Sorry to bump this up again, but Cromps' latest post contains this gem;
"Apparently, for years the riders were pawns in a very commercial game, taking whatever bikes and equipment were given to them"
Sounds like an analogue of his own approach, no?
Oh god, of course Cromps would love Rapha. Rapha is a joke. Wool cycling gear is great, but Rapha didn't exactly invent it, nor are they the only (or even the leading) merino wool jersey maker out there. Swobo makes a spectacular merino jersey, as do Pearl Izumi, Sugoi, Boure, etc. etc.
From what I've read Rapha products are well-made, but no better than their competitors. Rapha does lead the market in price (high) and in pretension. The Rapha guy's babbling about pros not wearing merino is embarrassing - during the cold early portions of the Tour de France this past year most of the pros sported smartwool merino undershirts, and I know this from watching the race on TV, not from being an industry insider. The pros are never going to wear cashmere Rapha jersies because the pros only care about performance, and they're incredibly fit so they do just fine with polyester.
Rapha's core market is hipsters who push their fixed-gear bikes around Brooklyn, the cycling equivalent of the iGentry. No wonder the brand appeals to Cromps.
I've got a bit of this stuff - good honest merino tops. No fancy models or marketing
http://www.krankdirtwear.com/products/riding-tops/mens
http://www.nzoactive.com/au/index.php/products/wool.html
I love the Cannibal one.
I just found out that Swobo are now calling their wool jersey the "TRAD"! Now I can wear it when I bike to uncle Mac's house for a nice sponge bath.
http://www.swobo.com/catalog/product_info_m.php?cPath=2045_2046
These are pretty much all I wear, year round. New Zealand wool, even!
http://www.groundeffect.co.nz/products-MER.htm
Rapha does sell a charming cycling-themed pochette/hanky/scarf/PS/OCBD:
http://www.rapha.cc/silk-scarf-1
Last edited by Grossgrain Silk (2011-01-10 16:29:50)
The important question is, what kind of jersey does Vox wear as he bestrides his mighty Serotta? I pray nightly that it's not off the rack.
This must be a commercial ad - http://www.permanentstyle.co.uk/2011/01/leather-cycling-shoes-at-quoc-pham.html
Is Cromps a bicycle blogger now?
The shoes in his puff-piece will sell like hotcakes to the fixie hipsters, who need a shoe with "some flexibility to make them easy to walk in" because they generally walk beside their bikes rather than riding them. I'll stick with my carbon fiber and breathable synthetic Sidis, thanks. I can bicycle in my Arrow mocassins if I want to sweat into some thick, luxurious leather.
Old Quoccers tells Cromps, "The problem with sports shoe manufacturers is they don’t appreciate leather, or any quality materials for that matter...Because they’re not used to making precise lasts, it’s hard to get a close fit.”
That's why serious cyclists (by which I mean cyclists who have have access to $200 or a credit card with a $200+ limit) buy heat-moldable cycling shoes, and non-serious cyclists buy shoes that come in quarter sizes.
Christ! Crompton's at it again. This time it's Henry Poole!
http://www.permanentstyle.co.uk/2011/03/prince-of-wales-at-henry-poole-part-1.html
Last edited by NJS (2011-03-11 14:18:16)
Moreover: "Greater love hath no man, than to write up his blog for a firm."
Last edited by fxh (2011-03-11 21:43:21)
Just while you bike nuts are on the subject of 'fixies'....my bike nut 22 year old son is a "fixie" guy and has admitted to me after some onerous questioning that a 'fixie' has no brakes!. His mother (look Mum - no hands!)and I are horwified of course and have begged him to buy some brakes for his fancy AUD1K bike (eBay AUD500) and he has reluctantly agreed.
Could you know it alls (*not pejorative) clue me in...are 'er in doors and me being ridiculous or are fixies a dangerous fad bike? Please advise....
fixies are a silly fad bike - but you knew that didn't you.
Tell him they were hip in Brunswick about 10 years ago.
Check out the NYC Bike Snob Blog
http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/search?q=fixie
Last edited by fxh (2011-03-11 23:48:32)
Its actually illegal to ride on the road without brakes and reflectors.