#57. Andre’s Notes → Rapha® Clubhouse Shanghai
Listen to Andre’s notes.
You’ve probably heard of Rapha, the cycling apparel brand founded in England in 2004.
Listen to André Brathwaite, podcast host of Inside Spaces by Forms of Recreation, share his notes on a space for cycling hobbyists to step into that goes beyond the products Rapha makes.
The opinions expressed are solely those of Forms of Recreation and do not necessarily reflect the views of any brand mentioned. We encourage you to check their corresponding websites for further information.
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Episode 57
#57. Andre’s Notes → Rapha® Clubhouse Shanghai
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Try to think back
to the first space
you were in
that made you fall for the hobby
you love doing.
Maybe it was in your parents’ garage.
The living room
at a friend's house.
The neighbourhood court
with a hoop
that had no net.
Or a kitchen table
covered in something
you were making.
You probably can't remember
every detail,
but something about that space
made the thing you loved
feel like it mattered.
And that you belonged there
with it.
Here's a question
I think about:
How much
of why we love something...
is really about
the space
we loved it in?
Because it's impossible
to fall for something
unless we fall for it —
somewhere.
The space shapes the memory
as much as
the activity does.
I ask,
because Rapha's clubhouse
in Shanghai
made me think
about exactly that.
A space
where hobbyists who ride
finally feel like
they've found
their people.
Let's start
with what I dug up
on Rapha's past.
Rapha
is a British cycling brand
that's been around
since 2004.
Its founder,
Simon Mottram,
came from
the marketing world —
working with companies
like Prada.
Being a hobby cyclist
himself,
he wanted
to build
his own brand.
So basically —
he took cycling gear
and gave it
a fashion-house makeover.
Beautifully made jerseys
with that quiet,
expensive-looking
design language.
Just to give you an idea
They even collaborated with Paul Smith.
If you don’t know by now, cycling has
a "cool yet refined"
brand.
It's called Rapha.
So, Simon? He could've stopped there.
But he and his team
went further —
because he noticed
a community that is
into cycling
and fashion
needed a space
to be themselves.
Since 2012,
the brand's been building
these things
called Clubhouses.
Not just stores —
actual hangout spaces.
Coffee.
Community.
Group rides.
Races playing
on a screen
in the corner.
They've got them
in 20-plus cities —
London,
New York,
Sydney,
Mallorca.
And now —
as of late last year —
they’ve got one
in mainland China.
Okay —
this is the time
to use
your mind's eye.
You step into
the ground floor
of a restored mansion
built in 1925,
the very first
retail tenant
this building
has ever had
in its hundred-year life.
The whole thing
is designed
to feel
like an old
Italian social club,
what they call
a "circolo",
but rebuilt
for cyclists.
Not a place
for your dad's
heirloom watch.
Or your mother's pearls.
Looking at the pictures,
and an article
I read,
my favorite part
is in
the little details
seen throughout
the clubhouse.
Helmet hooks
built right
into the walls.
Pink accents
in just the right places.
And café tiles
patterned after
the Roubaix.
What is Roubaix?
You know me.
I had to find out.
Paris-Roubaix
is one
of the oldest,
most brutal
one-day bike races
in the world.
Cobblestones.
Mud.
Absolute chaos.
Few survive
to tell the tale.
So even
the tile pattern
is a little
inside joke,
for people
who ride.
That's the kind
of detail
that tells you
this space
wasn't designed
for camera-carrying tourists.
It was designed
for hobbyists
who leave their bikes
leaning outside
and walk in
with their flat
or clipless
cycling shoes.
I could already
imagine the vibe.
People geeking out
about cycling.
One cyclist
talking about riding
in the middle
of a downpour.
Another talking
about riding
up a hill
that felt
never-ending.
And let's not forget
the traveler
who just came in
from riding
in the Dolomites,
in Italy,
telling her story
as others
gather around her
like a campfire
for adults.
This clubhouse is sitting
at Hengshan-Fuxing Road
please don’t be mad at me if I pronounced that wrong,
but it’s one of the most
historic
and protected spots
in Shanghai.
Rapha's own team
has talked about
why they picked
the city.
In an article
I read,
their global
marketing director
basically said
Shanghai
is this rare place
where culture,
business,
and cycling energy
all collide
at once.
Not many cities
pull that off.
Okay,
so what does
a normal visit
look like?
Based on the videos,
it runs
like their other
Clubhouses.
A space
to watch races
like the Tour de France.
Meet up
with other cyclists.
Enjoy freshly ground coffee
and pastries
at their café.
Retail,
if you want to shop.
And a full calendar
of rides
and events
you can sign up for.
You see,
that last note
is where it gets
really interesting
for anyone
who actually wants
to ride,
not just
window shop
and answer,
"Oh me?
No,
I'm just looking around."
Because Rapha in Shanghai
runs a weekly
ride calendar
for non-members.
There are
what they call
"Open Rides" ,
anyone can book
a spot.
For example,
they've got
a Tuesday morning
guided ride
out toward
the airport line,
split
into different
pace groups,
so it works
whether you're
a beginner
or someone
who wants
to hurt
a little.
And a more relaxed
Thursday
"coffee ride"
through the city,
good for anyone
who just wants
to spin
through Shanghai's skyline
with some company.
And if you do decide
to join the club —
the Rapha Cycling Club,
or "RCC"
for short —
that opens up
a whole other layer
as you become
a member.
As I look at my notes here,
There is a Saturday
training ride
out toward
Sheshan,
one of Shanghai's
classic routes.
Plus weekend rides
that wander off
to hidden cafés,
or,
and I love this,
a "pizza spot
out in the countryside."
A bike ride
that ends
at a pizza place.
Makes total sense.
If you've never heard
of the RCC before,
I took notes
on this too,
based on their website.
It's Rapha's
global membership club,
described as
the world's
most connected
network of cyclists.
Riders
all over the planet,
joined
by one club.
(PAUSE)
Once you're in,
you get weekly rides
led by actual
ride leaders,
so nobody gets dropped
or lost.
Access
to exclusive club kit.
Complimentary coffee
whenever you ride.
And access
to events
happening
at any
of their clubhouses
worldwide,
not just Shanghai.
There's also access
to a fleet
of Factor road bikes
you can actually rent,
which is huge
if you're traveling
and don't want
to lug your own bike
through an airport,
into living
a minimalist life,
or if you're just
cycling-curious
and don't own one yet.
And for
the more ambitious ones
out there,
there's something
called
an RCC FAR.
Basically,
a big,
fully supported
one-day event from
a Clubhouse,
to see
what you're
capable of.
Oh, and at the very top
of the calendar,
there are
RCC Summits.
Multi-day trips
to some
of the most beautiful
cycling destinations
in the world.
That's the ceiling
of where
this whole thing
can take you,
if you want it to.
All of this
is why
I got excited
to share my notes.
It's not about
helping Rapha
sell
a few more jerseys.
It's about
applauding them
for the spaces
they created,
for hobbyists
to do
what they love.
I don’t get paid by Rapha to say any of this,
But they deserve the credit.
Their own
design director
called it,
"more than a store,
a cultural beacon
for cyclists."
That's the whole reason
behind Inside Spaces.
Honestly.
Brands
that have built
an actual space for hobbyists
that is worth walking into.
Rapha's Shanghai clubhouse
has a space
for you
to show up,
get a coffee,
and see
where your
interest-level
in cycling
takes you.
Go explore
the world
through your hobby.
Alright,
I know
I'm not the only one
who likes
to share notes
with others.
If you're headed out
to a space
designed
for your hobby,
and it's
by a brand
that extends beyond
the products
they make,
I want
to hear about it.
No need
to go
as detailed
as I did.
Just tell me
what you see,
through
a voice note.
It's easy.
There's a WhatsApp button
when you enter
Just send me
a voice note
describing what it was
actually like
for a hobbyist like you.
It might make it
into
a future episode.
Listen in
next week
on Inside Spaces
by Forms of Recreation —
for a new space
that inspires you
to step in.
Explore more
Globally admired brands are extending beyond the products they make. We at Forms of Recreation help discover handpicked spaces designed for refined hobbyists like you.
