Rapha adds yet another category with saddles

Rapha now has its own saddles in Pro Team and Classic models. Made by Selle Italia, the saddles come in two widths.

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Created in 2004 as an upscale cycling clothing brand, Rapha has since expanded into a few other categories, from sunglasses and skincare offerings to shoes and helmets. Some of these products are clearly a rebranding of an existing piece from another company, such as the Giro Synthe helmet. Others, like the sunglasses, show more independent design.

The Rapha Pro Team and Classic saddles were designed by Rapha and Selle Italia.

All the saddles have a carbon base and carbon rails - Courtesy Rapha

Rapha has been working on an online fit calculator to help steer riders toward the either a 'Narrow' (130mm) or 'Wide' (145mm) model in Classic or Pro Team. The calculator takes into account rider weight, waist size and style of riding. Specialized, Trek/Bontrager and other companies that sell many saddles have their own tools for helping people select the right seat, but those usually involve measuring sit-bone width and flexibility.

For Rapha, the company suggests that the Classic saddles are for "longer days on the bike" while the Pro Team is for "a more aggressive, speed-focused riding position." The two designations already exist in the company's clothing line, where Pro Team is race cut while Classic is slightly more relaxed.

The Pro Team also comes in a cutout version.

The Rapha Classic special edition for the RCC - Courtesy Rapha

All the saddles have a carbon base and carbon rails, with foam densities selected with the padding of the corresponding bib shorts' chamois in mind.

Weights and prices are as follows. Click or swipe through the gallery above for a look at a few of the saddle designs, including the Rapha Cycling Club editions.