A new addition to Pike/Pine’s retail landscape had better get used to starting its events with a hillclimb. Rapha Seattle debuted last week at Melrose and Pine. Saturday morning, the international cycling brand’s shop held its inaugural group ride — a two hour or so tour to Mercer Island beginning with the notoriously exhausting E Pine hill stage.
CHS wrote about Rapha’s debut on the transformed E Pine commercial block from Melrose to Bellevue and the 200+ unit mixed-use development’s past. Rapha’s corner is where Bauhaus was born way back in 1993. Now the block is home to the eight-story, preservation incentive-boosted Excelsior Apartments — named to honor the Excelsior Motorcycle and Bicycle Company, the first recorded commercial tenant in the building that still (partially) stands there today.
The new Rapha Shop will host more rides, show live racing, and hold events including its planned grand opening. Slated for April 7th, the party will feature “live music provided by Sub Pop Records, a special unveiling of original artwork by renowned artist and cyclist Jesse LeDoux, along with plenty of local food and drink.” You can see a schedule here.
CHS stopped through Saturday to check out the scene as riders gathered in the newly opened shop featuring Rapha fashions, gear, and a clubhouse cafe for coffee and pastries before clipping in and putting their wheels in motion. We didn’t join the ride, however. CHS likes to walk. 
Men in lycra. You know, for aerodynamics…
Ah the male midlife crisis – perhaps a $$ carbon bike with your Lycra.
I can only imagine the joy of being stuck behind that lot riding many abreast as they happily ignore stop lights and jam up transport. We gonna need a bigger bike lane..
Wow, such bitterness.
Since you’re “imagining”, Mrmonkey, I assume you didn’t actually witness these riders violating traffic laws.
I see some expensive bikes there, being ridden by folks who seem to be enjoying themselves. What are your hobbies, besides comment snark?
Mr Garland shows them riding eight abreast in above pictorial. It ain’t the Tour de France, get in the bike lane.
In the Bauhaus incarnation one could ride up without wearing your super hero costume and play chess on the sidewalk with a cross section of the world. I don’t sense quite the same vibe…
Mrmonkey you arguments are invalid. bikes share the same right to the road as automobiles so wether there is 1 cyclist or 8 riding next to each other in a lane it is legal and the cyclists right to the road and full use of the lane.
Thankfully RCW was written to keep bikes safe :
Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway shall not ride more than two abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.
@ monkey wrench: your comment exemplifies the entitlement mentality that some cyclists have. Riding 8-abreast is basically blocking the roadway to vehicles. Most drivers are more than willing to “share the road” with cyclists, who should do the same (but sometimes don’t).
@MrMonkey- So just like you happily ignore traffic laws EVERY time to drive a vehicle. Pathetic hypocrite. But your kind kill thousands of people every year and cost us taxpayers billions and billions as we continually have to adjust our roads for the least attentive driver. That’s why we spend all this money on bike lanes, sharrows and crosswalks. Even though the laws are on the books, your kind ignores them making it incredibly dangerous for others around you. Very rarely am I inconvenienced by a cyclist but I often have to adjust my route because automobiles are illegally blocking the road.
Gotta make sure you dress up in your Serious Cycling Outfit to make sure people know you’re a Serious Cyclist(TM)
At least it costs more than a year of college for your kid.
No, seriously, bring on the snark. This place couldn’t get any more elitist. A lot of pale faces in that store. Really miss the Bauhaus.
Ok, so to be clear, it’s only affluent, white, male cyclists whose presence upsets you, not all cyclists in general?
It’s amusing how many objections boil down to “grown men look silly wearing tights”.
E Pine is not grueling. Pine is the easiest way to get up to Broadway (other than Jackson, then 12). Try marion or denny!
For a neighborhood that prides itself on inclusivity, this comment section is as far opposite from inclusive as it gets.
what? the comments are railing on affluent white cyclists parading their privilege. Are you saying we should be more inclusive to rich white people?? (of which I am one, of course) but I dont own any lycra
@paul — I’m not white (or born into a wealthy family). I got into cycling a few years ago to commute and decided I enjoyed going fast and climbing hills. I gave the Saturday open ride a try to see what the group would be like, and was pleasantly surprised to meet many other really nice people from all over the Sound — no elitism within the group anywhere, and there is a bit of a contrast from the local racing scene. Several dozen people there and I’m pretty sure I met 10+ non-white people if we are still talking race.
Bummer to see so much snark and ‘railing’ over what I thought was a pretty cool experience.
An international sport which literally brings together people of every nationality, religion, color, gender, and sexual orientation and promotes better fitness and a longer life. So elitist.
The sport itself isn’t elitist, hon.
I just for the life of me can’t see how a London-based ‘sportswear’ brand moving into the space of a beloved local coffeeshop might engender some snark…
I doubt anyone making less than $40K a year can afford anything in that shop except for maybe a coffee. So, yes, it’s a brand that caters to elites. Cycling itself isn’t elitist but this “lifestyle brand” sure is and if you can’t see than, well, you’re a part of the problem.
Bauhaus has/d history. For the price of a cup of coffee one used to be able to sit out on that corner with amazing views reading, chatting, etc. Remember when the Camlin was tall?? I wish the bike shop well but am not surprised the neighborhood is wary. It’s not Rapha’s fault that a neighborhood living room was no longer economically viable but it still hurts. There has been non-stop development/gentrification since I moved here in the 90’s….some of us have change fatigue. My guess is any business that moved into that space would get community grief but the fact that it caters to folks of higher income doesn’t help. A lot of us are coming to terms with the fact that Seattle is becoming a very wealthy city, and the businesses are geared towards that trend.
Well, to all the white guys snarking on here about this place being “uninclusive”- this half-Mexican, hovering on the poverty line, lifelong Capitol Hill resident am very excited about a bike shop a few blocks from me that I can go to for a tune-up.
I don’t own lycra, though I may get some soon for future touring (I am excited for my first Emerald City ride this year), and I was welcomed with open arms when I went in asking about their services.