Rapha has launched FAR, a new series of rides - we'll not say sportives, but basically sportives - taking place at locations around the world.
Three dates have been announced for 2025, and while details are scarce we do know the FAR rides will be exclusive to members of the Rapha Cycling Club (RCC).
"Exclusively for RCC members, FARs are epic one-day rides that offer challenge and adventure in equal measure," say Rapha.
"Fully supported, carefully crafted routes around breathtaking terrain that encourage you to push further, ride harder and reap the well-earned rewards with your clubmates.
"Test your determination and create new memories by joining a FAR with the RCC."
The FAR dates for 2025 are 5 April, 7 June and 4 October. Locations include Seattle, Manchester, Munich, Berlin, Seoul, Copenhagen, Bentonville, Amsterdam, Mallorca, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Sydney and New York.
Rapha has a long history of putting on highly regarded rides, from A Day in Hell (its Paris-Roubaix tribute: a gravel ride before gravel was a thing), to the Rapha Continental and Prestige rides, the Women's 100, and of course the wonderful Rapha Pennine Rally bikepacking event which launched in 2022.
Not all of those events have been restricted to RCC members, and this looks like a step by new Rapha CEO Fran Millar to add value and restore a little cachet to RCC membership.
I'm not currently an RCC member (I last signed up in 2022 specifically to boost my chances of entry into the Pennine Rally), so I can't check out more details of the FAR rides on the RCC app, but if you're on the fence about joining this might be enough to swing it.
Until they open a Rapha store and clubhouse in Ireland I'll remain on the sidelines - but watching with interest.
Find out more at rapha.cc.
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