Rapha V2

The stories I could share about the bike industry would be a great read for anyone interested in the business side of things. I would have chapters on stuff that’s funny, crazy, sketchy and just plain awesome. It’s a business and with any business decisions are made both good and bad. But with any good business-minded individual or company these decisions are evaluated before and after. In 20 years I’ve made some choices I regretted and others that I should have made sooner. 

Rapha retail and I parted ways a few years back. It was not my choice but a corporate one which they felt was best for their brand. I respected it as I have met some amazing people that have worked at Rapha over the years, some have left the bike industry but I still keep in touch. Yes it caught me off guard and I was disappointed, but hey I moved on.  It’s not the first time brands have changed direction and won’t be the last—its business. But what I respect is that they can admit the change didn’t work out best for all parties, and they want to find a solution—a solution that has our best interest at heart as a business and as a partner. 

So this is where we are at today with the re launching of RAPHA at PRW.

AM I excited? Hell yes. Some people will wonder how I could go back to a brand that pulled out of my shop.  Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but in the end I gave it a lot of brain time and felt it was the right decision for my shop and my clientele. Rapha has always been one of my favorite brands, and there are many reasons I went after them 8 years ago. They have an amazing global presence, and they are probably the only cycling clothing brand that noncyclists have heard of. That is brand power. 

This renewed partnership has a lot more involvement and support from Rapha, which is already apparent in my dealings. They are excited to be back in the shop, and this relationship is bigger and better than it was in the past, while still retaining its exclusiveness. 

So what does Rapha V2 look like for our customers? Well it will still be exclusive to PRW, and we are again one of only three shops in Canada where you can purchase it. More availability of stock. Same pricing as online. Exclusive events and launches supported by Rapha. Plus a lot more that I can’t tell you about—yet.  

The timing couldn’t be better as we roll into our 20th anniversary. We already have stock, and will be doing weekly orders. If there is something you want, let me know and we’ll tag it in. 

Super excited to have Rapha back in the shop again. It just feels right and that is important.