"Oh, you shouldn't have!"

[johnmdesigner]

I really didn't expect this level of absurdity.
You need to up your game Assos!

[gasman]

All that packing for two water bottles ? What a waste.

[tuscanyswe]

Originally Posted by gasman

All that packing for two water bottles ? What a waste.

+1 Gets me bit sad tbh.

[deechee]

Apparently you've never received packages from Japan... and these examples aren't even that bad...

[fourflys]

so THATs why I can't afford Rapha gear.... they have to pay for all that brand marketing...

[tiretrax]

at least the material can be recycled.

[chiasticon]

Originally Posted by tiretrax

at least the material can be recycled.

yeah everything in these images is 100% recyclable, including the bottles.

it's excessive, but I've seen worse. I once got a 24x12x10" box from Amazon to ship me a 3' USB cable. seriously.

also if you think this is bad you should order a pair of shoes from them. it's basically double all of that.

[Jingle Jangle]

I just nip into the shop in Spitalfields, and take them off the shelves.

Keeps the carbon footprint down

[tiretrax]

Originally Posted by Jingle Jangle

I just nip into the shop in Spitalfields, and take them off the shelves.

Keeps the carbon footprint down

Ha - My wife just told me about Spitalfields - she's sending our daughter that attend universities in Scotland. I may have to find my passport if it's that good.

[franswa]

What's the big deal?

[PaulE]

Originally Posted by tiretrax

Ha - My wife just told me about Spitalfields - she's sending our daughter that attend universities in Scotland. I may have to find my passport if it's that good.

At Rapha prices, assuming you'll be bringing the stuff back to the US, find out fi the shop participates in the VAT refund program where you drop off a form at the airport and the VAT gets refunded to you.

[Mike Lopez]

...I get the whole brand thing but I've always thought it was crazy how much influence on the bill of materials the packaging can have. I had to spend less on materials and process so the marketing guys could have their packaging and still meet the necessary sale price that they pulled from their rear ends.

As a consumer I don't want to pay for that stuff recyclable or not. I'd rather have more substance to my product than the experience of the packaging and presentation. I know...Get off my lawn right?

Speaking of recycling. Typically it takes roughly a month for my SO and I to fill our recycling bin to the point I'll take it out to the curb. Recently the daughter and granddaughter have been staying with us a lot and the bin is full in a couple/few days with amazon and other assorted boxes and packaging materials. Then I'm asked to put the stuff in my truck and take it to the shop to use the recycling bin there which is a violation of the terms of my lease.

It's a strange new world out there!

[OtayBW]

The packaging on the new(er) Assos S7 line of bibs (Equipe, Cento, Camionissimo, etc.) comes with some pretty obscene packaging. There is this 'multi-fold-origami-kind-of-a-box' and a book that was many tens of pages long as I recall. That said, it had more of a 'functional' feel than the Rapha which just seems like something glammed up to make you feel special about the quality of their...well, er...water bottles.

[johnmdesigner]

After all this "gilding the lilly" you still have to pay for shipping and bad Fed Ex shipping it is. 8 days from Portland, OR to NYC. In another transaction last week my seller used USPS shipped from California to NYC took only 4 days.
But perhaps the anticipation is part of the plan.

[adub]

Dude, you ordered Rapha water-bottles, what did you expect?

BTW- they expect you will only fill them with Acqua Panna, or the warranty will be voided..