Rapha
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Skiing with friends over the New Year. They put me onto this gear. I think that the philosphy behind the gear is very akin to Iron Heart. I like the stuff so much, I might have to get me a road bike…...
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Looks good. Maybe an Iron Heart x Rapha Collab similar to the SEXIH03 for the City Cyclists?
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Right on stewart. HOME SWEET HOME!!!
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Not a huge fan of overly specific cycling gear, but these folks know what they're doing. They strike me as a cross between Rivendell Bikes, here in the left coast and Outlier Tailor Performance which is a great place to be.
I've been using their full goat leather cycling glove for around a year now. Been in some heavy and no-so-heavy collisions and even breaking my fall with these gloves on doesn't phaze the chewy leather. I love just browsing their website too, very intuitive. Don't even get me started on their wool. Oh yes, wool.
Collab Now!
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Here's my 2 cents:
I've been buying (or was) Rapha since about 2006. The items fit very well and the materials used are top notch. Not a lot of companies out there working with sportwool. After my closet was piling up with their gear, I noticed seams falling apart on some of my jerseys. I also noticed that the second set of socks I ordered fit completely different than the first. They were much tighter in the heal area. So much so that I could barely put them on. Rapha is a great company though and they always stand behind their product and fixed all of these issues. I did put my purchases from Rapha on hold for a while though to see if the quality control will improve. I also have some of the casual wear stuff they produce and it's great.
Bottom line: Quality is not Iron Heart caliber but customer service is. Sorry to rain on anyone's parade.
PS: My Assos gear on the other hand has been flawless (but unfortunately doesn't have the 'Rapha' look).
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They're making jeans now. 'Stretch material' in denim is not something I consider a good thing though.
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If only IH teamed up with a company like this to put a cyclist jean into regular production (similar to the Self Edge colab). I think the IH 21oz denim is perfectly pliable for short/intermediate distances, no elastane or other strechiness needed. It'd be cool for IH to team up with an unmotorized cycling company too. As for Rapha's in house attempt…umm....the branded, skyscraper cuffs and the cut don't really do it for me, but the denim looks nice.
I also have a few accesories from Rapha, goatskin gloves, socks (wool. not goatskin), and a silk bandana. The jerseys are nice, but I prefer a simple wool shirt. They're streetwear is always striking, but I could only pull some of it off. I have wanted to try they're 3/4 length breeches (don't dare call 'em capris! ;)) but haven't gotten a moment to come up for a breath of non-IH air. A waxwear, hooded cycling jacket would be really nice to see, though, now that I've missed the To Ki To fall collection.
nixage, have you seen that tweed jacket or the blazer they release a while ago? So $$$!
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Oh man. It's funny you mention the tweed jacket. I've been drooling over it for a while, but can't justify the cost. maybe if/when it's on sale. I've actually come to the conclusion that rapha gear is hit or miss when it comes to quality/sizing. I've had one of their merino wool sweaters for about 4 or 5 years now and it still looks brand new after multiple washings.
I'll be in germany in a couple of weeks, and am going to check this one out. I love this thing:
http://www.manufactum.de/Produkt/194452/1439476/Herrenjacke-Schurwolle.html
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If only IH teamed up with a company like this to put a cyclist jean into regular production (similar to the Self Edge colab).
I'm so wanting for this to happen.
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Here's my 2 cents:
. . . I did put my purchases from Rapha on hold for a while though to see if the quality control will improve. I also have some of the casual wear stuff they produce and it's great.
Bottom line: Quality is not Iron Heart caliber but customer service is. Sorry to rain on anyone's parade.
PS: My Assos gear on the other hand has been flawless (but unfortunately doesn't have the 'Rapha' look).
+1 . . . Assos (and a few others) are better quality by a good margin. Rapha is the best stuff if you want to combine style and quality, perfect for looking good to cycle into town - less good for a sportif
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The one thing that really puts me off Rapha is their slapdash approach to making the bulk of their pieces. Their halo garments are made in the UK, but everything else is china/thailand. While it is possible to get good work done in those places, it requires that you own the factory, and are willing to put in the time over there to handle QA.
However, everyone at the company that I've ever spoken with has been quite nice, and I certainly don't disrespect them in any way.
It's also important to keep in mind that they are a luxury goods provider, and not a premium goods provider. There's a vast difference in those two markets. It's like comparing, say, Seven or Rock and Republic, to IH.
(full disclosure: I'm launching a line of technical merino blend cycling wear soon, and have researched materials & manufacturing to death. I'm opting to build in USA at 2x the cost of going offshore.)
