On Jun 4, 2010, at 8:58 AM, JoelMatthews <joelmatth...@mac.com> wrote:
> > GP appears to follow what he likes and hopes enough agree that he and > his employees make a living. Rapha uses a well conceived and executed > marketing plan to convince people to pay more for merchandise it makes > than similar merchandise made by its competitors. > I always hear this, but with a few exceptions, Rapha stuff isn't more expensive than their competitors. A quick glance through the latest Colorado Cyclist catalog shows many shorts and jerseys priced higher. Rapha seems to be in the middle of the range of the fancy brands (Capo, Castelli, Campy, Assos, Panache). Just like Rivendell, you can spend more, less, or even a lot less and get gear that does the job. We had a slow night at work and a perused the Rapha site and I don't really see the crazy hyperbole everyone talks about. The product pages seemed mostly descriptive. Of course they were positive, they're selling the stuff. The other articles and features seemed to be mostly about the joys of riding. I liked this quote: "Over and over I watch my peers complain right up until the moment where the clap of the cleat into the pedal resonates through their body. And then it is all gone. The complaints and problems that previously occupied the mind have winked out into nonexistence, and in their stead, the foolish grins of people enjoying themselves." I still see the two companies as strikingly similar. Reading both their respective propaganda, I find that occasionally I want to buy their products, but more often, it makes me want to go out and ride. Of course my friends would say that making me want to ride is like shooting fish in a barrel! Sorry for Keeping this Rapha thread going. Cheers, Ryan, Riv & Rapha Fan -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
