Life In The Saddle

The Rapha Men's Core Rain Jacket II is an affordable and lightweight waterproof cycling jacket, designed to set the standard for everyday weather protection. Riding in wet and inclement weather does not have to be miserable; with the right kit, you can still enjoy your weekend ride even if the weather doesn't play ball. The original Rapha Core Rain Jacket was a staple outer layer for many cyclists—offering lightweight but fully waterproof protection. The new Version 2 is an evolved and adapted take on the award-winning original. Made from a lightweight (129 grams for size small) fully-waterproof fabric with taped seams, and featuring a YKK AquaGuard® zipper; this outer shell will hold off downpours that develop during your ride, but without causing you to overheat in mild but wet conditions. Packability is at the heart of the Core Rain Jacket, and the layer is designed to be stowable in a jersey pocket—so that it can be easily whipped out and donned to protect yourself from the...

Not every day is a race, even when you are Pro. For me, far more days are spent enjoying the time outdoors and embracing the places that a bicycle can take me, rather than hunting KOMs or sprinting for finish lines. The Rapha Pro Team Training Jersey appealed to me for this reason; I wanted a comfortable summer cycling jersey that I could wear day-in-day-out; a jersey that had style and class, but with a performance fit and superb endurance riding functionality. Rapha designed the Pro Team Training Jersey to meet these demands. Just because you are not racing, does not mean that you do not appreciate a good fitting jersey, performance moisture-wicking fabrics, and quality design. The Pro Team Training Jersey was made for riders that want to experience these design attributes in a jersey capable of going the distance—both in terms of product lifespan and in terms of their training miles. Made from a mid-weight but highly breathable fabric, this summer jersey is not a superlight 'rac...

The Rapha Pro Team Long Sleeve Jersey is a flexible and lightweight long sleeve cycling jersey that excels at offering high-wicking and highly breathable insulation for the transition seasons. Made from a 185gsm fabric with a special micro-grid weave, it creates tiny air pockets within the layer to create insulation from cool autumn and spring temperatures. The micro-grid fabric also aids wicking performance by swiftly moving moisture build up from inside the jersey to the outside of the fabric—allowing it to evaporate with ease. The fabric has a four-way stretch profile that creates a close-fitting profile with a compression race level cut. Elasticated grippers on the cuff and hems keep everything in check. Pocketing comes in the form of three full sized rear pockets and one smaller zippered pocket for small valuables. The pockets are lined with a breathable mesh to stop the double layer of fabric compromising breathability. The Rapha Pro Team Long Sleeve Jersey is one of th...

The Rapha Explore Long Sleeve Pullover is an insulating mid-layer designed for back-of-beyond exploration in variable winter conditions. Packable, protective, and comfortable—it is an excellent addition to any tour kit list. The Rapha Explore range is the UK brand's innovative product set created to deal with the rigours and challenges of bikepacking and cycle touring adventures. This long sleeve top is the perfect layer for adventurous pursuits, either worn on its own or layered up underneath an outer shell. The Explore Pullover is constructed of Polartec® Power Grid™ fabric. This soft and stretchy technical material is lightweight but insulating; protective yet breathable; form-fitting yet not restrictive. Quite simply, Power Grid™ is the ideal choice for a lightweight cool weather mid-layer. The Rapha designers have added windproof panels to the shoulders and arms of the Explore Pullover to supply added protection from windchill; while not restricting the breathability an...

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post ' What is In Your Gravel Adventure Bar Bag? '—it had a great reception and led to another conversation in a similar vein— What to pack in your cycling jersey pockets for a long unsupported off-road endurance ride? This is my line-up of jersey pocket riding essentials for bikepacking and gravel adventures… First, I recommend reading the ' What is In Your Gravel Adventure Bar Bag? ' post before reading this one—because for me, the bar bag is the best place to store most of your essentials on an off-road adventure—as there is less chance of items flying out on bumpy trails. So, what comes with me in my cycling jersey pockets is therefore a selection of easy-to-access essentials—ones that you might want to grab whilst riding, when you cannot stop to access your bar bag. The Jersey — Sportful Super Giara Jersey My gravel jersey of choice is the Sportful Super Giara Jersey . This cycling jersey was designed with gravel and off-road ...

The new Rapha Handlebar Bag has fast become a favourite bikepacking 'day ride' handlebar bag. Rather than just write a product review of this compact handlebar bag though, I thought I would also look inside—to see what comes with me on a solo self-sufficient gravel ride. This is my pack of essentials to keep you riding all day… It has become increasingly important for us to become self-sufficient on our rides; the outbreak of Coronavirus in March 2020 closed most shops, cafes, and even public conveniences, as well as making solo riding a necessity. Luckily, experience with off-road and back-of-beyond bicycle touring has taught me a few tricks to avoid needing to depend on support or re-supply stops when out on the road or trail. I used to favour a saddlebag as my on-bike bag for carrying spares and tools, but that choice has evolved over time; a small handlebar bag does not restrict your view of the front wheel at all, it is a lot more accessible than a saddlebag, and it...

The first iteration of the Rapha Cargo Bib Shorts were one of the two pairs of bib shorts I chose for last year's #RoadsFromRome adventure . The storage capacity, robust fast-dry fabrics, and comfortable endurance specific seat-pad made them a top choice for the 2500 kilometre tour. The latest version—the Rapha Core Cargo Bib Shorts have been on test for the last few months; they offer some interesting developments over the first edition. Rapha have retained the three core product attributes found in the original Rapha Brevet Cargo Bib Shorts—including the fast drying fabrics, side and back mesh pockets, and the endurance level chamois pad. However, other areas have been developed and altered to bring the product up to date with current trends and preferences. The Rapha Core Cargo Bib Shorts use a new dense-knit fabric, which has a degree of weather and water repellence, and a fast-dry nature; bit it is lighter weight than the Brevet fabric in the predecessors. The bib sectio...

Can you really fit your whole life into a seat-pack the size of a small rucksack? When you do, it calls for specialist lightweight kit; the Rapha Brevet Insulated Cycling Jacket features super-light Polartec insulation, and has a tiny pack-size—making it ideal for cooler temperatures on your bike explorations. Let us get straight to the point... this jacket is ludicrously lightweight; weighing in at just 74 grams for the Medium sample I have on test. That weight is thanks to a super-light weight Nylon windproof outer, and high level Polartec Alpha insulation; combined together, these create an impressively protective and insulating layer, with absolute minimal bulk.  Polartec Alpha is a unique market-leading insulation fibre, which provides both great breathability when you are working hard, as well as effective insulation when you are more sedate in your movements.  I used the jacket on my recent #XPDTN3Dolomites bikepacking trip , and for the early morning r...