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Rapha sample sale - Manchester

by notfastenough
Sat, May 26, 2012 00:40
7

So I received an email inviting me to a preview evening for the Manchester Rapha sample sale, with the chance, allegedly, to pick up a bargain or five without the jumble sale madness that will accompany the full-on event tomorrow (Saturday). I arrived about 30 minutes before it was due to start, which handily put me right at the front of the queue. Talking to the chap on the door established that one of the picks was the Paul Smith performance rain jackets for £50 (close to 75% off I think), so I went straight in that direction once everyone was allowed in. 

No jumble sale madness? It was bedlam! Good though. I ended up coming away with:

PS rain jacket
Cross 3/4s
Pro bib short
Merino/padded undies
Cap
Mitts
La doyenne t-shirt
Arm-Warner's

That lot cost less than the RRP of the rain jacket alone, so i'm well chuffed.  Get yourselves down there, but allow plenty of time to queue and pay, it took ages. Thanks for putting the event on guys.

(I like the fact that the staff are cyclists, so they did 'get' the product etc. they had their own bikes stashed at the back of the basement too - the red Merckx looked sweet!)

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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7 comments

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zzgavin | 12 years ago
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the cross 3/4 stuff is lovely, I got the top in the winter sample sale and picked up the shorts from sigma sport. Wore my spanish top, with a craft under vest on the King of the Downs yesterday and was perfectly comfortable.

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notfastenough | 12 years ago
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4 I'm sure your beloved would have been well pleased with that - my missus took one look at all my new gear and promptly announced that she needed a pair of designer sunglasses to enjoy the weather in - "er, but they're just a luxury love - Rapha kit is an essential human right!"

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Joselito | 12 years ago
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Yeah, fair point on that they could have railed up some sizes for people to try on but it kind of worked out in the end.
Just checked emails and found an invite for Friday night preview - D'oh.
Mind you, to go on Friday I would've had to say to the better half 'Sorry, can't pick up keys to our new gaff with you as I'm off to spend more money on more cycling gear.'

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notfastenough | 12 years ago
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+1 re the padded boxers, they were so comfy I've been eyeing up the non-padded ones on the web as a treat just for everyday undies!

Didn't see the bomber jackets, but the rain jacket is awesome, and I probably won't have to wait *that* long to use it, knowing our weather.

I wore the pro bib shorts yesterday for 60 miles and felt great, I don't normally go in for pro-team branded kit but at £40 it would have been churlish to refuse...

It would have been nice to grab a cross jacket to go with the cross 3/4, but then I might have felt a bit self-conscious being quite so Rapha'd up with the colour-co-ordinated flashes, not sure about that. [checks ebay anyway!]

To be fair though, the one thing I really went for, I didn't find! All the jerseys were the wrong size, not helped by the fact that my actual size wasn't what I thought it was (s/s jerseys seem to have different sizing to the l/s jerseys).

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phax71 | 12 years ago
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Sorry, I didnt mean it was disorderly whatsoever, just a bit of a scavengefest rooting through all the boxes and everything getting so mixed up, strewn about, etc ..

The Essentials case is great isnt it, I've really struggled to find something that held my 1st Gen Iphone, Tyre Levers, etc but this is ideal..

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Joselito | 12 years ago
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I thought it was very civilised, I've seen rougher jumble sales.
Most people were fairly co-operative, quite a few passed me gear if it wasn't their size and thought it was mine. So, ta for putting it on Rapha and ta for the bargains.
And also was impressed by the variety of stock - albeit most of the bibs had gone.
My haul:
Bomber jacket £50 - in sunny 0161 getting it back home on the bike was fun but it'll be earning its corn from October.
Track Top £40. Like the jacket, to not buy it would have been an insult to Rapha's hospitality.
And all together for another £55:
Essentials case - lovely thing.
All black Cap - well, you can't have too many, can you?
Padded boxer sorts - absolutely fantastic.
Pro team mitts -albeit in white but at least white matches my celtic arms.
And a chamois butter sample - which is nice stuff.

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phax71 | 12 years ago
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I went on Saturday and it was a BUNFIGHT!!

Luckily I was pretty much front of the queue at around 8am (doors opened at 10am) ...

I came a way with a few bits and pieces
LS Winter Jersey
SS Rapha Club Jersey (Nice but its a promo piece effectively given as part of a club membership in Polyester)
Black Cap
Black Kneewarmers (very happy with those)
White armwarmers (more on that later)
Essentials wallet (fantastic item)
3/4 Fixie shorts (beautiful, my second pair)
1 pair of Pro Socks (white)

The armwarmers I grabbed at as they had become detatched but only found out they are slightly differing sizes when I returned home, one may be a little too restrictive I fear .. (Ebay ???) ..:)

Overall, the jerseys were find so long as you were a SMALL or EXTRA SMALL Spaniard (Country Jersey) or if you wanted the Pink/Grey/White jersey .... I didnt.

The Bibshorts all seemed to be XXL
There were no Gilets (really wanted a new one as ruined my white one)
There were no rainjackets (no real surprise there)

There was tons of stock but I feel they really should have railed it all up and the BUNFIGHT could have been a lot more civilised and the stock easier to view.

The staff were great though, a nice bunch of lads who were happy to chat and keen to get everyone out riding on the Sunday ... I had returned home by then though..

All in all, it was Ok ..... I'd just reiterate that perhaps railing all the "hangable" stock would make a lot more sense ... IT WAS JUST BEDLAM and with the heat within the shop I had to get out after a while.

So, there you have it ...

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