Cyclists in the UK will soon be able to trade in their old kit for cash or store credit at Rapha, as part of the brand’s wider sustainability commitments.
The scheme, known as ‘Rapha ReRoute’, has existed in the US for over a year, and gives people either money or an increased value of store credit for “gently used” products. Users of the scheme in the US have reported earning as much as $55 in cash for bib shorts, with an extra 20% if taken in store credit.
The expansion comes as a new target listed in Rapha’s latest Impact Report, released this week.
The report says: “This year, we’re committing to bring Rapha ReRoute to more riders across Europe, starting in the UK, with the goal of making the programme available continent-wide by 2030.
“Expanding globally is more complex, but we are exploring different ways to offer takeback options and give more of our community access to second-hand kit. It’s another step towards a culture where repair and reuse are part of every rider’s journey.”
Rapha did not specify a date for the scheme’s UK launch in its Impact Report, but a spokesperson told Cycling Weekly it is hoped to come “within the first half of the year [2025]”.
So far in the US, more than 3,300 products have been traded in through the ReRoute scheme. These are not limited to Rapha items, with the company accepting “most common cycling apparel brands”.
Eligibility criteria also stipulates that the products must be “functional”, and are limited to the following: bibs, jerseys, tops, jackets, pants (trousers), shorts, vests, aerosuits.
The ReRoute scheme does not accept team-branded cycling kit, bibs with holes, jerseys with holes larger than an inch, or anything older than 10 years.
With the scheme, Rapha aims to extend the lifespan of the products, offering them to other people as second-hand kit.
Items can currently be traded in at any of the brand's US Clubhouses, located in: Bentonville, Boulder, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco and Seattle.
Also in the Impact Report, Rapha issued updates on its wider environmental targets, which relate to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, and use of new materials.
For the first time in 2024, the company used more recycled polyester than new polyester in its products. It has now set itself the target of cutting its use of new synthetic materials to 20% by 2030.
“The world is shifting fast,” wrote CEO Fran Millar in the Impact Report. “Heatwaves, floods, shrinking wild spaces – it’s clear we can’t keep doing business the same way. At Rapha we are choosing to lead the change.
“We see sustainability as more than reducing our carbon footprint,” Millar continued. “It’s about protecting the rights of the people who make our products, and safeguarding the landscapes we ride through.”
In addition to kit trade-in, the brand also offers a crash repair service, whereby it restitches and fixes products free of charge. Use of this service grew by 31% in 2024, with 4,880 products repaired.
For more information about Rapha ReRoute or the crash repair service, visit Rapha’s website.
