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rapha for apple macbook 13" sleeve

rapha macbook sleeve

the adoption of a pain and suffering persona when cycling, talking about cycling or merely thinking about cycling, can, with a bit of practice, become a default characteristic. though cycling is often characterised as the 'toughest sport in the world', it's an epithet more readily associated with the competitive milieu, rather than a sunday morning perambulation of the neighbourhood. do not mistake my targetting; there will be often lengthy sections of that weekly ride where the intrepid rider might develop the ability to breathe through the ears, but there will also be kilometres where cheery banter between fellow velocipedinists, distracts from the professed hardship.

staving off the inevitable switch from bibshorts to winter bibtights for as long as possible and refusing to wrest a rain cape from a back pocket on the basis that "it's only a shower", will doubtless gain an excess of brownie points. and for those of the male persuasion, keen to defy fausto's mandate to be clean shaven at point of departure, by avoiding the small black tin of ventous inspired shaving foam, such a carefull curated persona might possibly acquire an impressive gravitas.

or maybe not.

but no matter your stance on any or all of the above, other than those who have published biographies with the words 'shut up' and 'legs' in the title, or are intent on riding paris-roubaix at the age of 52, few of us truly know the meaning of 'ex duris gloria'. our cycling wardrobes are likely full of cossetry, apparel and garmentage that will ease any potential discomfort while in the saddle. and be honest, when was the last time you saw the participants of liege-bastogne-liege stopping midway along the parcours for a bout of froth-supping, augmented with freshly made pancakes?

exactly.

rapha macbook sleeve

were i sufficiently well-versed in the finer points of latin, i'd have an heraldic crest embroidered on my jersey's leftmost rear pocket proclaiming 'comfort and joy'. and were my wimpishness ever in doubt, there's simply no way i'm heading out to debbie's of a sunday morning, without dispensing with any overnight vestiges of hirsuteness. yet even though the world's purveyors of cycling garmentage pay lip service to that 'ex duris...' stuff with one hand, with the other, they're handing us waterproofing, windproofing, insulation, and chamois comfort the likes of which has never been previously experienced this side of easter island.

when that particular realisation finally dawns - and at some point it most certainly will - it is one ready and willing to pervade each and every nook and cranny of cycling life and life itself. which means even that part of the venn diagram that subsects the little bit of remaining civilian. that's why, in direct contravention of rule #22, the cool kids wear casquettes at any time of day or night. it's also why you have a 'mycampy' app on your smartphone. though the latter device may have overtaken the desktop or laptop computer in the daily quest for internet access, there are still some software applications far too onerous to require any less than intel inside.

which is precisely why that 13" apple macbook air deserves to become part of the family, cosily and safely ensconced in a rapha padded sleeve.

many, over the years, have pointed out similarities between the outpourings from one, infinite loop and those of london's imperial works. there is the same obsessive attention to detail, a similar design ethic and the same uncanny knack of providing items that we were previously unaware we needed at reassuringly expensive prices. and now, though previously only available via the apple store, items such as this macbook sleeve can be ordered direct from rapha.cc. its purpose in life may be a simple one, but it's one that it performs admirably.

rapha macbook sleeve

the sleeve, available in three different colourways, is constructed from a tough, water-repellent outer fabric, with pockets of down padding to keep it safe. the latter feature is assisted by an incredibly close fit. in fact, so tight was the fit on first use, i wondered if i had been sent the smaller 12" sleeve. however, the fabric has a modest smattering of stretch and impressionable padding that: it does fit, and very well at that. the sturdy, full-width zip is, according to rapha, splashproof, but more accurately resembles those featured on the front of some of their finest waterproofs.

comforting.

i'm loath to admit that my daily commute is pretty much always on foot, but velocipedinal pride demands not only that my macbook air experiences rapha's cossetting, but that it is contained within a brooks pickwick cotton backpack, as befits my style-icon status (just like brian smith). there's also a small internal pocket capable of storing a one terabyte backup disk and accompanying usb cable; one can never be too careful with one's valuable data.

i didn't know i needed one of these, but now it might be hard to do without. (windows users need not apply).

rapha's apple macbook padded sleeve is available to fit 12", 13" and 15" apple laptops at a retail price of £55. it can be purchased in fluorescent yellow/grey, black/grey and a brevet inspired dark navy/pink. |rapha for apple macbook sleeve

wednesday 24 october 2018

twmp ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................