I'll confess, I love clothes. In my time I've filled and emptied countless closets as I played one character or another in real life. In my twenties it was Zegna wool trousers, blazers and dress shirts. In my thirties running my own design studio it was an unbroken line of designer black. Crossing forty, comfort took the edge off things and these days I'm most likely to be wearing casual trousers and a t-shirt in the office. I expect the younger Velodramatic would say I've let myself go.
If my sartorial interest has generally declined, Rapha has rekindled the flame where it still counts – on the bike. They do black and neutrals as well as any fashion house going and the collection is effortlessly coherent. They've yet to produce a single piece that doesn't coordinate with its siblings (and that includes the trippy splash of Acid Green this spring).
So I've decided to put it to the test by riding every day this month exclusively in Rapha kit (helmet, shoes and sunglasses excepted). And while I'm limiting my brands, I'll be limiting my calories with a goal of shedding 5-10 lbs. I may even look a little better in pictures towards the end of the month.
Tune in every day as I throw on a new Rapha look and cycle my way to work and play and demonstrate how versatile the Rapha cyclewear line is. My wife Juli is doing the shooting, and if photographing an aging clothes horse isn't hard enough there's the demanding art director to contend with. If Rapha had a women's line I'm sure she'd be riding instead.
11 Comments
good luck! i’ll definitely be following along.
I believe the corollary is “If the Clothes don’t fit, ride more”. Looking forward to see the collection in action.
Good luck with this. I really like rapha, too. I have said this on several sites – the clothes look great. no sponsor logo and classic. Perfect. The price, though, is silly stupid and the fit, well, no matter what, it’s not race cut that’s for certain. $700 for a cycling jacket that has zero performance gain is just silly. I guess cycling has joined the ranks of polo or equestrian riding.
I’ll keep reading, but I gotta tell you, 30 days in their shorts if that doesn’t hurt, you’re not working hard enough.
I am new in Rapha, i just got my first jacket…. and i am impress… i will follow you…
looking forward to tagging along for some of your Rapha jaunts!
velomonkey – which jacket from Rapha are you referring to that costs $700? I am also curious about which racing (road or mountain) requires a jacket with a performance gain? My experience with cycling jackets is that they perform well in the climate and conditions that they were designed for. I enjoyed a very wet and windy morning out on the road thanks to a combination of garments from several quality manufacturers including Rapha, Assos, Panache, etc.
Today’s ride will be up shortly. Velomonkey is referring to the Limited Edition Tweed Softshell Jacket (it does exist) but I’m afraid it’s beyond even my obsessive means. Only 100 were made and the exotic fabric is why it’s a small fortune.
Well it is not that we would talk about common sense here … no we are just obsessed and better one is obsessed in expensive clothes then in too big cars … !
Ah…the tweed jacket. That’s a stretch for 99% of us but a bargain for others. Looks like formal wear for a fixxe wedding but I would assume that it is a well made jacket.