Pop-up shops are all the rage right now, aren't they? Not only are they flavour of the month in brand marketing circles, but what better way to take advantage of all the prime retail space available in these troubled economic times? Win-win situation, right there.
Given the relentless nature of Rapha's marketing machine, I guess it was inevitable they'd jump on the pop-up bandwagon (broomwagon?) eventually. So it was with no great surprise that I stumbled on this earlier - the 'Rapha Cycle Club', coming soon to a vacant retail unit near you, or Clerkenwell Road at least: http://www.rapha.cc/cycle-club/
How gorgeous is that Citroen van graphic? Just beautiful.
The proximity to Condor can't be a coincidence but I particularly like the fact this pop-up will include a cafe - I've always thought that London has lacked a real social mecca for its cycling community, an Ace Cafe eqivalent, somewhere to congregate for that essential pre-training espresso and a bit of bike porn (not to be confused with Vicky Pendleton).
Rapha has a tendency to polarise the grass-roots cycling community - they bring on themselves many of those accusations of elitism, to be fair - but I wish them well with this venture, which will surely be a success.
Will be interesting to see whether any rivals now, erm, pop up. Condor making bespoke frames on Savile Row? Colnago pop-up inside the Ferrari dealership? Dolan track bikes at Herne Hill velodrome? I could go on...
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