What kind of experience do your clothes provide? Do they make you look good, feel good, and want to ride more? We don’t think you should settle for anything less, so we’re only carrying Assos and Rapha. We live in a consumer’s paradise where an abundance of choice breeds an insatiable appetite for ever-cheaper goods. The trouble with cheap garments (price- and quality-wise) is people buy more than they need, but little that truly satisfies them. This dissatisfaction causes them to buy more and more, but since they consume so much, their now-limited budget forces them to only buy other unsatisfying things. What happened to valuing clothes that serve you better? Enter Assos and Rapha, both at the forefront of cycling clothing, for very different reasons.
Assos is very much a future-oriented company, with their R&D, proprietary fabrics, and design principles. Their emphasis on research & development has many manifestations now taken for granted, such as the first Lycra shorts (‘76), the first sublimated cycling jersey (’80), and the first elastic short chamois (‘01). Never resting on their laurels, there is no other company remotely near them in consistently setting industry standards. At its heart a fabric company, Assos is famous for creating thousands of proprietary fabrics, but only releasing a fraction onto market. It’s not that the majority is bad, but rather they have set their own standard so high. Like all good design, when you wear Assos, all its built-in features don’t jump out at you, but instead simply work with your body, so the garment disappears from focus. There is so much intention, precision, and thoughtfulness in every Assos product, once you get used to wearing it, you won’t be able to image what you did before.
For every cyclist that enjoys Assos’ futuristic and highly technical look, there’s another who prefers their clothes give a respectful nod to the romantic past. In only eight years, Rapha has turned the bike clothing industry on its head with their throwback dependence on merino wool, their design aesthetic, and their inspiring marketing. Ultra-fine Merino Sportwool™ not only feels luxurious, but it actually keeps you cooler and warmer than any polyester-based garment. Those New Zealand sheep know what’s going on, so why mess with that? The look of their clothes is very classic, subdued yet striking, and full of hidden bits of flair. Think of it as sartorial racing kit. Through inspiring photography shoots, and the Rapha Continental project, Rapha communicates a powerful cerebral message: these are the clothes you wear when suffering on an epic ride. They have embedded a riding experience into their clothes, which makes a very complete package.
We’ve ridden enough kilometers wearing everything imaginable in pursuit of distinguishing the best from the rest. Let us share with you how to discern quality in clothing, and how to buy based on what’s truly worthwhile. “Deals” are never quite what they seem, so it’s worth simplifying your choices and treating your clothes a bit better. Don’t short-change yourself by wearing less than the best.
