— like this one in Portland last February — at
Lance Armstrong’s shop in Austin, Texas.
(Photo: Dat Nguyen)
Rapha, the UK-based high-end cycling apparel maker who recently established their U.S. headquarters in Portland, is wasting no time sharing the bike culture that brought them here.
According to the company’s U.S. general manager Slate Olson, Rapha is staging a weekend of events at Lance Armstrong’s new retail store in Austin, Texas. Beginning this Friday at Mellow Johnny’s bike shop, Rapha will host an exhibition of photographs from their Roleur magazine, followed by a roller racing competition on Saturday and a “Gentleman’s Ride” on Sunday.
“Lance himself said he wished Austin could feel like Portland… we’re going to do our part.”
–Rapha’s U.S. GM Slate Olson
Rapha’s roller racing event — where competitors pedal stationary bikes to see who can cover the most ground in a specified amount of time — was a huge hit in Portland. For the Mellow Johnny’s event, Rapha built themselves a new piece of equipment built just for the sport. The device (photo here) will link four bikes up to a timing clock and it will allow them to hold more roller racing events in the future.
Rapha’s venture into Austin builds on the success of a similar series of events they hosted in Portland when the North American Handmade Bike Show was in town back in February.
Olson says his company is, “Taking what we did in Portland and making it happen in Austin.”
Besides being an authorized Rapha dealer, Mellow Johnny’s famous owner himself (Mr. Armstrong) has said that he wishes Austin could be more like Portland.
“Lance himself said he wished Austin could feel like Portland,” says Olson, “we’re going to do our part. We thought they could handle a crazy weekend like this.”
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Another messenger event gone main stream….
Perhaps a nice donation to the BMEF from Rapha?
I\’d never seen that roller racing event before, it just needs a movie screen in front of the racers.
Now I\’m going to have \”Belleville Rendezvous\” stuck in my head…
What are they doing to recycle the SWEAT?
I\’ve seen black-and-white photos of roller racing, I think it goes wayyyyy back before \”messenger culture\”.
You\’re not really pedalling a stationary bicycle, you are pedalling a real bike (usually your own) or top of rollers, a skill all in itself, never mind sprinting on top of rollers.
Re #4
There were bike messengers riding fixed gear bikes in the 1800\’s on cobblestone roads. I doubt it goes back before messenger culture.
Mellow Johnny\’s is a nice looking shop. My girlfriend and I walked in there thinking they were open, but the electricians were still doing some final touches to the the lights. I talked to Lance a bit and managed to get a photo of him holding the cardboard sign for my humanclock.com website (it is on the front of the site right now).
To save time I didn\’t change the numbers (it was really about 1:45pm), so when he first saw the sign he was like \”oh man, that isn\’t the right time is it?…at 2pm I\’m supposed to be speaking at a school\”.
I\’m speaking of the lastest post-punk incarnation of messenger culture: alleycats, cheap beer, tattoos, etc. and roller races, Captain Obvious.
here is a link to what i was thinking of…
http://www.bikecult.com/works/rollers.html
You don\’t get to use your own bike and the front wheel is removed and fork secured.
a \”gentlemen\’s ride\”? seriously?
i\’ve never been all that excited about Rapha, esp the way in which they dissed women in their Portland roller race. but calling something a gentlemen\’s ride makes me even less psyched on Rapha.
it\’s a shame they don\’t sell women\’s clothing… cause then i\’d have a productive outlet (boycot) for my anger.
Daniel is right.
1879 the first four \”bicycle\” messengers were employed, but I believe it was on a high wheeler, which is crazier yet than a fixed gear, as it is true \”Direct Drive\”.
This could actually be considered the earliest and most practical application of the bicycle.
And \”Woman\”,
When thrown by actual messengers, who tend to realize and recognize that chivalry is not dead, and that lady\’s kick ass, there is definitely women\’s roller racing. They would be fools to not include it.
Sometimes, if there are only a few, the ladies will even race with the boys.
Bad Ass!
I\’ll be covering the event for the staff blog at the Fixed Gear Gallery and I am excited there is at least one women\’s team representing two local teams in town.
What\’s really cool is the photo exhibit featuring 6 of the Rouleur Magazine photographers. Absolutely stunning photographs that capture the European cycling vibe completely.
What\’s so wrong with a Gentleman\’s Ride?
woman, get over yourself.
There\’s a woman\’s ride every week that i CAN\’T go on. That\’s not faaair!!
i am so sick of the misanthropy i hear in the voices of those like \”woman.\” Misogyny is not okay in any shape or form, but the frothing anger of woman about a men\’s gathering does nothing for her cause.
Men need much more real connection with one another for our own well being (and women\’s) and to read woman complaining that an event is closed to her gender is pathetic.
We\’re not equal, we\’re different.
(Actually, i think women, in general, are more powerful . . . but power is not the only human quality.)
When will we all move past our hatred, petty judgements, and quibbling and embrace each other as equals in our unquantifiabile personhood?
Little do people know. Rapha is made in china. i am disappointed that a community based city like portland supports such a company. their over priced clothing is taking advantage of the cycling community.
….speaking about taking advantage of the cycling community…..RAPHA Agreed to sponsor one of the largest messenger events in the world, the cycle messenger world championships in dublin. Rapha was printed on ALL the shirts, flyers, schwag and displayed all over the website. when it came to paying for there sponsorship they slid out the back door. they ended up screwing the bicycle messenger community over completely. they got away with free advertising and false support. Please do not support this company for you are supporting the ugly side of cycling.
I think taking off the front wheel and bolting the bike down taking most of the skill out of it. What\’s next, trackstands with training wheels?
when i wrote that women were dissed at the Rapha roller race, i should have been more clear. women were invited to compete. in the first rounds of races 2 women were put up against 2 men. in all round the women failed to advance becuase they were beaten by the men. men and women are different… physiologically. if Rapha really wanted to include women in their races they should have had women competing against women.
I didn\’t get to go to Dublin, and had not heard this info about their lack of support, after pledging such support.
That makes them ASSHOLES!
Who are too busy jumping on bandwagons to do what is right.
Pardon my French…
Rapha roller races are inspired by, some would even say copies of Rollapaluza, THE crew responsible for the modern resurgence of Roller-Racing in the UK since 1999…..the format of roller-racing as a spectator sport, in a bar, with DJs, bands and emcee was created by Rollapaluza in the UK.
even Rapha use our crew, rigs and emcee whilst for their London events!
more info, pics, movies, history:
http://www.rollapaluza.com
Hello readers and repliers. A few things I think are interesting and some thoughts.
1. What\’s up with car vs. bike in Portland right now? I personally have had two close-calls, threat of physical violence at a gas station and most recently was spit on. This isn\’t right. Bikes will win if we stay cool and do what we know is right.
2. Roller Racing has a great history of theatre and racing from London 1950\’s. Rapha has been proud to connect with Rollapaluza in London to help continue to energize cycling through Roller Racing. In the US, we have been lucky to work with SF Goldsprints for the Portland races- Murphy is great. Rapha hasn\’t claimed to create Roller Racing, just encourage it and hopefully make it great whenever we can. For men and women- just as we did in Portland and as we\’re doing again here in Austin this weekend.
3. Dear \’Woman\’, when we call it a \”gentleman\’s ride\”, it does not preclude women, kids or anyone else from riding with us. We welcome anyone to join us and enjoy a ride at a solid pace with good company. It\’s funny how this word \”gentleman\” has received this reaction. Gentleman\’s agreement; Gentleman\’s Jack; terms of refinement, honor and expectation. Nothing more. \”Gentlewoman\” isn\’t right and \”Gentleperson\” is disgustingly politically correct. Please, come along for a ride with sometime and we\’ll talk about it- you are very much invited.
Have fun, and be safe out there.
Exactly what *has* Rapha contributed to Portland? Make a Gentleman\’s Ride if you wish, but from my experience Rapha\’s folks are anything but gentleman.
At the roller races, I distinctly remember one of the organizers getting on the mic and attempting (mostly unsuccessfully) leading the crowd in a chant of \”Two genders in, one gender out!\” or something to that effect. This type of behavior is unequivocally meant to make women feel unwelcome and inferior.
Additionally, the organizers were rude and condescending towards me personally on the basis of my gender while I was in their space with a few male friends. I was made to feel very unwelcome while I was there to support friends and give the rollers a shot myself.
Not to blow this out of proportion, but Rapha is symbolic of pretty much everything wrong with Portland. They co-opted a culture and style associated with the lower class (bike messengers), and then priced the original participants out of their products.