago I switched from Etxe Ondo kit to Rapha, and I absolutley love it....anyone else think that it is the best kit out there, or do you think I am buying over priced tat?

Comments

  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    I like my jacket - but it was half price.

    They seem to do that a bit - so full price seems to be a bit OTT.
  • Zero Sum
    Zero Sum Posts: 55
    Cheers Cougie,

    When do they have sales? I see they have clearance at the moment but very limited stuff...
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    If you're in the know as some of the London guys on cycling+ seem to be - they have clearance sales in person every so often. They seem to have stopped selling my jacket now - dunno why - or maybe because its summer ?

    I also love my Aldi gilet that i got for a fiver too - so you can get good value everywhere.
  • APIII
    APIII Posts: 2,010
    If you use and you like it, then yes it's worth the money.

    They do at least offer an alternative to the hi-tech offerings being pushed by other companies, which can only be a good thing
  • Eurostar
    Eurostar Posts: 1,806
    I bought some white leather gloves recently because they were reduced from 80 to 65 quid - for one weekend of online sales only. I like 'em. And I'm hoping they will be a bargain because they will last as long as 4 pairs of non-leather gloves.
    <hr>
    <h6>What\'s the point of going out? We\'re just going to end up back here anyway</h6>
  • reverendmark
    reverendmark Posts: 67
    The website has a three for two offer on their merino socks at the moment. I got bought some as a present - wouldn't have forked out £45 under normal circumstances for 3 pairs of socks. But they're nice, and I'm glad I have them.

    So - £30 for 3 pairs. Still not cheap, but closer to reasonable.
  • spin-cycle
    spin-cycle Posts: 395
    Have you registered with them? I get offers by email. Like, I got Bib shorts and tights on a 2 for 1 deal. Still works out at £60 a piece, good stuff though. Wouldn't pay £130 for either of them...

    They do have seasonal sales; got a softshell jacket for £100, which is a bargain. It's the best bit of cyclng kit 've ever had.

    Plus, they usually do package deals coming up to Chrstmas time.

    Spin.
  • larmurf
    larmurf Posts: 110
    "The Rapha Grand Tour glove has been developed for riders who want the ultimate road racing glove. Following the same pattern as the Criterium glove, Grand Tour gloves use ‘African Hair Sheep’ leather to produce the softest and most durable gloves on the market.

    African hair sheep live on the arid savannah of Eastern Africa. To cope with the heat and dry conditions, the hair sheep have extremely thin but strong skin"

    This is Rapha's justification for charging £80 for a pair of cycling gloves.
    I ask in all seriousness - as I look out at teeming rain - how leather that has evolved over millions of years to cope with a hot and dry climate will stand up to a British Summer never mind the trials of winter? Surely the skin of some Scottish sheep would have been more suitable?
    Mahatma Gandhi was asked by a British journalist what he thought of Western civilisation. "I think it would be a good idea," he replied.
  • JonNelmes
    JonNelmes Posts: 10
    Best quality and longest wearing kit I own (jerseys and shorts seem to get better with age!) ... about the only thing I've bought that I didn't like (and that was in their shop sale) was the old parachute silk gilet .. shoulder zippers were a right faff.
    Last year they had a shop stock sale in London just before xmas, not sure if they'll do the same this year as they seem to be doing most of their out of season stock sales online at the moment.
    New jackets are in the pipeline apparently.

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