Rapha and Team Sky - a challenge for rapha branding?

The news that Rapha is teaming up with Team Sky became a well known fact to everyone on the 30th of August. Exciting news in many ways, as Team Sky is well-known for its high demands when it comes to quality and "marginal gains", while Rapha has managed to picture itself somewhere between the high-end manufacture line and lux. The downfall, at least for Rapha's part is considerable, as any supplier to one of Britain's top performance brands. At the same time, remember Rapha is not new to the racing stage, they have supported Rapha Condor Sharp (RCS) a pro-continental team for several years benefiting from experiences in tech drawn from there.

Branding
Much can be said and written about branding. Worldwide consultants paid by the hour compete telling us as consumers and corporations how necessary it is to be visibly out there. So what is branding? Branding is linked to many aspects; sales, marketing, strategy, storytelling, identity etc. The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as

name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers.   

Therefore, it is logical to link psychology to branding, to get consumers to believe that a product/brand is the only one that can meet the standards or solve my "problem."

Upwards, downwards or sideways
It didn't take long before both Team Sky boss Brailsford and Rapha CEO Simon Mottram released the usual carefully written statements surely approved at multiple levels in both organisations. Usually I'm not that interested in them, as many tend to be "attributed quotes" as the eminent Inner Ring has written about earlier.

How will the deal between Sky and Rapha affect consumers?

Yesterday I tweeted exactly that, mentioning that I look forward seeing what will happen to the brand. I must admit I like the brand. The way they have build their brand along the years, particularly the stories and pictures. I also have some clothing, very happy with some of it, not so with every piece of clothing.

When a manufacture sponsor a team, there surely (as well as hopefully) there will be an increase in sales. That's the point in the first place, right? Rapha has managed to link itself somewhere near the lux-scale in clothing today, upscale pricing isn't, of course, in itself a sign of quality, but Rapha has managed to brand itself to that too. Based on activity on twitter when Rapha is being mentioned, it seems people either like it or hate it, not so much in between. Much of the criticism have been regarding pricing. Today, a number of Rapha products are being made in China by KTC, albeit designed in the UK. As volume increases, will we see lower prices? Claims have been made that some manufacturers have operated with one clothing-line for pros and one for the others. Of course, pros might have made to measure jerseys, as they tend to have slightly less arms than most, but if the fabrics are two very different, some people might react. My opinion is that you get what you pay for and perhaps is this the way it will and needs to be. Alex Murray called this "diffusion line" earlier today, "slightly cheaper materials/manufacture, but same look."  

What I surely think Mottram didn't expect when he co-founded the brand in 2004 is the possibility to find a replica jersey in a mobile trailer sales-out at the foot of Alpes d'Huez. Another way of viewing this is that you actually succeeded in building a great brand since people are copying your products.

Summary
What will come out of the Sky-Rapha deal will be exciting. The people behind Rapha have been very consistent and thoughtful in their branding up to now, so there is nothing indicating this will not go the way they have planned. If they are able to meet the formidable focus Sky have on R&D, details and "marginal gains". A chance like this for a manufacture is a once in a lifetime shot so why not grab it with both hands?

To us consumers? Hopefully a lower price on their products, as the volume most likely will increase. If Rapha want to differentiate between the highest end of products and the products for recreational riders, please do so. After all, as Alex Murray wrote, one can still earn lots of money on cheap(er) things:

Kermesse - Crits the Belgian way

This article originally appeared on Cyclismas. 

Cycling has many holy grails. The Tourmalet, Alpes d'Huez, Ventoux, Stelvio, Gavia, Koppenberg, Arenberg to mention a few. I know this probably could be viewed upon as a bit early, but there is something going to happen i Belgium soon that is worth mentioning; the Kermesse season. Lasting twice as long as normal crits, add bad road conditions and you have the recipe for fun, for form build-ups and potential pro contracts as well as carnage. This may be just fun to us, but it is also a possibility to shine for local riders, to be recognised. The Kermesse-season begins in February but if you think that's too early don't be sad, the season lasts until October.

A Belgian kermesse/kermis

Downloaded here.

The Basics

Kermesse is more or less a local race, but is important to differ between the pro Kermesse and the amateur Kermesse. By "pro" they mean continental and higher, but don't jump to conclusions too fast, the pace in there amateur races are incredible fast and you do need an active licence to race. If you don't have a licence by your governing national cycling body or with the UCI, you can get a Belgian one. The licence costs about 12 euros and is basically a Belgian race licence, which you can use for several years. Normally, there is a race fee too, somewhere between 8-10 euros. One funny anecdote is that you pick up your race number at a local café, along beer drinking and smoking Belgians. When (if) finishing the race, you deliver the race number back at the same café getting 5-6 euros back. How is that for some fun? Almost free. The name Kermesse also mean "festival" and sometimes there is a festvial to celebrate cycling where the actual race takes place.

As mentioned, the Kermesse is almost twice as long as regular crits, between 90-140 km. The circuit they race is somewhere between 5-12 km, often about 100 riders on the start line. Some kermesse races see up towards 200 riders participating.

In February the Kermesse races take place on Saturdays and Sundays, but later in the season, you can pretty much ride every day of the week. 4-5 races in the weekend only makes it difficult to choose the right one. People gather in the streets, surrounding team cars and line the fences cheering for their favourite. Still surprised the Belgians are crazy when it comes to cycling?

Tips & tricks

Most of the races begin at 1400, but registrations are open two hours before that and closes 15 minutes prior to the race. That info can be found at Wielerbond Vlaanderen. The road conditions are known to vary so if you bring your Zipp 404, be prepared to walk out there without one. Could also be an idea to bring pins yourself as there will be lack of pins as the riders pick up their race number. If you DNF for some reason, do not go home before the race is officially off. It could be your number is picked for a contrôle anti-dopage and no-show on that is the same as testing positive.

Now you are thinking that the riders participating in these races are local heroes and crazy Belgians only, but that is not true. many pros use these races to build form towards important races. Last year, both Edvald Boasson Hagen and Kurt Asle Arvesen of Team Sky used several Kermesse races to build speed in front of the Worlds. As did many others so this is quality racing, let there be no doubt about that. To some, a crazy Belgian crit isn’t a holy grail, but to me, the kermesse carry the essence of cycling.

Summary

Kermesse races are fast and dynamic, and can be described as an experience rather than just a race. Expect continuous attacks, cobbles and locals all mixed into a flurry.

Sources:

Morten Jahr's blog - a Norwegian paralympics participant

Wikipedia

Assos Zegho - eye candy or simply dandy?

I don't know the exact number but I'd say the majority of the pros use Oakleys. Some, like Aberto Contador, use Giro, others swear to Rudy. I remember seeing Ulrich in Rudy glasses, of course he had to choose an Italian brand, after all he was riding Bianchi. Briko was very popular when Mario Cipollini was around, not only to cyclists but skiers too.

Riders argue they need glasses against the merciless sun in southern Europe, or its magnificent ability to block wind and road dirt. It also helps to  avoid bee and wasp stings, something Jonathan Vaughters experienced back in the day, read that here. Nowadays, glasses are a normal part of the outfit. When riders like Cavendish lead the points classification during the tour, Oakley is faster draw than most when it comes to equip the rider with a matching green pair of Jawbone, Fast Jacket or Radars.

R&D by Assos
In search for a new pair of bibs I logged on to Assos and suddenly found myself staring at a pair of glasses I haven't seen before.

I'm talking about the Assos Zegho.

Eye candy or simply dandy?

This is a joint venture between Carl Zeiss Vision and Assos, produced exclusively for cyclists, with the apparently ground-breaking ability to ensure no optical distortion. Which is quite good since the lens is curved to fit the face. With a 180 degree field of vision, it is easy to check surroundings. According to Bicycle Haus, where you read more about them, the weight is 27,5 grams and the nose piece is adjustable to each individual nose, something many will appreciate. Prices varies between €299-349.

You will not find the glasses in shops just yet, the release date is the 13th of November.

If you want to check out the Asso promo video, click the link beneath and you will be able to see it. Sorry for that, my technical expertise came to a halt, if anyone have a solution, I'll be happy to learn how to get that into blogger.

 http://content.bitsontherun.com/previews/SQYBwr5r-R9FNwGfA

Cycling teams and social media - why BMC stands out

For those returning readers, will probably recognize Dale Carnegie's book how to win friends and influence people of 1937.  It is considered a bible for communicators and marketing advisors and I mentioned this book in an earlier post. Why do I bring that one up now? Classic literature is special to me. Not that I don't like the writers of today, but imagine a book that has survived 500 years, still being read by hundreds of thousands of people, tells me that book has to have something very special to say. Machiavelli, Hobbs, Popper are still read today, by students, leaders and all sorts of people really.

The good old days

Now, marketing has evolved the latest years. This is a natural thing and it's why consultants and people in the PR-business charge as much as they do, they are supposed to give their clients the upper edge.
Much water has run under the old bridge since the internet came. Back then, companies hired some geeky teenager, still living in his/her parents' basement, to build a website. And that was basically it. Now, with the social media hype, things are different. I will not bore with the obvious technical details, like that people are online 24/7, and everybody has a facebook account, but it's all about expectations.

Picture downloaded on http://www.napleswebdesign.net/tag/advertising/

The code
Expectations can take many forms. They can be given, presented to you if you like, also known as advertising, and they can be expressed to others, like a dialog. There are others as well, but I'll leave them for now.

Social media is about dialog, it's branding, it is meeting other people's expectations, on his/her terms. Brands use this to meet a strategy within communication and/or marketing, but it's not that this is all controlled, dark and with a purpose. It is to all's best. Imagine the distance that existed between teams and fans earlier. The only chance to get info from a team was to go to a race and hang around the team bus, to be a journo, or buying cycling magazines. Nowadays, it's merely a tweet away.


Transparency, openness, availability, interaction, fans oriented. These are all the buzz words of today and you will probably recognize most of them on the communication strategy every team have. Or do they? Do teams prioritize social media today? Based on a quick check on different websites, no. Team Sky have a nice website, it's clean and tidy, some nice technical extras like pictures turning color from B/W.

The good, the bad and the best
Teams are of course on twitter, and based on their followers, popularity varies. On the other hand, I'm more concerned with quality rather than quantity, so I'm not judging based on followers.

As I mentioned, meeting fans and journos on what they experience as their home turf, on their terms, is key. Teams who use their twitter feed only to send out results, only to retweet their riders' tweets and don't follow anyone else, is not doing the trick. Personally, I think Lampre's feed is like that, to some extent Katusha as well. If I want results, I go to Cyclingnews.com. No, I want to know other things, as a fan and as a consumer, I want to be met and being seen by teams. How else can I bond with them?
One team who really have shifted their social media strategy is BMC. I tweeted about this yesterday, and instantly, I got feedback from other fans thinking the same. Shauna Staveley tweeted me and said that she believed this is the work of Sean Weide, who tweets under this account.

BMC interacts, they have a strategy behind their work, no doubt. They are available, they interact with fans when the feedback is positive or negative, and very important; they have interesting stuff they tweet about. Small videos, behind the stage info, all the small things I like to know. They also have a strategy towards journos, mentioning journos by twittername and involving themselves with them. It's all natural and open so I don't have a problem with that. Human nature is human nature whatever the person do for a living, so that is fine. Combining info with tech, good pictures from pro photographers gives an impression of professionalism.

So other teams, look and learn. BMC is the new leader of the pack and other teams: It's okay to peek and learn.

Team BMC lead the way - for now

   
What team do you think is the best utilizing social media today?

What to wear in urban traffic

Along with the increased interest for cycling world wide, comes injuries and accidents. One could argue that many people who commute on a daily basis don't pay enough attention to traffic, that be the cyclists' ffail to give the proper attention needed, or others in traffic makes errors. Either way, cycling is a social interaction with others and who if not we should follow the traffic rules and assume no one else does?

Being a cyclist I pay interest to other cyclists, what bike they have, what gear they have. What struck me today was the extreme difference in clothing and from a safety perspective; how little visible some are in traffic. Some commute wearing the same outfit they do on work, others change into their cycling kit. Much can easily be done to be more visible in traffic. I can almost hear some saying: "why should I have to wear bright yellow or orange jacket, or wear a helmet on the short way to job?" 

Well, the same answer applies when it comes to wearing seat belts in cars; There are others out there. It doesn't matter how good you are to ride a bike or drive your car, your safety depends on others. Don't know about you but I've seen some drivers in desperate need of getting their sugar level up on their way home for dinner.

Here are some pictures I took today, sorry for the lack of quality, they were taken with my iPhone. My point should be clear though. See the difference between those cyclists who wear colorful clothing and not. And no, this doesn't mean you should stop wearing your black/grey Rapha kit, you could buy the pink one too. There are cool kit in colors out there.

Stay safe.

See the cyclist in the middle of the picture long way back, wearing bright yellow compared to the person crossing the road.

This guy will have no problems getting spotted in crossroads.

Carbon vs Alu vs Steel vs Titanium

What to wear?

Downloaded from www.geekologie.com, here.

Yesterday, @FlashingPedals asked a question on Twitter that caught my interest: "Bicycle Trivia: name the last rider to win a classic using an Aluminium framset." 

Many besides me tried to answer that one, including @sprinting4signs, @inrng and @euanlindsey, probably more as well.
The question has many interesting nuances; the brands and their wish to influence us consumers is one, economics is another, fashion a third.

The basics
Cycling is one of the easiest sports available, basically you just need a bike (preferably a helmet as well...) and your off to let your mind drift, work out or see the countryside. Simple as that. Or not? Some people will ask you how often do you plan to train? Do you have a certain goal? Depending on the answer, you can easily find yourself walk out a shop €3000 lighter, even if you plan to use the bike only during the weekend. It is a jungle out there, and to navigate through a jungle, it helps having been in a jungle before. How about that paradox? The solution I suggest is to consult some "experienced" guys/women on twitter, explain the situation and get some answers. They could recommend stores where the staffers are known to be frank, known to put the customer where they should be and never to sell equipment over your scale (provided you're not lying in the first place...)

Weight vs performance
"Everybody should be riding carbon", I hear from time to time. A guy at a bike shop told me this just a couple of months ago, and I knew immediately that I wouldn't be buying a bike there. Weight is important but it get way to much emphasis. Can't believe people who only want what the pros have, or those select a carbon bike 1,5 kilograms lighter than an alu bike just because it is lighter. Especially if that person carries a couple of kilos extra behind his belt. Now that is where you can shave some kilos my friend!

Bikes perform differently depending on material, on riding style and function. The quality of the frame, the quality in the work merging the different parts together reflect the bike far more than just the material. A steel bike can be just as good, and far better for a rider, depending on several factors. The bike have to ride good, it have to feel good. If you can get a customized aluminium or steel frame, the chance of that being far better than a mass-produced carbon bike is very high.

People often focus too much on the frame and what groupset is on the bike. How about wheels? Where do you think you can make an effort with limited money? Like everything this is all part of an equation. Find out what you like, what you need is probably the most important. Seek some qualified expertise and buy yourself a bike that suits your need. Who knows, maybe you'll get surprised?

Enjoy this great video directed by Ben Ingham, made by RSA and Rapha. Brought to my attention by @FlashingPedals

Branding - why Rapha stands out in the crowd

In 1937 Dale Carnegie wrote a book called how to win friends and influence people. Not very humane and empathic for a title, is it? This is considered one of the first self-help books ever made, more importantly, it is considered a bible for communicators and marketing advisors still today.

Some brands are more catchy than others, as normal you might add. Why is it that some brands "get to us" more than others? We somehow identify with certain brands more than others. Who's choosing who?  No matter the answer, does it really matter? If cyclists are vain and by definition concerned by what they look like, it does matter.

My story

Three years ago I was on a plane reading an in-flight magazine. There was this small picture and a mere four lines about two friends who had started a cycling brand called Rapha, they specialised in quality clothing for the rider who wants the little extra. I took a note of that brand and decided to investigate further. And before you ask, no I don't own any stocks in the company, and I have never received anything I haven't paid full price for. What I enjoyed the most on their website was the stories. The stories about the nature of cycling, why the company was founded and those "epic" pictures taken by Ben Ingham that illustrated rides adding depth to the stories. And of course I like to think of myself as a guy who believes quality does matter. Basically I think the brand touched my feelings when it comes to cycling. The same feeling I got when I read the words of Phil Deeker's for the very first time (described in my very first blog post). This is what I relate to when it comes to cycling, and because of that I should be a part of it. On the other hand it could might as well been what I wanted to be a part of. To Simon Mottram, it probably doesn't matter as much but I like to think of myself to be as conscious as possible when I make my decisions.

What a brand Rapha has become. They are actually the best company I've known when it comes to branding, at least in the cycling industry. Today when globalisation is only a mouse-click away, branding is virtually impossible if you don't possess and/or deliver the life, goods or style you're claiming to have.

To me Rapha adds a further dimension celebrating the suffering in cycling. Like the ride celebrating the 100 years since the Tourmalet was first climbed in the Tour. Also the soon finished Rapha festive 500km which is set to enhance winter fitness during the food fiesta Christmas has become adds to the position Rapha's gained in the market. Very clever.

Not to mention the news concerning ASO and Rapha recently, where Rapha will be strategic marketing and product partner to ASO. This is of course a result to what Rapha has accomplished so far both product-wise but also their ability to share powerful stories cyclists can relate to. in today's world of information overload, only the ones with the strongest stories within their niche will survive.

  

I have some of their kit, and I'm very satisfied. I don't know if my bib or jersey are much more stylish than others, but I'm very comfortable with the quality of the products I have. I have tested some brands and I have to say that the quality Rapha gives is very good. If doing a blind test, would I know I'm wearing Rapha or Assos? Probably not. Maybe that proves I'm just a product of marketing managers and not that conscious I'd like to be.

To me simplicity and quality rules, but when the products are this pricey as they are, I might check elsewhere next time. But I know I'll get back to Rapha, if not to shop, but to get into their world by reading stories and look at the pictures.

The unsung heroes

Who remember those who came 16th or 78th in stage 5 in this year's Tour? Oh, that one is hard, I know, but I'll guess there are many more who remember the winner. That is how things are in cycling, a team consisting of eight individuals have to set their own ambitions aside and do what they are required to, working for one man, hopefully the winner. What a selfless thing to do.

How many of you haven't been standing on the barricades in countless discussions with people about whether or not cycling is a team sport? Usually these people are not familiar with cycling. Most people probably see only the last kilometers of a stage, or watch the resymé at 17:30 AM, not noticing the actual rythm of a race, the pecking order within the teams or within the peloton for that matter. Not that many people outside the cycling community knows what happens when the team's leader wants a coke, a bottle of water or a much needed rain jacket. Well, the leader must preserve his/her energy so someone better hurry up and deliever the goods.

Michael Barry writes in the fantastic book Le Métier about when he and his soigneur are waiting for a plane on the airport to bring Barry to a training camp if I'm not mistaken, when the soigneur lets Barry sit on the only available chair in order for him to rest as much as possible.

Domestique

We have all seen those domestique riders or gregario as they are called in Spain and Italy, who gives all they have for the team captain. The translation of domestique literally means "servant". Henri Desgrange, one of the founders of the Tour, used the frase to describe Maurice Brocco in 1911. Desgrange did that to scorn Brocco, not to praise him for setting himself aside for someone else.

In a long race, especially the Tour, bringing liquids and calories is an important task. It's a common thing to see riders fill up their bottle cages, putting 3-4 bottles back in the jersey pockets then stuffing bottles down the neck of his/her jersey. Thereafter you see the overloaded riders make their way up to the front or whereever where the rest of the team is.

In Paris-Roubaix 2010 Hushovd ordered a snack from a fellow teammate, after 45 minutes the teammate had made it back to Hushovd giving him the chocolate bar. Drifting back to the team car, bunkering up and get back actually took that long.
Giving shelter to the leader is also an important job. Shelter from the blistering wind or sheltering from the bouncing elbows as the peloton reaches an important climb or cobble section. Sheltering from wind in four-five hours can actually preserve 25% or so of the leader's energy, it's that important.

Towing the leader back up to the peloton after a flat, being a peasant in the DS' tactical game are other jobs these unsung heroes furfill. Think about that unselfish gang of true heroes, working not for their own personal achievements but for the team's. Well, it is probably wrong to say "not for their own achievements", because for these guys, achievements doesn't necessarly mean winning. Knowing that you contribute to the team is an achievement in itself. Hoping that todays hard work pays off in the sprint.

There are others than just riders in teams. I'll write about that in the next blog post.

By the way, the winner of stage 5 in this year's Tour was Cavendish. Remember him standing on the podium in tears, letting all that pressure go, while at the same time giving a sincere thanks to his teammates.

The vanity in cycling

Cyclists are an incredibly vain group of people. The PROs lead the way and are excessively proud of their achievements and concerned about their appearance. The minute someone leads the GC at le tour, you can bet your overshoes that the next day that rider will be dressed in yellow from top to toe, including gloves and socks. And don't forget the yellow handlebar tape, matching shades, wheels, pedals, chain, cables and the list goes on. Manufactures and brands take advantage of this of course, anyone who don't remember Contador's yellow pedals Look flew in the night before the last stage in le tour 2009?

Rules to live by  

This also applies for amateurs. Many bike forums on the internet tells that story, both in a humorous tone but also in a very serious matter. Tan lines are heavily discussed whether they should be razor-sharp or squidgy around the edges. How long should the socks be and what colour? Well, according to the experts that depends on colour and length of your bib shorts. Could be quite difficult for the beginners of this sport, although there is reason to believe they know what they are doing getting into the sport. Get into a sportive or training ride with unshaved legs and someone will look at you with a strange look. At least that's what I've been told.

Pozzato working on the tan

Some races are naturally more vain than others. During le tour, the riders seems to enjoy getting all dressed up with the fancy jerseys and the much needed accessories. Thor Hushovd said in an interview after winning the WC that he was looking forward to "jazz my bike up in white with rainbow colours everywhere, same with my helmet. I'm going to be a complete dandy" was his words.    

So I guess that what we all should do then, follow the unwritten rules of how to dress in the cycling sport. There are, however, other options. Be reasonable and wear what you like. But there are certain things only a handful riders can get away with...

Cipollini in one of his famous suits