Gathered around the Steel WÜl farm table ($215) this evening one of our many topics of discussion was the new Rapha Sport Coat Cycling Jacket ad campaign that slipped through our spam filter into the inbox. Out of curiosity we all gathered including the basenji dog ($95 SPCA) around our home computer ($199) to see what a $550 cycling jacket looks like. I walked over to the computer in my steel toe steel shank Eagle work boots ($135) and pulled up a chair ($5 garage sale) to the IKEA table ($25) and clicked on the Rapha email only to find a guy cycling in a sport coat. I pulled the Calvin Klein wool sport coat ($33 goodwill) from the SW closet to do a visual comparison and could not find any difference other than the strategically placed pink collar strip. Mama WÜleur decided that both sleeves must be worth $100 each and the front torso was going for $200 and the back was worth $150. I on the other hand am convinced that the jacket costs $51 and the pink stripe is going for $499.
An educational money conversation comparing products with an 8 year old usually ends up with the 8 year old describing what big ticket item can be purchased in lue of said product. In this case the 8 year old referenced a Horse Trader magazine (free) and quickly pointed out 2 slightly used Rocky Mountain Horses (both under $500). I would consider purchasing this Chinese made jacket only if it was guaranteed to make me look a little thinner, a little more British, a little more weathered, a little more sophisticated and last but not least ensured the appearance that I actually used Delta brakes in 1986. I traded a rare foam Keith Meek 'Slasher' deck and a team issue Rob Roskopp for those damn brakes.
Rocky Mountain Horse - $499
For the record:
I will buy one of these jackets the day Mountain Larry Hibbard buys one for himself.
Hmm. Interesting post,the tweed jacket is not my cup of tea but I'm a big fan of Rapha. Really usefull stuff. Anyway, I like your bikes, what is the process for acquiring one? I think I can pull $500 together because I assume a frame, which is not even a complete bike, can't cost as much as a horse. I would also like custom paint, I'm sure that will run me $10 or $15 bucks (I priced out some krylon at ACE). I can drop you a hundie to get the project rolling and get you my angles and tube lengths. I'm sure custom geometry is included, you got to cut the tubes anyway!
ReplyDeleteI am not quite sure what you mean by "your bikes"...If you are interested in a Caletti check out his site at Caletticycles.com ,For the record we don't own a horse - also what is your take on Rapha made in China? A bit spendy for my taste, although I would never turn down a Rapha Chamois. The 500 dollar jacket is absolutely nauseating.
ReplyDeleteIf the jacket nauseates you, don't buy one. It just seems strange to me that you find a coat so offensive, especially when it is pretty easy to to put together a build that cost more than a used car. If you like their chamois, you should try the waterproof softshell, it is truly bad ass. The China piece is true though, I know for a fact that Rapha bought a 425 year old tweed processing facility in Suffix Upon Hampdeshire specifically to shut it down and unemploy generations of tweeders. Seriously, grow up. Either way, it seems like a stupid thing to get all huffy about.
ReplyDeleteThat you for your feedback we always enjoy reading the comments..
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