Could the stylish cycling clothing company Rapha have picked a better weekend to open their first permanent London store? Following on from their pop-up congregation space for cycling fanatics in the capital two years ago, the luxury cycling brand launched the new Rapha Cycle Club on Brewer Street in Soho on Saturday to coincide with the final weekend of the Tour de France. This would always have been an obvious time to launch a cycle shop-cum-café but those wiry riders at Rapha must have been delighted that it also the weekend where Bradley Wiggins became the first British rider to win La Grande Boucle.

Rapha was founded in 2004 by Simon Mottram, a cycling enthusiast and former luxury brand adviser as a the first luxury cycling company. Frustrated with a lack of well designed and made cycling apparel that was stylish as well as practical, he decided he would need to do it himself. The Cycle Club marks the first time in Britain that customers will be able to go into a good old fashioned bricks and mortar shop to purchase Rapha products rather than buying online. (Apart from their pop-up shop a couple of years ago).

The store will screen all major races live including the Olympic road race on 28th July and, as well as selling Rapha’s high quality cycling caps, jackets and bike based garments and paraphernalia, will serve some delicious food and coffee to fuel up all those road riders and stop them from bonking. (It’s a cycling term. For when glycogen stores in the muscles are depleted and you lose energy. But you pictured some grease stained, lycra tearing sex scene didn’t you?)

The Rapha Cycle Club London is located at  85 Brewer Street in Soho.

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