RAPHA ENTERS THE MOUNTAIN BIKE MARKET WITH A VISION TO PROPEL THE SPORT FORWARD

Rapha exists to make cycling the most popular sport in the world. In everything we do, from the clothing we design to the stories we tell to the communities we celebrate, we portray our deep and honest love for the sport in all its forms. We draw endless inspiration from the simplicity of riding a bike, from the beautiful places to which it takes us and from the people we meet along the way.

While our heritage lies in road racing, we’ve been pushing the envelope in off-road exploration for years. We’ve raised the bar in technical apparel for adventures far beyond the tarmac, and now we’re going even further with performance-engineered, style-driven trailwear.

In the shape of a diamond trail marker, we have a new emblem. But our mentality towards riding will never change. The beauty of mountain biking for us lies in the commitment, the repetition, and the countless hours it takes to cast your own progression on the trail. Nothing worthwhile ever comes easy but for those willing, the rewards are infinite.

WHAT’S IN THE RANGE

“Performance, style, sustainability, durability – pick two” has been the motto of mountain bike apparel for some time. With Rapha Performance Trailwear we set out to use the toughest technical fabrics, tested in the roughest natural environments. We’ve incorporated environmentally-preferred materials and have opted for a progressive fit and refined aesthetic to ensure you don’t have to sacrifice performance for durability, or style for sustainability.

The collection consists of nearly everything you need to ride your favorite local trails, from trail shorts and cargo bib liners to technical tops and jackets.

TESTED TO THE LIMIT

What is Rapha Performance Trailwear? It’s far more than the fabrics and features you see on the shelf – behind every garment is a story. From backcountry bikepacking trips and World Cup competitions, to afternoon laps around our US headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, every garment we make is tested by our elite athletes and weartesters. And with a roster that includes Olympic medallist Jill Kintner, EWS racer Ella Conolly and XC legend Adam Craig as well as Bryn Atkinson, Eliot Jackson and Joey Schusler, we’re able to push our products to the limit. Riding and racing in locations around the globe, our weartesters have put this kit through its paces on the world’s best trails to guarantee that it won’t crack under pressure or fade over time.

CONSCIOUSLY DESIGNED, BUILT TO LAST

No matter where your local trails are, every ride leaves its mark on your apparel as surely as your tyres leave tracks in the dirt. But Rapha Performance Trailwear is designed to last, lap after lap, season after season. Even if you do come off and rip your kit, most of our products include repair patches, made with excess fabric from the same garment that would otherwise have been headed for the landfill. You can use the repair patch kit to easily fix your garment and get back on the trail as quickly as possible. For more serious stitch-ups, most pieces of Rapha Performance Trailwear can also be sent back to us for a free repair.

We’ve repaired more than 34,000 garments since 2004 and every repair we make not only extends the life of your kit and investment but also helps us to reduce excess and minimize our environmental impact. Lastly, we’ve used environmentally preferred materials across the range wherever possible. In 2021, 43% of Rapha Performance Trailwear, by volume, is made using environmentally preferred materials, with a commitment of reaching 90% across the range by 2025.

TRAIL ADVOCACY AND STEWARDSHIP

Mountain bikers are deeply connected to the places they love to ride and are intimately aware of the threats that exist to their local trail networks. Trail centres are often left in flux, whether that’s due to forces of nature, land rights, or from an explosion of new users.

Beginning in 2021, Rapha will launch a series of initiatives to support organizations across the US and UK that work to create better opportunities and access for mountain biking.

Partnering with advocacy groups like the Oregon Timber Trail Alliance who work on the ground with local municipalities to repair and build new trails, programs like NICA who can educate the next generation of mountain bikers on maintenance and trail etiquette, and by leveraging the Rapha Foundation to improve access in under-represented communities, we will continue to give back to the sport that’s given us so much.

“As relentless enthusiasts of cycling in all its forms, we’ve long been inspired by mountain biking,” says Rapha MTB General Manager, Jake Rosenbloum. “After 17 years of innovating road and gravel cycling apparel, now is the right time for Rapha to enter the mountain bike market and we’re confident we can have an equally meaningful impact on the future of the sport. This is a huge milestone for the Rapha brand and we couldn’t be more excited to kick off this new chapter.”

For Further Information, Please Contact:

US: Nate Riffle– nate.riffle@rapha.cc
UK : Jess Morgan – jess.morgan@rapha.cc
Benelux : Marit Huisman – marit.huisman@rapha.cc
Germany: Dirk Kaufmann – dirk.kaufmann@rapha.cc
France: Franziska Stenke – franziska.stenke@rapha.cc
Scandinavia and Rest of Europe: Marit Huisman – marit.huisman@rapha.cc
Korea : Adam Choi – adam.choi@rapha.cc
Singapore/Southeast Asia: Christopher Chen – christopher.chen@rapha.cc
Japan: Daisuke Yano – daisuke.yano@rapha.cc
Taiwan: Ahsien Yen –ahsien.yen@rapha.cc
Australia/New Zealand: Darcy Ellerm-Norton – darcy.ellermnorton@rapha.cc

All Other Inquiries :
Global Pr Manager: Jade Persaud-walters – Jade.persaud-walters@rapha.cc