In cycling culture, few brands have woven their threads as deeply and beautifully as Rapha. Since its inception in 2004, the British brand has redefined what it means to be a cyclist and what one looks like.
From the outset, Rapha captured the spirit of cycling—a sport that is as much about the beauty of the ride as it is about the grit and determination that fuels it. Enthralled by the age in which cyclists were as famous as film stars, when pros rode with panache instead of high-tech gadgets, Simon Mottram, started the brand with the bold proclamation that cycling is the toughest and most beautiful sport in the world, and then invited the world to fall in love with it, too. Mottram saw the art and beauty in cycling despite the garish, polyester apparel of the time. He introduced the world to cycling fashion, combining form and function in a way that had never been done before.