We were in London last weekend visiting some friends. All that talk about London being cycling mad is true, by the way. We had a free afternoon after flying in so we decided to head over to the London Rapha Club to see what they were all about.
At first, we weren't sure. It seemed like a hipster cycling themed coffee shop with some Team Sky paraphernalia on display. The windows were covered in Marco Pantani themed art (I'm currently reading about Pantani's life and I honestly don't understand the glorification) and there seemed to be way more staff than necessary. The menu looked quite good though, there were Giro themed specials and the main menu had a nice variety of cycling friendly foods. We were starved after traveling all morning so decided this was as good as any place for a late lunch. We both opted for the toasted cheese sandwiches and sat back to enjoy them (really tasty) and watch that day's stage of the Giro. As the stage progressed, the place started to change. People began to file in and grab a seat and later on, some standing room. There were a lot of hipsters, a lot. But, a good portion of the crowd were legitimate cycling fans. Then, in the last 10km of the stage, it got real. Everything in the cafe ground to a halt. The staff came around from the counter. Everyone put their eyes on the race. We all sat there together, hipsters, roadies, fans, old and young and watched the race in almost total silence, waiting with baited breath to see the end result. It was pretty darn cool.
When it was over, some grabbed their bikes and headed out. Some stuck around for one more cup. Others browsed through the racks. I don't know if the customers were into the race because of the cycling mania that has hit London or what, but listening to a lot of the staff, I could tell these people really care about cycling and the products they carry. They took the time to talk to customers about everything from their bibs to their socks and what would work best for the individual. They were friendly and helpful. They were, despite what the price tags, the artsy Ridley Scott films, the Chris King espresso tampers, the "Gentlemens Races," and the African hair sheep leather suggest, down to earth and easy to talk to even though neither of us has tattoo sleeves nor does my husband sport an ironic beard.
As for the clothes? We picked up a variety of products. The verdict is still out on their performance, I'll let you know after they've been saddle tested for a while. But, I can tell you they are the most comfortable, well fitting cycling clothes I've tried on. It was as if someone came to my house, took my measurements, and made me a custom kit. The jersey was snug where it needed to be, but not too snug. The bibs were supportive, but comfy. I was impressed right off the bat without even getting on the bike. Now that we're back from our trip, I'm looking forward to putting this stuff through the paces.
I have to admit, I was pretty hesitant about Rapha. They do have a bit of a snooty reputation; their marketing is rather pretentious. Wearing their stuff could be kinda like high school, buying what the cool kids wear hoping to fit in. But, I'd been in the market for a new kit for a while, tired of picking up another set of $30 shorts and a jersey that isn't comfortable and can't handle heavy miles. I was tired of compromising to save some money, tired of things riding up, flapping in the breeze, and performing pretty miserably. I narrowed it down to a couple of brands, with Rapha being one. From there it came down to being able to get it. Not everyone ships to Germany. Even if they do, there's the question of whether or not it will actually get to us. Fun fact, the German customs department has a thing with stuff shipped from the US. Anything worth more than about $20 is held at an office somewhere for the recipient to pick up. Once they get there to pick up their stuff, they have to provide a receipt of purchase and pay fees that sometimes exceed the original price of the item. Then, of course, there is the likely chance the stuff is just held indefinitely or pocketed by a customs worker. So, that took any brand from the States off the table (unless I was willing to wait to pick it up on the annual visit home). That left me with European brands, all of which are only available online here. You can buy anything online, but I always balk at buying clothes unless I know how they fit. So, the visit to Rapha to handle the products, try them on, and get a feel for the company made a huge difference. I decided to go with them for the time being. I can promise you one thing, if I do become a fan of Rapha it will be based on its performance, not because it has fancy labels in the clothing, they outfit Tour de France winners, or because of their brooding ads. We'll see how it goes.
As for the Cycle Club London, it was pretty nifty to be in a place where people love cycling just as much as I do. It would be pretty great if more places like that existed.
