By Simon Mottram • 8th February 2010 • Posted in Events
Every season, the keen road rider can choose from numerous exciting riding holidays. Training camps, cycling tours, the Etape and Gran Fondos, all offer the chance to ride on smooth european tarmac, in great scenery. So why choose a Rapha Randonnée?
The unique appeal of Randonnées is all down to the structure that gives them their name. Unlike most training camps or cycling holidays, the Randonnées are point-to-point adventures where each day presents a new goal, eighty to a hundred miles away. Reaching that goal takes endurance, teamwork and application and each day takes you on new roads, often along the routes of racing history.
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By Joe Hall • 8th February 2010 • Posted in Products
No. 3 takes a peak at the return of a now established Rapha favourite. For 2010 this product has been beautifully revised, maintaining its distinguished flashes of colour but in a slightly different guise.
In terms of technical features this piece has also been refined, using a full-length zip where it’s needed most. An additional colourway/style has been included this season, alongside the more traditional flagships. Seeing the picture above I’m sure you will realise where the inspiration for this particular design hails from.
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By Jeremy Dunn • 6th February 2010 • Posted in Products
There was a time when the Hour record was arguably the most important Cycling Record in the world. In the late 70's and early 80's Mexico City provided all the right conditions necessary to making this possible. The altitude combined with the quality of the velodrome made this the ideal location for the setting of multiple world records.
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By Jeremy Dunn • 5th February 2010 • Posted in Products
Our take on a classic piece, the Merino Polo reinvents the notion of city riding, and with it adds a beautiful embellishment. Sneek Peek No. 3 also does the trick by utilizing the same fabric as our most popular item - the Merino Baselayer. While a slight bit thicker than the undershirts the comfortable styling makes the perfect pairing of the two ideas and a little storage enhances the functionality.
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By Joe Hall • 4th February 2010 • Posted in Products
Reworked for 2010, no. 2 is a product inspired by three distinctive icons of cycling. The stories and personalities of these icons have also informed the bold use of colour, paying tribute to races, teams and places.
The history and characters of the sport help continue this product’s evolution. An Italian flame, a Spanish/Irish bull and a Belgian lion are the motifs and muse for each style.
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By Jeremy Dunn • 4th February 2010 • Posted in Products
Spring is fast approaching. Maybe it does not seem like it from a weather standpoint and certainly not from a riding standpoint (thank god for fenders) but if you find yourself involved with aspects of the fashion or clothing industry - and I would like to think that at Rapha we are both - spring is already here.
Our new collection will include a few unique offerings in the coming months. And from the quick looks that I have seen, our tried and true approach to cycling clothing just keeps looking better. The small touches are where some of our new garments set themselves apart from the rest. An updated take on a classic style is an area where we have been known to excel.
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By Slate Olson • 3rd February 2010 • Posted in Misc
James Selman, long-time friend and Rapha Continental rider told me some years back something to the effect of "You don't get out of the saddle until April." To him winter and early spring are for building, so you sit, climb and strengthen.
After being on the road away from the bike the whole month of January, strength is something that I am very much lacking right now. Actually anything resembling fitness currently escapes me. So when I hit the base of a small rise (presently posing as a major hill) on a quick lunch spin on a sunny Portland winter day I thought of James when I saw a rider standing and stomping up the climb.
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By Jeremy Dunn • 2nd February 2010 • Posted in Events
Last week while touring the East Coast, Slate Olson and I stopped in to visit one of our favorite publications. Monocle magazine is one of those publications that I look forward to picking up each month. Every issue does a wonderful job of combining stylish layout with interesting content.
They are consistently offering their thoughts on what can and should be done in the current economic climate of not only the United States, but on a global scale as well. Especially when speaking in terms of fashion and buying. So, it was with great interest that we got to sit down with the heads of their North American operations — Ann Marie Gardner and Aisha Speirs.
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By Joe Hall • 2nd February 2010 • Posted in Events
More details coming soon…
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