Rapha to become official clothing supplier for Team Sky

[Liv2RideHard]

http://rapha.createsend1.com/t/ViewEmail/y/99FBF8114A6794DD/C4DABDD5C40E52D33D3F7F9A22A6E02E

An alignment that makes sense for Sky and Rapha I guess.

[jlwdm]

Makes a lot of sense. British team and British cycling clothing company. Now we should see lots of contemporary fabrics and less sportwool.

Jeff

[FlashUNC]

Curious to see what they'll do design-wise.

[fuzzalow]

Rapha has always done well on their designs as a signature brand element so I'd expect no less from their Pro Tour presence. Team kit that evokes Brit reserve and Jermyn St. sartorialism. With all the over-the-top gauche in most team kit, Rapha will find a way to stand out.

[jpw]

Didn't see that coming. Adidas pulled out?

[William]

..Team kit that evokes Brit reserve and Jermyn St. sartorialism. With all the over-the-top gauche in most team kit, Rapha will find a way to stand out.

Will they go for the Mod look?

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lBrLMoA2E4Y/UC4ByHk037I/AAAAAAAAdWA/pVFD5M_BQUw/s400/TheWHo.jpg

You know, if you put chops on Entwistle he looks a bit Wiggo.;)





William

[rice rocket]

Makes a lot of sense. British team and British cycling clothing company. Now we should see lots of contemporary fabrics and less sportwool.

Jeff

Word is someone high up in Sky has a large stake in Rapha....

[cfox]

Curious to see what they'll do design-wise.

I always thought Sky's kit was very Rapha-esque anyway, so I don't expect too much different.

[Jaq]

It would only truly be awesome if the little stories in the pockets were about Valverde, the Schlecks, Basso, and to really irk 'em, Sagan.

[fatallightning]

I see the similar design aesthetic, where it will be interesting will be to see how Rapha and step up in terms of the kinds of technical fabrics, aero lab tested cuts and other bells and whistles British Sport Science demands of their technical partners.

[rwsaunders]

Will they go for the Mod look?

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lBrLMoA2E4Y/UC4ByHk037I/AAAAAAAAdWA/pVFD5M_BQUw/s400/TheWHo.jpg

You know, if you put chops on Entwistle he looks a bit Wiggo.;)

William


"talkin' 'bout my embrocation..."

[PQJ]

Sweet. I may even start to like Team Sky a little now (but probably not).

[wooly]

I see the similar design aesthetic, where it will be interesting will be to see how Rapha and step up in terms of the kinds of technical fabrics, aero lab tested cuts and other bells and whistles British Sport Science demands of their technical partners.


Rapha's pro team stuff is pretty technical. I would say at lease as technical as Addidas.

[monkeybanana86]

wow. i already liked their kits this will be fun to watch

[Uncle Jam's Army]

No wool content in the new Sky jerseys, I bet.

[crownjewelwl]

No wool content in the new Sky jerseys, I bet.

but i bet they'll smell like the flowers of Ventoux!!

[William]

"talkin' 'bout my embrocation..."

It's gonna cause a b-big s-s-sensation....





;)
William

[67-59]

They already do their "Pro Team" line, and make the kits for Rapha Condor Sharp (continental team). I don't think they'll have to make many changes to their technical fabrics.

[Lovetoclimb]

I personally would enjoy seeing Sky go retro with it and switch back to the 1/4 zip wool jerseys with check pockets and buttons near the nipples: http://www.rapha.cc/short-sleeve-city-riding-jersey

It claims to keep you cool and dry however long and hard you ride . . .

Will Team Sky exclusively race the Grand Tour shoes in Grand Tours?

[nicrump]

i just hope our friends at rapha condor are not impacted.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_eOwduYeW9Tg/SnKv47X6FDI/AAAAAAAAjzE/79OVzn4indw/s400/rapha-condor-paul-smith-jersey-02.jpg

[pdmtong]

but i bet they'll smell like the flowers of Ventoux!!

since I moved on from Edge Gel years ago I find myself trying new shave creams over the years. I bought some of the rapha shaving cream on sale and then with a coupon - $10.

Guess what, it's nice.

That stuff will last forever since a little goes a long way, and the flowers of ventoux smell is rather pleasant. who knew?

[pdmtong]

They already do their "Pro Team" line, and make the kits for Rapha Condor Sharp (continental team). I don't think they'll have to make many changes to their technical fabrics.

the pro team fabric is pretty nice. its super lightweight and at least as nice as the campy racing jerseys I have if not nicer.

the pro team bib chamois is now identical to the classic bibs. I have the first gen pro team bib with the thinner firmer pad. it will be interesting to see if the team sky boys want the original pad back or not

[PoppaWheelie]

No wool content in the new Sky jerseys, I bet.

I'd bet we'll see a bit of wool content in the training season...photo-shoots and all...

[MattTuck]

I'd bet we'll see a bit of wool content in the training season...photo-shoots and all...


Kind of surprising. I always thought their brand image was very elite but not in a pro-peloton kind of way. They seem to have more of a 'the journey IS the destination' kind of philosophy, than other apparel brands. Hell, I'm not even sure that other brands in the pro-peloton have a philosophy at all.

Not sure how well it jives, but good for them. HOpe they can keep the brand identity authentic.

[Climb01742]

i've always enjoyed rapha's films. bet we'll see some cool behind-the-scenes mini-documentary films about team sky. seems like a good fit for rapha's hard men of the road vibe.

[crownjewelwl]

since I moved on from Edge Gel years ago I find myself trying new shave creams over the years. I bought some of the rapha shaving cream on sale and then with a coupon - $10.

Guess what, it's nice.

That stuff will last forever since a little goes a long way, and the flowers of ventoux smell is rather pleasant. who knew?

i know...i have the soap (guilty as charged)

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . that much change to the team graphics.

The Rapah press release says, "Rapha will develop a full collection of top-end, high-performance racing and training kit and off-bike dress for both riders and staff."

Nowhere does it say specifically that Rapha will develop new graphics. Sky has spent a ton o' money developin their "blue stripe" brand and may not want to give that up so easily. It will indeed be interesting to see the new clothing.

BBD

[mistermo]

Kind of surprising. I always thought their brand image was very elite but not in a pro-peloton kind of way. They seem to have more of a 'the journey IS the destination' kind of philosophy, than other apparel brands. Hell, I'm not even sure that other brands in the pro-peloton have a philosophy at all.

Not sure how well it jives, but good for them. HOpe they can keep the brand identity authentic.

Agreed. This is a "jump the shark" kind of move. Rapha, was a brand founded upon being the anti-brand. Now they're in the same sentence with Nike, Adidas, Pearl Izumi, Giordana, Sugoi, Nalini, etc., big brands.

I own nothing from Rapha, so what do I know.

[pdmtong]

i know...i have the soap (guilty as charged)

hahaha I though I was the only fool. I figured the cream was worth a $10 flyer now I wish I bought more since no longer on sale and I burned up my coupon....

if you want high end mass produced soap try l'occitane. there is a difference.

[jpw]

Still made in China.

I like Assos, and was reminded of the uber fit and feel when I slipped on my Blitzfeder shell earlier in the week to guard against the rain.

[corky]

Not all Rapha kit is made in China..... a common misconception.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . have any requirement that THEIR kit from Rapha be made in the UK?

BBD

[FlashUNC]

since I moved on from Edge Gel years ago I find myself trying new shave creams over the years. I bought some of the rapha shaving cream on sale and then with a coupon - $10.

Guess what, it's nice.

That stuff will last forever since a little goes a long way, and the flowers of ventoux smell is rather pleasant. who knew?

I love their chamois cream. And their shorts are fantastic.

Honestly, I haven't purchased anything from them that seems like a mis-step. So I'm a fan.

[jpw]

Not all Rapha kit is made in China..... a common misconception.

The only Assos made in China is the fake Assos :-)

[gavingould]

i suspect the team race kit won't be drastically different in terms of fabrics etc.

but i imagine there will be a lot of glamour shots of the fellas lounging in R-brand casual gear.

[rwsaunders]

It's a global village...this link from Assos discusses their manufacturing locations.

http://assos.com/en/89/made-by-assos.aspx

[67-59]

Still made in China.

I like Assos, and was reminded of the uber fit and feel when I slipped on my Blitzfeder shell earlier in the week to guard against the rain.

The Pro Team and Rapha Condor Sharp kits are made in Italy, as are a number of other items.

Oh, and some of the Assos stuff is made in Slovenia, Greece and Bulgaria. http://assos.com/en/89/made-by-assos.aspx Not sure how much better that is than China.


Oops - rwsaunders beat me to it....

[Fixed]

Only the best
Cheers :)

[rwsaunders]

The global village for Campagnolo includes Romania...

http://www.bicycling.com/print/56888


Security, proximity, and low labor costs spurred Campagnolo to open its first satellite factory in 2005 in Piteti, Romania, an industrial city in the center of the old Iron Curtain stronghold. Managers and engineers from Vicenza can drive to the plant in a day. Manufacturing wages aren't China-cheap, but they're low, about $14,000 a year. Italy's strong metalworkers' union doesn't include Romanian workers, so Campagnolo can hire and fire more easily. Perhaps most crucially, it's in Romania—a country famous for a man who drank blood and another whose name included the phrase "the impaler." Its remote location and spooky cultural reputation act as their own barriers to technology transfer.

"We first develop new products and methods of manufacturing in Vicenza," Valentino Campagnolo explained to me. "And when it has been perfected, then we can bring that activity to Romania. We have exactly the same machines, equipment, and methods in Romania and Vicenza." The company has made huge investments in carbon-fiber components. "We didn't want to take any risk by putting these components in the hands of somebody else," Campagnolo told me. "They require a high degree of human labor, and we wanted to keep everything inside the company." So the company perfects a manufacturing process with its longtime, highly skilled craftsmen in Vicenza, then teaches the intricacies to its employees in Romania.

"I think this was a big mistake that some Italian companies have made," Piazza told me. "They chose to produce in the Far East, and they spread their knowledge. In the Far East, they produce a good product, but the innovation in Europe is different. If you take your knowledge elsewhere, it's a big risk."

[pdmtong]

some sidi's are also romanian made.

is chinese made arc'teryx any better or worse than the pieces originally made in canada?

ok,m we are thread drifting.....I applaud rapha for joining sky. we are going to see some styling kits now...

[jpw]

The Pro Team and Rapha Condor Sharp kits are made in Italy, as are a number of other items.

Oh, and some of the Assos stuff is made in Slovenia, Greece and Bulgaria. http://assos.com/en/89/made-by-assos.aspx Not sure how much better that is than China.


Oops - rwsaunders beat me to it....

I think proximity allows for better quality control.