Rapha Teases New MTB Line

Rapha today officially teased its upcoming mountain bike line, its first foray into off-road apparel in the brand’s 17-year history. It isn’t the first glimpse of what Rapha has up its sleeve—it’s been unofficially leaking sneak peaks via Instagram on its Rapha MTB channel for the past two weeks, and its ambassadors and athletes have been appearing in the same space in kit throughout the year.

The first collection, called Rapha Trailwear, will be men’s and women’s shorts and jersey in muted colors with a simple, classic design, reflective of Rapha’s aesthetic in road cycling apparel.

“In everything we do, from the clothing we design to the stories we tell, we attempt to portray our deep and honest love for the sport in all of its forms. We draw endless inspiration from the simple pleasure of riding a bike, from the beautiful places to which the sport takes us and from the people we meet along the way,” Rapha said. “In the shape of a diamond trail marker, we have a new emblem. But our mentality towards riding will never change.”

Rapha started in 2004 in London with a focus on high-end, high-quality road cycling apparel. It quickly built a loyal following through its clubhouses staged in top cities around the world, where Rapha members could get a free espresso, a destination to build into their rides and a built-in community of like-minded riders. In 2017, its founder Simon Mottram and partners, sold the brand to RZC Investments, a group owned by Tom and Steuart Walton, grandsons of Walmart founder Sam Walton, and the U.S. headquarters has since moved to Walmart’s hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas.

For more on the new apparel and to join Rapha’s mailing list, head over to the brand’s mountain bike page.