New Rapha kit for Team Sky

mike the bike wrote:

I think this may be an age thing. When I was young, let's say up to 40, I was a smart man. Bespoke suits, sharp shirts and silk ties by the drawer full. My shoes were courtesy of skilled hands and my hair, even as it disappeared, was skilfully shaped.
And it seemed to work. Trophy wife, company cars and a nodding acquaintance with every good beach in Italy. Had I been into bikes at that point I would probably have invested in a dozen items of Rapha-like quality.

But with age comes a sort of wisdom and gradually the whole shebang lost its appeal. My attitudes to life and success mellowed and the wife kicked me out, keeping the dogs. The Lexus was replaced by a bike and the brogues by sandals. Endura now supplies most of my cycle clothing although I still worship at the shrine of steel and spend a decent amount on frames. Would I buy Rapha/Castelli now? No thanks; I have a shrewd idea how the law of diminishing returns affects prices.

But would I decry the need of another person to buy into the whole fancy clothes thing? Never. Live and let live.

Well said

mike the bike wrote:

I think this may be an age thing. When I was young, let's say up to 40, I was a smart man. Bespoke suits, sharp shirts and silk ties by the drawer full. My shoes were courtesy of skilled hands and my hair, even as it disappeared, was skilfully shaped.
And it seemed to work. Trophy wife, company cars and a nodding acquaintance with every good beach in Italy. Had I been into bikes at that point I would probably have invested in a dozen items of Rapha-like quality.

But with age comes a sort of wisdom and gradually the whole shebang lost its appeal. My attitudes to life and success mellowed and the wife kicked me out, keeping the dogs. The Lexus was replaced by a bike and the brogues by sandals. Endura now supplies most of my cycle clothing although I still worship at the shrine of steel and spend a decent amount on frames. Would I buy Rapha/Castelli now? No thanks; I have a shrewd idea how the law of diminishing returns affects prices.

But would I decry the need of another person to buy into the whole fancy clothes thing? Never. Live and let live.

Perfectly reasoned post on road.cc forum shocker!

mike the bike wrote:

… and the brogues by sandals.

Nice. What kind? I live in my Keen sandals. They're cool. Crocs on the other hand …

Colin Peyresourde wrote:

Rapha and Castelli do great kit. Personally, it's the way you wear it that makes it cool or not.

Legs rolled up, unzipped to the waist and three sizes too small. That's how I roll.

Grizzerly wrote:

The most uncool thing you can do is to want to be cool or to care about being cool. If you believe that you're cool, then you're not.

But you are cool, because you think you're cool and who cares what everyone else thinks?

ajmarshal1 wrote:

Grizzerly wrote:

The most uncool thing you can do is to want to be cool or to care about being cool. If you believe that you're cool, then you're not.

But you are cool, because you think you're cool and who cares what everyone else thinks?

It's not your decision. Cool can only be bestowed upon you by others.

don simon wrote:

ajmarshal1 wrote:

Grizzerly wrote:

The most uncool thing you can do is to want to be cool or to care about being cool. If you believe that you're cool, then you're not.

But you are cool, because you think you're cool and who cares what everyone else thinks?

It's not your decision. Cool can only be bestowed upon you by others.

Wrong. Only those who can keep up with you are allowed to pass judgement, and even if they can, fuck what they think anyway.

I may think he's a chopper, however if that dude in the Wallace and Grommet jersey, crocs and melon helmet thinks he's cool, dude's cool.

Beefy wrote:

If Castelli is not cool then that mean I like it a lot, I mean I ride a bike, I value comfort and performance above cool. As I find my gabba sorpasso tights o be the best performing kit around, I'm so happy im not cool. Only problem is do I bin my 3 year old Morvello kit now it's cool? Plus I'm too old to be cool! Perhaps being old (ish) uncool could be the new cool,

Or we could just enjoy riding and stop being told by marketing bods what is cool or uncool, or would that be cool or uncool, this is more confusing than the top gear cool wall, oops top gear is uncool erm or is it cool coz its uncool arghh !!!!

If you're happy not being cool then you're not cool. Leave being cool to the cool kids. Because of this your Morvelo kit is too cool for you, bin it.

Unless it's that old original Tokyo CC design, then just give it to me. I'll give it a cool home.

stenmeister wrote:

I wonder if this post would attract as much criticism if Sky were sporting Castelli or any other brand.

I'm also surprised that it still seen as headline material now that Wiggo's is no longer the big Sky attraction.

For me the difference between Castelli and Rapha is that Castelli has grown with, and been a supporter of cycling since for ever. They have grown with the technologies and the the associated prices. Rapha doesn't have that heritage, they came into the market with outrageously expensive kit that was supported with outrageously expensive marketing speak and people reacted.
Castelli is Italian too, so automatically cool.

don simon wrote:

stenmeister wrote:

I wonder if this post would attract as much criticism if Sky were sporting Castelli or any other brand.

I'm also surprised that it still seen as headline material now that Wiggo's is no longer the big Sky attraction.

For me the difference between Castelli and Rapha is that Castelli has grown with, and been a supporter of cycling since for ever. They have grown with the technologies and the the associated prices. Rapha doesn't have that heritage, they came into the market with outrageously expensive kit that was supported with outrageously expensive marketing speak and people reacted.
Castelli is Italian too, so automatically cool.

Castelli is not cool, it is the circa 2002 Burberry of cycling.

Morvelo is cool, capo is cool, Le Col is cool, Poc is cool, even some Attaquer stuff is cool. Castelli is not, I can't remember Castelli designed something aesthetically pleasing. Sportful however is castelli's slightly cool arm.

Anyway, people bagging on Rapha is the cycling forum version of Godwin's law. Inevitable and boring. Can we all just stop it?

Apart form Team Sky kit, that's rightly year-round open season.

iamelectron wrote:

What a bunch of pr*cks ^. Who gives a flying f*ck what people wear on their bike. Snobbish elitist ar$ewipes.

Now-now, let's not soil our Sky blue merino pro-team underpants TM.

ajmarshal1 wrote:

Castelli is not cool, it is the circa 2002 Burberry of cycling.

Morvelo is cool, capo is cool, Le Col is cool, Poc is cool, Castelli is not. Sportful is castelli's slightly cool arm.

Is Bontrager cool? I used to think they were but now i'm not so sure, they seem more and more mainstream. Its terribly confusing.

Kadinkski wrote:

ajmarshal1 wrote:

Castelli is not cool, it is the circa 2002 Burberry of cycling.

Morvelo is cool, capo is cool, Le Col is cool, Poc is cool, Castelli is not. Sportful is castelli's slightly cool arm.

Is Bontrager cool? I used to think they were but now i'm not so sure, they seem more and more mainstream. Its terribly confusing.

Dear God no, if there's more than one person wearing or riding anything in a group or you see more than one during your ride, it's instantly not cool.

If you're riding a Cinelli Laser, clad head to toe in Morvelo Death Spray kit, rocking a Poc helmet / sunglasses combo and wearing Giro Empires. You're a style god, fact.

don simon wrote:

.
That said, I find the performance of my Gabba is superior to that of my Capo. Must have missed something in the marketing bumf.

Performance? Let's not let that get in the way of style. (I actually really like my Fawesome vest and nano flex arm / knee warmers i am of course being all tongue in cheek about this whole subject.)

ajmarshal1 wrote:

Dear God no, if there's more than one person wearing or riding anything in a group or you see more than one during your ride, it's instantly not cool.

I must be cool all the time then as I'm nearly always riding solo (I only really commute these days)!