Rapha Cycle Club

Great coffee — nice people — all things cycling (gear, races on TV) a great departure from your standard coffee shop.

Chances upon this place as we had heard very good things about this coffee place. The on trend hipster thing of a bike shop also being a café. I never quite got why this became a thing but it seems to be everywhere.
We were warmly greeted as we entered and sat down. Didn’t see a menu on table but knew we had to try some flat whites. Standard coffee testing procedure.
After ordering we sat down and waited. And waited. And waited and waited. I think ¹⁰⁄₁₅ mins had passed before a coffee came to table which actually wasn’t meant for us. We went back to waiting. Eventually it was nearing 20mins and I went up to remind them if they remembered. They hadn’t.
However the story takes turn for better as girl behind counter was very sorry for the mishap and immediately redemned it all by offering a full refund and coffees on house. You have to credit great service (on this part) to get out of any situation and I was very thankful for that. She even mentioned to grab any fruit we wanted on way out as we had to go. We didn’t take any but the coffee was good enough to leave happy as we drank it in the sun outside on way.

We stopped here early on a Sunday morning and it was surprisingly busy with bikers taking in coffee and a light breakfast. Tucked inside a bike shop I almost walked past in my quest for caffeine but once inside there’s quite a lot of seating.
I am not a cyclist myself so can not vouch for their club nor their wares but the coffee shop is nice! The coffee is pricey at £3 a cup and one of the smallest cups I’ve ever seen at that but when you need caffeine you need caffeine and will accept what they give you. The pan du chocalat is really nice and buttery but sorely lacking in the chocolat department.

While I’ll admit I’m too much for a scaredy cat to actually cycle in the city, I have much braver friends who frequent this store often and can vouch for the incredible, vast knowledge of the staff here.
The store itself is airy and well spaced out, so you can take your bike in (if you so wish) and browse the great rage of cycle clothes and accessories before picking up yourself a snack or drink from their great café.

Nice place to stop for a coffee and cake.
If you like Rapha cycle clothing. It’s a chance to see and try before you buy.

Let’s say you’re meeting friends for dinner or going to work and you’re going to cycle. Normally you’ll turn up in some tent of a fluorescent cycling jacket with some shorts/​lycra trousers etc. and find the nearest loo to change out of your cycling clothes into something a little more suitable for the occasion.
Well Rapha have only gone and spotted this problem and created a range of clothing that is fashionable, practical and even suitable for walking straight into a business meeting/​classroom (in my case) or fancy dinner.
I only have a couple of items from this shop, and yes, it is very pricey (they were gifts thankfully, I think I would cry if I was paying this much for cycle clothing), but wow, they are perfect. The trousers I have are black, smart and don’t look out of place with a shirt and a tie. They are narrower at the ankles to avoid catching in my gears, are made with a bit of lycra thrown in so won’t tear whilst getting my leg over the bike and they have a reinforced bum area (which you may or may not spot) to avoid wear in that area.
The jersey is stylish and (reasonably) warm with a fluorescent vest that matches the design of the jersey. And my pink Rapha socks (pink is their colour) are quick drying. Their gloves are warm, great and come with an optional merino wool liner (optional as in you have to pay more) you can wear should the temperature plummet.
Yes, yes it’s pricey but this is lovely stuff. Still, they seem to be the only people doing this sort of thing right now so I suppose, until someone brings in a little competition, prices will stay like this for the foreseeable future.
PS — Oh they also have coffee and bike races on the TVs but I don’t do coffee or TV sport so I can’t comment on those.

The visit that almost didn’t happen became true and it was a real treat. For three months prior to my stopover in London I looked at the Rapha site, the blogs, the photos and reviews from this location. As an avid cyclist and Rapha fan, I had to visit the place. Unfortunately it almost didn’t happen as for some crazy reason the store was scheduled to close for renovations on January 6 (I was in London from January 7). Fortunately the stars aligned and the store remained open during my stay here.
We’ll, what can I say about the place? If you’re a Rapha fan but above all, if you’re a cycling fan, stopping by is not an option… It’s mandatory!
The store is well located in Soho, just a few short minutes walk from Piccadilly Circus. The storefront is stunning and the inside is no different (although I have to admit the place is much smaller than I anticipated).
As soon as you walk in you’ll be greeted by Rapha goodness all around you. Plus you’ll notice the beautiful bikes, artwork, tvs showing cycling events and so on. To the right of the entrance is the coffee shop. I had an espresso and it was extremely good and strong.
The staff at the coffee side was really nice but my impression of the staff working at the clothing side was somewhat different. I truly believe they could have been a little nicer, especially when I mentioned about the excitement of being there and how happy I was that the store was open.
I bought a couple of goodies (got lucky with the place still being on sale) and waited for my espresso by the stools facing the window while flipping through the pages of all the amazing books and magazines available.
The only reason the place doesn’t get a five star is because of the customer service. I find it interesting to see that some people working with the public lack some of the simplest yet more important qualities: courtesy and kindness. Since we all have good and bad days and I’m reviewing the place based on a single visit, I won’t let this detail spoil what was ultimately an amazing experience.
Go visit the place and get out there on your bike already!

A search for a cycling gift brought me to this unusual store in Soho
It’s a cycle shop and coffee rolled into one. You can enjoy fresh coffee fumes as you browse the serious cycling paraphernalia on offer. If you’re a cycling noob like me, fear not. The knowledgeable staff are very patient with answering any queries, however inane
It’s a fine cycling (cf fine dining) cycle shop, so bring some hefty means of payment

If you’re a cyclist visiting London, you must stop in this store! It is a great location behind Piccadilly Circus in Soho with a lot of pedestrian activity on the street. It was a pleasure to sit at the countertop facing the window and watching the endless flow of humanity while sipping a delicious espresso.
Naturally, I had a peak at the biking apparel. It is top notch in quality and design. I had to splurge on some bib shorts, and they are super comfortable. I live and bike in Miami, and I was visiting in November, so their winter jerseys and jackets were not useful for me. But of course I admired them.
The first thing that may come to your mind as you walk in the store is «is this it?» They don’t have a ton of stuff on display. But I learned that if you like something, ask for your size. It will magically appear from some hidden storage area, and you’ll be on your way with some Rapha gear.

Coolest bike shop stocking the coolest, best fitting, best looking cycling kit on the planet. Super nice and very knowledgeable sales staff. The manner in which the products are displayed makes it feel more like a modern art gallery than retail establishment, but that’s what it is.
Coffee shop is also pretty dang cool ‘cuz what goes together better than bikes and caffeinated beverages? Hypothetically speaking only, of course. ‘Cuz nothing goes better. And their espresso is second to none: Sweet, caramel-​like, chocolate, some leather, some rose, beautiful crema. Fantastico!
The whole experience is sublime. If you’re a cyclist, and a racer (although not necessarily in that order), then you simply must stop in and pay homage. And have a doppio whilst you’re at it and take a load off.

Amazing Eccles cake. Lovely setting to enjoy a brew and be inspired by incredible looking bikes. If you fancy a breather in centre of town, head your way over there!

I recently went to Rapha Cycle Club in Soho. This is an interesting place, because it is a «performance roadwear» shop — cycling gear and accessories — and also a decent coffee shop. When I was there, I was surprised to find Drop Coffee (
) on sale. Unfortunately, they did not use Drop Coffee for their flat white, which I ordered.
Anyway, Rapha Cycle Club is a nice little coffee place. If you enjoy cycling and coffee you have two reasons to go there. But even if only want a coffee, this place is worth a visit.

I like this location of the Rapha Cycle Club in the middle of Soho. Why not put it with all the other hipster shops? Go browse comic books, fixie bikes and Rapha clothing all in one afternoon. In addition to the range of clothing this cycle club serves alcohol in the evenings. Just what I need, some alcohol induced shopping at Rapha. While drinking or shopping you can watch all the bikers roll in and group up for their night ride. Great way to check out the local cyclists.
I won’t comment on my thoughts on Rapha clothing here (pretentious! but I wouldn’t pass up a sale).

So this is probably going to be a short one as it should be my boyfriend writing this– he is the cyclist, I’m the widow to his hobby! However, I know that he is a huge fan of this store and I can see why. The shop is for clothes, and extra bits for the stylish rider. I now know that if I am stuck for a pressie (and I always am) THiS is the place to go, you will be guaranteed to please any serious cyclist with a gift from here.
Perks for me, whilst the boyfriend perused away at the rails of well-​made garments and chatted away to the friendly staff (who are also serious cyclists and know their stuff) I was able to sit in the Rapha café and enjoy a cup of coffee! In what I thought was a nice touch, city-​cyclists wanting to refuel can rock up here, hang their bikes on the wall and enjoy a cuppa before heading off on their merry way. Nice touch, nice place. Thank you Rapha for providing a go-​to for the impossible to buy for boyfriend!

Best flat white in London

There is no better cycling shop for just clothes. They have some odds and ends but this is just clothing. Bring your checkbook but there is no garment not worth it. Subtle, excellently made, classy to the nth and a joy to wear. If you don’t want to have Radio Shack or RoboBank yelling off your clothes this is the place to go. If there is a biker in your midst they will love you forever if you bring this home to them. Rapha is the envy of any serious rider. Nice little coffee shop, well located and a welcoming environment. Small store and you could try on most of their clothing and still get out pretty quickly.

Rapha cc is full of cycling bling — perfectly cut jerseys, shorts and other cycling fare hangs from the rails in an array of blues, greens, whites and pinks. If you want to cut a dash on your bike head here. However, all this beauty comes at a price and you have to be prepared to dip into your wallet fairly heavily if you want to walk away with anything more than a bidon. 5 stars for quality, a bit less factoring in the cost!
There is also a small coffee shop/​bar on site. My coffee was well made if a little bland and it was nice to enjoy it watching some cycling on the various screens around the shop. However, there are better coffee outlets in the area so not worth a journey for that reason alone.