The much anticipated grand opening of the new Rapha Store in Capitol Hill happened last Friday evening, April 7. The new store is Seattle’s third (that I know of) in an emerging category of “cycling retail cafés.” The others are Métier and Peloton. In response to price pressures from Internet retailers, bricks and mortar retailers are exploring different models. At least as far as cycling goes, coffee, beer, food, and community are currently an important part of the recipe for success.
What is Rapha?
Rapha is a premium sportswear and lifestyle brand rooted in the road bicycle racing aesthetic. The company was started in 2004, and has grown to become a worldwide brand. Most of Rapha’s business is via their web site, but they have nurtured a multichannel revenue model that includes physical retail locations (called “clubhouses”), luxury travel, and a cycling club.
Rapha’s first products were merino jerseys that got a lot of attention for their stylish design, and Rapha quickly gained a loyal following. The brand now includes a complete range of cycling wear, as well as a clothing line for urban cycling when you need to arrive in civies.
My fashion-conscious cycling buddies seem to fall into three camps: they are either Rapha, Assos, or Castelli fetishists.
For context, and in case you haven’t visited any of our local cycling cafés, Métier, founded by former pro racers Todd Herriott and David Richter, also has a distinctly bicycle racing vibe. Métier includes a café, training gym, yoga studio, cycling club, bicycle pro shop and bicycle service center. Peloton is neighborhood bike shop that offers food, coffee, beer & cider, that feels like home for bike polo and urban fixie enthusiasts.
I got invited to a press-only pre-party, which provided an opportunity to have in-depth undisturbed conversations with Rapha staff. The focus of my questioning was simple:
1. How does a global brand based in London adapt its clubhouses to the peculiarities of each of its clubhouse cities?, and
2. How do they address the intimidating macho vibe and institutional misogyny so prevalent in cycling?
The responses from the Rapha folks were consistent.
I spent most of the time chatting with Hillary Benjamin, Head of North America, Sales and Marketing. As far as my line of questioning, she explained that Rapha has had brand ambassadors in place in Seattle for at least a year prior to the store opening. This gives them a way to connect with the peculiarities of Seattle’s cycling culture. Hillary acknowledged that gender issues are problematic in cycling, and to address that here in Seattle they’ve had brand ambassador Cady Chintis on board leading women’s-only rides and events. I can report that Cady’s Rapha rides are a constant in my social media streams, and seem to be a success.
As part of the discussion about how their clubhouses will address the peculiarities of different cities, Hillary specifically called out the new Miami store, saying she was “interested” to see how it would work out. Miami is cool, but Florida has a questionable reputation for cycling. Of the new clubhouses Rapha is launching it sounds like Miami is the riskiest.
Hillary introduced me to Brandon Carmada, who is leading the Seattle clubhouse’s group rides and community engagement initiatives. Rapha offers two kinds of group rides. Club rides are only open to paying members of the Rapha Cycling Club (aka the “RCC”), while open rides are open to anyone. Brandon emphasized that his routes are “classic Seattle,” but also include segments that may be new even to veteran Seattle riders. If you are interested in joining a Rapha ride here in Seattle, Brandon is the person to contact. Of course, don’t forget that espresso is available at the store for a pre- or post-ride jolt.
I also spent time chatting with Zac Daab, who is the clubhouse’s general manager. Zac started the Cascade Bicycle Studio (CBS) in 2006, and has been an important contributor to the area’s cyclocross movement as a co-owner of MFG Cyclocross. The invitation to work for Rapha came in January. CBS was a Rapha dealer, and he was enamored of the brand, so it seemed like a good match, and a nice progression in his career.
During our conversation, Zac pulled me aside to show me an example of how the Seattle clubhouse is working to connect with the local cycling community. Enclosed in one of the glass-topped café tables is memorabilia from Jerry Baker: A wooden trophy for winning the first Seattle to Portland *race* in 1979, along with a couple of other things from Jerry’s basement full of memorabilia. Jerry, who died in 2015, might be considered the godfather of Seattle’s cycling culture: He started the Cascade Bicycle Club, the Seattle to Portland ride, and the Velodrome, to name a few.
All in all, my take is that this is an interesting development in what might otherwise be considered an endangered species: the bicycle shop. It will be interesting to see how things evolve, and I’d expect Seattle to be at the forefront of that evolution. A side question I have that can’t be answered by anyone at this point is how the Rapha clubhouse will affect the two homegrown shops–Metier and Peloton. I think the Rapha clubhouse and Metier have offerings that overlap, but I’m not sure I’d consider them competitors. They are probably only competitors in the same sense that all of the restaurants on Cap Hill are competitors. From a consumer’s perspective it’s great to be able to choose from more than one fine restaurant or bike shop.
