Several months ago I was directed to the British website Rapha (http://www.rapha.cc/index.php?page=1)which sells high end cycling gear for gentleman cyclists and London bike messengers (those w/surplus tip money). Reviewing the site I became fascinated by their selection of high end, hand stiched (army sniper inspired?) cycling gloves–especially those made out of African goatskin. Since my own cycling gloves have begun to disentegrate (always a sign of genuine wear and tear) I was hoping that some sort of unpaid Rapha sportswear sponsorship might come my way. Alas, I’ve had to replace my own gloves with a farily pedestrian pair made out of rawhide and polyblend thread. However, one of my cycling companions with excellent taste in bikes and garments purchased a pair of Raphas as a reward for surviving a near catastrophic cyling accident. So though I don’t own my own goat hair cycling gloves I at least have weekly visiting rights and visual access to probably the only existing pair in Lane County.