The Rapha Continental

Rapha is easily my favorite outfitter of expensive European bicycle gear. They have a great design team and the quality is top notch. Rapha is also a group of dedicated epic riders and recently they've been spending more time on this side of the Atlantic—with a lot of it right here in the Pacific Northwest. You can follow their exploits over at The Rapha Continental on the Rapha website. Here's an excerpt:

While Europe is steeped in mythology and lore with decades of history and tradition, the riding in America is by comparison, yet untold. Each route has been selected, ridden, documented and published for their intrinsic qualities and for their capacity to induce pain, suffering and glory. And because, we believe these are American rides and stories ready to be told.

I think I'm going to try the 72 mile Kitsap Route later this month. (Follow that link for some great commentary and photos.) It looks like they have have a few more local rides later this year with a particularly brutal-sounding Stevens Pass ascent in September.

Check out the rest of The Rapha Continental for more great photos, maps, cue sheets, and anecdotes about epic riding here on the continent. Cool stuff.