Rapha has been teasing their mountain bike line for quite some time now, mainly through the mountain bike ambassadors they have partnered with. As of this past week, Rapha MTB apparel is now for sale. For those unfamiliar with Rapha, the brand carries a boutique-mystique and a carefully crafted image through the gravel and road cycling worlds. Their apparel is expensive but damn fine and they’re now looking to stake their premium MTB apparel claim alongside other brands like Velocio and Kitsbow.
Though it always seems like these expensive apparel brands are out to gouge our pockets for threads we don’t really need, most of them are contributing to greater causes through their sales. Patagonia does a good job at setting the bar for this, and Rapha is no different.
“Rapha exists to make cycling the most popular sport in the world and in 2021, we extend this ambition to mountain biking,” reads their site. “In everything we do, from the clothing we design to the stories we tell to the communities we celebrate, we attempt to portray our deep and honest love for the sport in all its forms.”
At the time of their launch, they’ll be donating to the Oregon Timber Trail Alliance and the Sage Trail Alliance, and plan to partner with NICA. Rapha has a guide online to repair your own tattered rags with its repair kit and will make repairs accessible through their website, so consumers can send them back to the factory to get patched up if needed.
Another promise they make on their website is that if a customer has lost weight through training, they’ll exchange the piece of clothing for them with a 50% discount on the smaller size.
With their launch, they have accessories too, like a Trail hip pack ($80), a pair of sunglasses ($165), and Trail socks ($23). The prices on their apparel and MTB accessories are actually not too outlandish, or maybe a better way to put it is that they could be worse.
Trail shorts for men and women are $150, 3/4 sleeve jerseys are $100 and s/s jerseys are $75. Tank tops are $70 and lightweight Trail jackets are $180.
For more information and to see Rapha’s full product lineup check out their website.
