 | |
| Rapha Performance Roadwear | |
| Industry | Sporting goods |
| Founded | 2004; 22 years ago (2004) |
| Founders |
|
| Headquarters | , England |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Francois Convercey (CEO) |
| Products | Clothing,accessories,skin care,cafés,Books |
| Website | rapha |
Rapha Performance Roadwear is acyclinglifestyle brand focused onroad bicycle racing andmountain biking clothing and accessories. Rapha has its headquarters in London and a United States office inBentonville, Arkansas.[1][2]
The company was started in London in early 2004 bySimon Mottram[3] and Luke Scheybeler.[4] Its first products were launched in July of the same year. The name Rapha was taken from the 1960s cycling teamRapha, itself named after theapéritif drink companySaint-Raphaël [fr].[5]
In 2007, Rapha partnered with British designerPaul Smith to create a range of cycle clothing and accessories.[6] In 2016, it collaborated withbikepacking designer Apidura on a range of cycling luggage.[7]
In August 2017, RZC Investments, a company set up bySteuart Walton, announced that it would buy Rapha for £200m.[8][9]
In February 2020, Rapha announced that it would move its North American headquarters fromPortland, Oregon toBentonville, Arkansas.[2]
In the same year, Rapha collaborated withPalace Skateboards on a cycling kit for professional cycling teamEF Education–EasyPost at the2020 Giro d'Italia.[10]
In 2021, Rapha entered the mountain bike market, launching its first range of mountain biking clothing in collaboration with Smith on a line of helmets.[11]
In 2015, Rapha developed an international cycling club called theRapha Cycling Club (RCC), whose members get benefits with the company. Today, it has over 20,000 members.[12]
Rapha has about 21 international stores throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Oceania. They are called "clubhouses."[13]
TheRapha Foundation was created in 2019 by Rapha co-founder Simon Mottram and shareholders Tom andSteuart Walton to fund various non-profit cycling organizations, and to introduce cycling to a wider audience. It provides $1.5 million a year in funding, and supports non-profits in the UK, United States, Germany, Australia and Japan.[14]
In August 2012, Rapha announced that from 2013 it would be producing the clothing for the British cycling team,Team Sky.[15] On 3 November 2015 it announced that its Team Sky sponsorship would end after the 2016 season.[16]
In 2015, Rapha announced it would begin supplying clothing to theUCI Women's WorldTour teamCanyon-SRAM.[17] However, in 2022, Canyon-SRAM said it would drop Rapha as its clothing outfitters.[18]EF Education First started wearing Rapha clothing in the 2019 race season,[19] alongside UCI Men's WorldTour teamEF Education–EasyPost.[20]
In 2022, Rapha became a supporter of the UCI Women's WorldTour teamEF Education–Tibco–SVB.[21][22]
Rapha also sponsorsUCI Continental cycling teamsL39ION of Los Angeles[23][24] andRoxsolt Liv SRAM,[25][26] and professional cyclistsLael Wilcox,Maghalie Rochette, and Sarah Sturm.[27][28]
