Rapha releases Core collection range of bike apparel

Available today at rapha.cc and at Rapha Cycle Club stores around the world, a “new standard” in cycling apparel has been released, bringing a blend of riding essentials and performance functionality.

That apparel is the Rapha Core Collection.

The collection consists of jerseys for both men and women, shorts for women and bib shorts for men, all of which reflects the brand’s focus on making the most well-crafted, performance-oriented apparel available to riders. The Core jersey for men and women is constructed from lightweight polyester, shaped for an ideal on-bike fit. With a variety of colours, the jerseys also include a silicon gripper, helping to make sure that the jersey keeps from riding up while you’re riding. In the back, the jerseys feature a triple cargo pocket, with a zippered compartment added to the right rear pocket.

The men’s Core jersey is available in black, navy, white, grey, red, high-visibility pink and light blue, and is constructed from 100% polyester. The women’s Core jersey comes in black, navy, white, cherry red and high-visibility pink, and is made from the same material. Both jerseys retail for $140.

Rapha’s Core shorts, meanwhile, have familiar features for those acquainted with the brand’s lower-body wear. Using the same chamois pad that are used by Rapha’s Classic bib shorts, the shorts are made from supportive, densely-knit fabric, and feature silicone-lined leg grippers ideal for a low-profile fit. The men’s bib shorts are available in sizes ranging from XS-XXL, made from 82% polymide and 18% elastane, and retail for $150. The women’s shorts are made from the same material, range from XXS-XL, and retail for $120. The men’s shorts are available in all-black or with white straps, while the women’s shorts are black through and through.

“The Core collection,” offered Alex Valdman, the brand’s head of design, “is about optimizing innovative fabrics and processes to set a new standard for everyday cycling apparel. It’s about making kit that riders could wear when putting in the hours on their bikes. It’s also about us being able to release products that are still at the Rapha standard but which aren’t heavily branded. It’s about the quality, the details, the function, the fit [and] the fabric, and that’s where the pared-back nature of this collection comes from.”

“The collection is beautiful,” he added, noting the way the light shines off the knit structure. “It doesn’t have that lustre that Lycra products do. We wanted to make the jerseys look dipped in colour, too, to build in layers and use colour blocking, because that feels a lot more refined.”