Rapha’s founders remain adamant that they will not be shifting the core values of the company to encompass other sports, or even other areas of the sport of cycling.
So while mountain bike enthusiasts might be buying Rapha clothing today, they won’t be seeing products targeted at them. That still leaves the company with room for growth. Worldwide, the bicycle industry is worth in excess of $20billion. In developed markets, this expenditure is split roughly in half between bicycles themselves and accessories and clothing.
Within its target niche, though, Rapha has been quick to exploit opportunities for expansion. To date the company has done this in two ways: by broadening the range of its products and be exploiting even narrow sub-groups within its target audience.
Rapha’s original series of jerseys and caps, for example, has now been expanded to include leg wear, gloves, rain gear, luggage and branded accessories developed in partnership with other companies – including a heart-rate monitor and an elegant training diary.
The company has also produced a more informal range of clothing aimed at the fixed gear movement. Fixed gear bikes are a simple, single speed design popularised by cycle couriers and city commuters, who value their robust, low-maintenance characteristics and the cachet associated with the fact that they are more difficult to ride than conventional machines.
‘We are debating internally how we take these sub-divisions forward,’ says Scheybeler. ‘It will be an interesting balance; we want to develop product ranges for specific types of cycling, while keeping the overall offering consistent.’
