High Gear

A kaleidoscope of colours, a mishmash of graphics and a generous splattering of sponsor logos - all served up on microfibre fabric. That's been the typical cycling jersey for decades; big on performance and skinny on style.

Frustrated with what he calls horrible and bad quality offerings at bike shops, Simon Mottram decided to make his own cycling apparel that would cater to riders like himself: middle-aged, discerning and with the disposable income to spend on higher quality products.

Mottram, then a brand and marketing consultant, launched Rapha in the summer of 2004 with three staff and five products.

Headlining the range was the "Classic Jersey". The black jersey had a white band around the left sleeve and came with white arm warmers; the white jersey had the opposite colour scheme.

Instead of polyester, merino wool was used. The jersey had a great cut and thoughtful pocket design. The Rapha logo was almost invisible, black on black or white on white. The price tag was significantly heftier than similar products on the market, and continues to be. A Classic Jersey is now £130 (HK$1,600) - more than double the price of the average cycling jersey.

It seems there's a market for such understated quality. The London-based company has 70 employees across four continents, selling more than 140 products to more than 55,000 active customers worldwide, reached mainly through the internet (rapha.cc). Sales for 2012 were £18 million, a 40 per cent increase over 2011.