SSU insolvency and the bike industry generally

[buttahflake]

Yeah, it’s full-on road weenie, dentist kit, I’m actually shocked how many of y’all are running this stuff. It’s very good looking kit, just too pricey for me.

[Abies]

Their MTB line is relatively new. Never owned their road stuff. The prices are not out of line with other high quality mountain bike brands, and are often cheaper on sale. Patagonia, 7mesh, POC… all that stuff is very pricey. Not saying it’s “worth it” but the quality is there in my experience.


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[buttahflake]

I’m a full-on road weenie, I usually look at NeoPro when I need kit.
Also a big fan of The Black Bibs

[Dumbest Known Time]

The Rapha mountain bike stuff is legit. A number of different companies are making them now but a long sleeve jersey with a block of windproof fabric in the front of the torso is quickly becoming my go-to layer for anything other than splitter t-shirt weather.

[Jax]

Love my Rapha vest as well as their wool leg warmers. Didn't seem like they needed their NA office, stuff ships from UK if you order direct anyways. Takes awhile but IMO worth it. You'd think if they were going under they wouldn't have so many riders on their stuff nowadays, usually the first sign of impending doom when they drop their riders. As smmokan said- Walton money, I doubt they are going anywhere.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

I have some Rapha MTB stuff. Got it all on sale. Even used them as race jerseys a couple years ago. Legit the best fabrics and highest sew quality MTB stuff I have ever owned for sure.

[joetron]

I’ve got a few Rapha roadie kits. Classic styles, reasonable fits and the bibs don’t hurt my gooch on long rides. No complaints.


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[muted reborn]

Rapha cotton shirts are $60. They have plain sweatshirts that are $100. What kind of cotton or sweatshirt fabric and high end sewing are they using here guys?

I buy $15-20 low-key running shirts to bike in and they have never unraveled mid-descent or prevented me from performing like a mediocre biker, as most of us are here.

A nice pair of bike shots is key of course, but should not literally be worth a key

[singlesline]

I'm to cheap for it, but Rapha stuff has always been super nice and the minimal branding is a winner in my mind.

I'm sure it was the business model that worked, but I've always wondered if they could have delivered equally high quality clothing at a lower price if they hadn't been focused so much on building a lifestyle around it. But that lifestyle branding probably raised their margins more than enough to cover the marketing costs.

A former teammate of mine helped launch their brick and mortar store in Chicago where he ran the Cafe side of the business and also helped open some other locations. I doubt the retail side of those stores made a profit on their own, but they certainly helped build brand visibility through throwing events, group rides, becoming a coffee/meeting spot for local cyclists, etc.

They also did things like made rental bikes available for "club members" at their stores in major cities. Good way to tap into a new target customer of business travelers who previously stuck with things like jogging or swimming due to equipment needs...now they can go on a ride with clients (road riding is the new golf, right?) or join a Rapha group ride. Of course you'd feel silly showing up to a Rapha group ride without wearing at least some Rapha kit.

As far as I can tell, those stores are still all operating and it is just the small number of USA-based corporate employees who are impacted.

[Skistack]

Based on the amount of Rapha kit I see riding around Boulder, they’re doing just fine.

And not everything is eye-watering expensive. Their Core jerseys ($80) and bibs ($130) are a pretty good price for what you get.


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[dan_pdx]

Yeah, it’s full-on road weenie, dentist kit, I’m actually shocked how many of y’all are running this stuff. It’s very good looking kit, just too pricey for me.

That's a good description. I'm a road weenie myself, but I always found their stuff too smug and too expensive for me. Then I had to buy a bunch of shit in a hurry when I was in Belgium for a cycle tour and the airline lost my bag. I wound up with some Rapha leg warmers that I have to admit are awesome.

[grskier]

A bit of a shimmer? https://www.vitalmtb.com/features/st...try-post-covid

Yeah, what I got out of that was
1) Being at a large bike festival makes you feel good about bike stuff, even when some are packing their bags.
2) There are a few who think that rebound, or at least steady out is imminent.
3) A few hinted at not going hair on fire mode during the covid boom and they seem to be weathering
4) A diverse portfolio helped a lot of brands

[Abies]

I went nuts during the mega sales and bought two new bikes. It’s hard to imagine paying close to full price when I inevitably think about upgrading in a few years, but who knows what will be out there. I’m glad there’s optimism but I’d think the “borrowing from future sales” problem is going to extend a while.

my spending habits for the next while will be mostly apparel and consumables. And trail building tools. But my experience is not universal obviously.


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[grabtindy]

Since the rise in popularity of MAAP and Pas Normal, Rapha stuff looks downright economical. The MTB stuff has always been a solid value. I've never been let down by their stuff.

[muted reborn]

Since the rise in popularity of MAAP and Pas Normal, Rapha stuff looks downright economical. The MTB stuff has always been a solid value. I've never been let down by their stuff.

Quick comparison and it looks like rapha is often more expensive than those two. So it's all kinda the same?

Buy what you like I guess, I was a bit harsh last night commenting.

[Dee Hubbs]

Rapha is funded by Walton money, there’s no way they’ll close up shop. Same with Allied.

Rapha North America Abruptly Lays Off Staff in Bentonville Office
https://velo.outsideonline.com/news/...ays-off-staff/

[zion zig zag]

I was a bit harsh last night commenting.

Maybe, but calling Rapha "downright economical," and "solid value" makes me believe the old trope about everyone here being dentists is true. I'll probably never know what I'm missing out on by not having an $80 T-shirt paired with $300 shorts.

[muted reborn]

Maybe, but calling Rapha "downright economical," and "solid value" makes me believe the old trope about everyone here being dentists is true. I'll probably never know what I'm missing out on by not having an $80 T-shirt paired with $300 shorts.

this could be you!

[zion zig zag]

this could be you!

She looks way too tan to be me.

[toast2266]

Roadies have been throwing gobs of money at cycling clothes for decades. Mountain bikers were the dirt bags of the cycling world for a long time, and the clothing prices (and quality) reflected that. But now mountain bikers have grown up and, like road bikers, are frequently dropping the better part of $10k on a bike. So it's not really too surprising that brands like rapha, 7mesh, etc. have figured out that mountain bikers will also pay good of money for nice clothes. Whether they're worth the money is going to be pretty subjective.

[farmguy]

For all my biking related cloths, road/gravel or MTB I go to Endura. VERY VERY nice quality, stuff lasts forever and it is 1/3 of Rapha and the other high end stuff.

https://us.endurasport.com/

[farmguy]

For all my biking related cloths, road/gravel or MTB I go to Endura. VERY VERY nice quality, stuff lasts forever and it is 1/3 of Rapha and the other high end stuff.

https://us.endurasport.com/

[sfotex]

I shop fleabay in the fall/winter for new in the bag /last years team wear. I got 2 new pairs of Louis Garneau Yeti/Shimano team bibs for $30 each a few months ago. The logos are black and white and pretty muted overall and they have 3 pockets in them.
After being a dirt bag racer in college I got pretty used to wearing whatever was left over from the spring team order.

I have a few pairs of neo pro shorts for shorter rides or to throw under baggy shorts. Not to bad for the money, the shammy is kind of spongy but ok for stuff under 2 hours...

Guess I'm not the Rapha target market.

[smmokan]

Rapha North America Abruptly Lays Off Staff in Bentonville Office
https://velo.outsideonline.com/news/...ays-off-staff/

Yeah, kind of a weird move, especially saying that the "North American HQ is still in Northwest Arkansas"... I guess the Waltons feel good about saving a tiny bit of money by outsourcing their CS, while laying off employees so they can get even richer.

[muted reborn]

She looks way too tan to be me.

Ah. sorry, that is a woman. Here is some mens rapha

Roadies have been throwing gobs of money at cycling clothes for decades. Mountain bikers were the dirt bags of the cycling world for a long time, and the clothing prices (and quality) reflected that. But now mountain bikers have grown up and, like road bikers, are frequently dropping the better part of $10k on a bike. So it's not really too surprising that brands like rapha, 7mesh, etc. have figured out that mountain bikers will also pay good of money for nice clothes. Whether they're worth the money is going to be pretty subjective.

While I'm happy you all found a way to combine your two main loves of being outside and consumerism, it has suck to ruin a $500 kit crashing on a MTB. Good gear scuffs well, as I'd hope Rapha does, and I suppose there's the apre-crash joy of buying a new kit too?