I love listening. It is one of the only spaces where you can be still and moved at the same time. — Nayyirah Waheed — Tuesday March 4th — —

“What art does — maybe what it does most completely — is tell us, make us feel that what we think we know, we don’t. There are whole worlds around us that we’ve never glimpsed.” Greil Marcus — Tuesday March 4th — —

The idea is to die young as late as possible. — Ashley Montagu — Tuesday March 4th — —

Rapha Spring/Summer 2014

The Cévennes, a range of mountains that are part of the Massif Central, in the South of France was this year the backdrop for the beautiful lookbook of Rapha‘s Spring/Summer 2014 collection. Rapha traveled to the Cévennes for the first time already in 2004. Not surprisingly so, as the area is forever connected to cycling as it is also the setting of Tim Krabbé’s 1978 cult road racing novel ‘The Rider’. At that time, in 2004, two riders and a photographer shot the first ever Rapha products along the route of the book’s ‘Tour de Mont Aigoual’, a mythical race upon which the narrative is set. In this remote part of France the terrain is beautifully rough. Desolate gorges, empty roads, steep climbs, wild scenery and windswept plateaus. ‘The Rider’ is one of the finest books written on the sport of cycling, rooting very close to the fundament Rapha was founded on. This year the brand returned to the almost mystical area, this time with nine riders and the same excellent photographer, Ben Ingham, to shoot the latest seasonal collection and celebrate 10 years of Rapha.

One of the riders that was caught in the lookbook was Tom Southam, writer and ex-Rapha Condor rider.

Riding through terrain like that is like being ambushed constantly by bandits, you can’t see what is coming next, and ascents just pop up out of nowhere to rob you of energy.

The hallmarks of Rapha’s Training and Racing collection are proprietary fabrics, attention to detail, top-end components and the highest levels of construction. All the products are made to cope with the demands of elite-level racing and the extreme conditions of intensive summer riding. We particularly like new Trade Team Jersey designs, updates to the classic Club Jerseys and Wind Jackets, and a new Brevet Jersey color. The Hot Weather products, which are also part of this season’s collection, are produced of lightweight and breathable materials, using construction that does not compromise on performance, making the line ideal for those cycling in tropical climates.

We love how Rapha never disappoints and have experienced the extraordinary terrain of the Cévennes ourselves, recommending everyone who loves cycling to visit the area somewhere in their lives!

Photography by Ben Ingham.

For more information and to order the collection online see here.