Rapha has collaborated with Lachlan Morton to create a limited edition ‘capsule’ range of kit that features "a design inspired by the visual representation of sounds, and includes many of Lachlan’s go-to pieces of clothing on continent-crossing adventure rides.”
To complement the unique style of the kit, Cannondale is producing 100 SuperSix EVO SE framesets painted with the same design and which is only available through Rapha.
(Image credit: Rapha)
EF Education-Easypost pro Morton is well known for his adventuring - last year he completed his ‘Alt Tour’ in which he completed the entire Tour de France route self-supported, riding hundreds of kilometres each day to beat the peloton, reaching Paris after 5,509km in 17 days, clocking up 225 hours of riding time.
(Image credit: Rapha)
Morton is also a big music fan, with Rapha noting that it’s “the playlists that keep him pushing the pedals.” As you’d expect from the look of the new kit - and the idea of seeing sound - he listens to some psychedelic stuff. His current playlist on Spotify includes everyone from The Doors, Daniel Johnston and The Traveling Wilburys to fellow Aussies City Calm Down, whose big, cinematic sound definitely fits the landscapes Morton passes through.
It's fair to say his taste in music - like the rider himself - covers a lot of ground. There's New Order, Frank Ocean, Spiritualized, Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar in there as well as Billy Bragg's New England. Check it out on Spotify here.
Rapha has interviewed Morton about how his uses music as motivation for his long-distance riding and you can read that on Rapha's website.
The special edition Pro Team Long Sleeve Training Jersey is cut from a 110gsm circular knit fabric for regulating body temperature. With a close fit that Rapha says suits an in-the-drops, on-bike position, the jersey features oversized grippers at the hem and sleeves for a secure fit. With full-length sleeves for riding in mild conditions, it also features three rear pockets that have been engineered to expand. There’s a full-length front zip with a lockable puller and zip garage.
The Seeing Sound version of Rapha’s Pro Team Training Jersey has, like the standard version, a dual fabric design. The front is made with an open-structured fabric for breathability and improved sweat wicking while a close-knit fabric on the back provides sun protection and support for the three rear pockets. The pockets are gusseted reinforced by a thick, elasticated trim to keep contents secure.
The special edition of the Pro Team Cargo Bib Shorts is made for, in Rapha’s words, fast, light and lengthy adventures on the bike. The lightweight, breathable uppers help regulate body temperature, with high-stretch shoulder panels to ensure an optimised fit for riders of all heights. There’s a comfortable yet compressive main fabric support, wide, low-profile leg grippers and the dual-density Pro Team chamois pad, which is size-specific for a tailored fit and finished with an antibacterial top sheet for sustained freshness. They come with contrast mesh pockets for storing essentials. “Developed to increase carrying capacity on rides into the unknown.”
Also included in the collection are a Men’s & Women’s Seeing Sound Technical T-Shirt (£55/$75); Seeing Sound Cap (£15/$20); Seeing Sound Bidon (£12/$12); Seeing Pro Team Socks (£15/$20) and the Cannondale Supersix Evo SE Frameset will sell for £3,750/$5,100.
Rapha is of course the kit supplier for Morton’s EF Education-Easypost WorldTour team and earlier this week unveiled the ‘regular’ pink team livery for 2022. That kit looks at a glance as though Jackson Pollock has been let loose with a limited - though very bright - palette, but take a closer look and it’s what Rapha calls a “new design, executed through creative coding and image/pattern manipulation, is a modern interpretation of the Argyle pattern that has been a staple part of EF’s visual language for years."
Check out the full Rapha Seeing Sound collection at Rapha's website.
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Simon Smythe is a hugely experienced cycling tech writer, who has been writing for Cycling Weekly since 2003. Until recently he was our senior tech writer. In his cycling career Simon has mostly focused on time trialling with a national medal, a few open wins and his club's 30-mile record in his palmares. These days he spends most of his time testing road bikes, or on a tandem doing the school run with his younger son.
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