The Takeaway: The small collection, inspired by the women who rode the TransAmerica Trail across America in the 70s, has a few hits and also some misses.
- The collection includes bibs, long- and short-sleeve jerseys, a packable wind jacket, cap, socks, and handlebar bag
- The shorts have a lot of cargo capacity, and have a more casual fit that Rapha’s more race-inspired bibs.
- The polyester jerseys are lightweight and dry quickly, but cost even more than Rapha’s similar technical t-shirts.
- Some branding on the collection is very similar to designs used by Bicycle Nomad, a small Black-owned business in Phoenix, Arizona. Rapha claims to have resolved what it calls a “mistake” with Bicycle Nomad owner Eric Cedeño ahead of the launch.
Rapha developed a new collection of apparel and gear, called the Nomad Collection, that it says was inspired by and pays homage to the style and spirit of the 1976 Bikecentennial. That bicycle-touring event that took place along Adventure Cycling’s TransAmerica Bicycle Trail, which had been developed to commemorate the bicentennial of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence.
A recent and growing appreciation for the denims, the plaids, the natural textiles of the Bikecentennial era—matched with a pandemic-agitated appreciation for bike adventures and gravel riding—seemed like ideal timing for an adventure-oriented capsule collection like this. Who better than Rapha, with its classic designs, to add a few fun and functional throwback pieces to our kit lockers? As a long time bikepacker, I was excited to test the new pieces and promptly put some miles in on them. After a bunch of rides, it’s clear that the collection has a few hits, but also some misses.
High-Capacity Cargo Bibs
The Cargo Bib shorts ($270) feature four mesh pockets: two on the legs and two on the lower back, allowing you to carry all your essentials without the need for a traditional cycling jersey. I am a fan of this type of bib, and overall, Rapha does it well. The pockets have great capacity and hold items securely, so you don’t have to sweat about dropping your phone while you hop over every root and rock (even if you’re a dingus like me who still doesn’t use a phone case or screen protector).
As a 5-foot-4, 125 lb. bike racer, I wear a size-small bibs from Rapha’s racing oriented collections. That size typically fits me well and I adore many of the Rapha bibs I have owned. But these bibs are cut differently. They are based on the company’s Explore line, which is made for long days on the bike with stops for picnics, swimming holes, or coffee shops. It comes with a thicker chamois, and on me, I felt more bunching and bagginess. The chamois is so much thicker than what I’m typically used to that I lowered my saddle a few millimeters to compensate. If you’re looking for a tighter fit, consider downsizing.
Nomad Cap and Bar Bag
The Nomad cap ($40) features the forest greens and rust reds of the rest of the collection. There’s also a perfectly sized triangle cutout above the elastic in the back that fits a ponytail or powerbraids very well.
The Nomad bar bag ($75) is a compact snack-size bag that is a great option for a light day trip when you need just a bit of capacity beyond what you can stuff into those oversized bib pockets. Room for a few rice balls, hand sanitizer, your wind jacket, and spork; you’ll have easy access whether you decide to plunk it on the bars, top tube, or even wear it off the bike with the hidden shoulder strap.
Simple but Costly Tech Tees
The short-sleeve ($90) and long-sleeve ($100) Nomad tech tees are 100 percent polyester, a lightweight and fast-drying material that Rapha uses on many of their tech tees, and which Bicycling‘s test riders have enjoyed.
The fit of the tech tees felt spot on. The cut is tailored, not fitted, with room to breathe, and allowing plentiful airflow. The hem hits mid-hip, and the short sleeves take a mid-line between a femmey cap sleeve and an aero jersey—sitting just about mid bicep. Some bike-oriented tech tees fit awkwardly, or worse yet, fit well off the bike but not on the bike. Neither of these shirts suffered from those problems.
Based on my experience bike touring, polyester can irritate the skin on long rides and doesn’t pack particularly small. Also, due to bacterial growth, products made from it tend to stink after a hot, sweaty ride. Rapha has used ultra-fine merino wool and poly/cotton blends in other pieces and either could have been a good option here. But like the bibs, the shirts are based on existing models in the line. And despite the material’s flaws, its low weight and quick drying properties should appeal to many riders.
A Contentious Design
While I’m not personally a fan of some of the graphics in the collection, there’s a more complicated issue. When Bicycling received the products for review, we noticed a similarity to the branding of Bicycle Nomad, a small Black-owned business in Phoenix, Arizona. Most specifically, one of the Rapha long-sleeve shirts has the phrase “Bicycle Nomad” on the sleeve. We reached out to Erick Cedeño, the founder of Bicycle Nomad, who told us the products were not a collaboration between his brand and Rapha. We confirmed that, in a direct message exchange in June of 2020, Cedeño had suggested a collaboration to Rapha. He was asked to email the company’s global public relations manager.
After we contacted Rapha for a comment, Brandon Camarda, Head of Marketing for North America, responded: “This situation has come out to be an unfortunate, but honest mistake in the design of this collection. Nomad is a capsule of clothing designed specifically for women, based on the bike boom in the 1970s where a group of women embarked on riding the TransAmerica Trail, created by Adventure Cycling Association. The journey of these women caught the eyes of and deeply inspired two of our lead female designers in London, who created the collection centered around the idea of these women who were empowered by the bike, living on the move with no fixed base. That brought them to the phrase, “bicycle nomad,” which was incorporated solely onto the sleeve on one product within the collection.”
Camarda said that Cedeño’s communication never reached the team creating the line, and that, since we alerted them to the issue, “through transparent and direct communication, we’ve been able to come to a resolution where we can release this collection with Erick’s blessing. If we had not reached that point, we would not have released that product within the capsule to ensure we had no negative impact on the brand Erick has worked so hard to create.”
When reached for comment, Cedeño’s lawyer said, “We are in the final stages of resolving the issue as we speak.” That’s good news for both sides, and for women who want good, but not quite perfect, adventure-riding gear.