Rapha Gentlemans Race

Hey guys,

did anyone else receive the invite today and would be keen to built a team with me? I’d be keen to doing it fixed, just saying, so you should be up for 150ks (never done so much ks myself but I dont care). Its happening on the 9th November. Can possibly drag my girlfriend to be the female part of it (she’d be on a roadie) if I cant find a fixed female participant. Let me know asap if you’d be interested as we need to rsvp until Friday.

Cheers
Marc

SYDNEY GENTLEMEN’S RACE INVITATION

You are officially invited to the unofficial, unsanctioned and unmarshalled Rapha Gentlemen’s Race* to take place on Saturday 9th November 2013.

Teams of six riders including at least one female will depart TTT-style at a stagger. Teams must ride as six the full distance of the route. You can expect the route to be approximately 150km, the roads a mix of tarmac and gravel and the scenery to be beautiful. The start and finish will be within an hour drive of the Sydney CBD.

Entrance fee is $150 and a case of beer per team.

First step is to confirm your team’s participation.
Please email eventsausnz@rapha.cc by Friday 18th October to receive further instruction.

To give you an insight into the Gentlemen’s Race, please visit
Melbourne Gentlemen’s Race | Rapha »

I’m keen but I’d be on the roadie

I wouldnt mind a mixed team but I dont want to be the only one fixed.

…ok either there’s something else going on on this date that I’m not aware off or people dislike Rapha in general. Either or it’s a shame and I would have loved to ride this one. I love what Rapha is doing for the cycling community and yes I dig their products as well.

I’m anti Rapha. Idiots ran a Gentlemans Race same day on the same narrow country roads my club ran a State open road race earlier this year that I was the race director for.

We had draw up Traffic Management plans, apply for permits months out, VicRoads and Police approval as well as two councils. Race was posted on the Cycling Vic calendar well in advance so easy enough to find out what is on and choose another day…

Not paying $150 to ride on public roads. I can stomach that kind of money for 24hr/ENDURO MTB event, but not to ride my roadie. I had a great rapha epic ride last weekend, there was 8 of us. It cost me $30 for lunch. It was organised by a fellow forum member.

I tried to get involved in Brisbane, dudes were like yeah nah sorry no invites left. So I wont be bothering again. I don’t really get the invite only thing, I do get limiting numbers, but it’s just a fucking wank, as an everyday pleb do I need to put my name on the 2019 standby list?

There’s a very specific beard measurement required to get the invite. Must be within 0.75 and 1mm in length, must be mostly grey (but with dark patches to show that you can totally grow a proper dark beard (yeah right-oh)), and must be pointy as a fucking pine tree.

And they probably spray you with a hose or something to see how epic you can look in all black with your glasses tucked into your helmet.

Fuck Rapha.

~+~ 1999 ~+~

There was one in Adelaide last weekend. Looked like fun. It was $120 per team of 6 + a carton of beer, so not that expensive.

The ride and the team is pretty much places I would ride with people I would ride with.

I don’t hate the idea,
I look at it as a way to get out and meet some new peeps, have a ride and a few ginger beers.
I’m yet to turn up to a ride and have a bad time.
Though I’ve never done a rapha ride

Could you please elaborate what Rapha is doing for the cycling community?

There are weekly shop rides every wednesday out of the Surry Hills store and women only rides every friday. They account for various skill/speed levels. $150 is a bit much considering the Velosophy Randonnee was $20 a head, but as always, riding through unfamiliar territories with 5 of your mates is always a bit of fun.

They’re also organising the SuperCX event on November 16 with The Spokes People + they sponsored the Sydney Ride Films Festival and associated events.

The $150 for the Gentleman’s Ride is per team, so it’s only $25 per head.

…which is not expensive at all I think. But anyway, it started a discussion which is a good thing. Rapha is doing a lot, especially in the US and they’ve just started here in Australia so its not that much yet. But as FlammableThinker already mentioned, they are already doing quite a bit. But haters will stay haters and lovers will keep loving :wink:

In Brisbane, to my knowledge all they’ve done is be exclusive, but I’m not they’re (financially affluent) target market so I guess they wouldn’t really notice, let alone care

The Rapha store hosted Beardy’s photography exhibition, and there was free 4Pines beer so they’re OK in my books…

That is a very very good question

The Rapha Continental | Rapha

Super Cross | Rapha

Blogs | Rapha

I’m kind of sick of the haters. Brands like Rapha are essential, they put money in stuff others don’t. It’s just ignorant to not acknowledge that. Prolly, Fyxo, Golden Saddle Cyclery they all seem to know that, they appreciate that, they take part. Yes Rapha is doing that to sell more stuff but that’s their bloody job, that’s what pays their employees. BUT they are doing it in a right way, supporting us riders who dont ride the Tour, organising stuff for the ordinary blokes. Who else out in the market is doing this? Just let me know. Rapha is for the upper society, for the hipster…thats bullshit. Yes its pricey but their normal stuff is as expensive as all the others out there. And whatever you may think, have heard or whatever your problem is, their stuff is top quality. And I’m not only talking from an user state of mind. It just depends what you want and I’m not the guy who has 5 different kits in his closet. I own one bib (from Fyxo and I love it and it was as expensive as Rapha) and wear it on every longer ride which is twice a week. I wash my Rapha stuff more often than my jeans and it still looks like new. And it was as expensive as an Attaquer kit. I’m not blind, I would never ever buy their promo stuff but thats fair enough, these guys need to make money, thats their job and their responsibility. They have people to pay, riders to sponsor and bills to pay. Enough said, I dont care what other people think but I’m behind this brand as I realise that their are a brand, nothing more, nothing less. They just happen to get a couple of things right.

There are more CX races, road races, track races, gravel grinders, roller races, overnighters put on by Brunswick CC & affiliated people than Rapha can ever hope to achieve. They also cost nothing or a minimal fee, and aren’t shot in sepia to be put on vimeo.

I will grant that rapha do (did?) make good women’s cut complete kit in sizes that fit, which a lot of other apparel brands do not.

Fucken hell Marc, you have drunk of the fucken kool-aid. You’re sticking up for a BRAND on an internet forum? Do they pay you for this?