Test: The British premium supplier Rapha is pushing ahead when it comes to weather protection. Can the expensive jersey and shorts combo deliver what it promises us for the fall season in battling the rain? We took a close look at Rapha Shadow.
Are our summers really getting wetter? You don't have to be a climatologist to get this impression - simply riding a road bike is enough. Winter bikes are used well into May, and in the first half of the year you rarely dare to leave the house without waterproof overshoes. Not to mention the bulky rain jacket in the jersey pocket.
Where damp weather is also the norm in summer, you can definitely think about alternatives to the combination of a normal jersey and a waterproof outer layer. This connection has the well-known disadvantages: only in a jersey is it quickly too cold in changeable weather; if a shower approaches, it gets uncomfortably warm under the rain jacket. Last but not least, putting on and taking off the rain cover is impractical - and anyway: What do you do when it's not raining but the streets are wet? jacket on or off?
Rapha Shadow - expensive makes curious
A jersey and shorts set that eliminates such considerations comes from Rapha. Under the name "Pro Team Shadow" the British offer clothing that arouses curiosity simply because of the high price. The functionality of the new material sounds convincing in theory: before further processing, the yarn is given a water-repellent coating; the resulting tissue is heated and contracts by 50 percent. The material is then impregnated again. In addition to the coating of the fibers, it is also the high density of the material that is supposed to ensure water resistance.
In fact, the Shadow fabric feels quite unusual, especially for cycling shorts - smooth, firm and not extremely elastic, something like what you know from a soft shell jacket. The inside, on the other hand, is pleasantly soft, which of course also benefits the wearing comfort.
Rapha's Pro Team gear is notoriously tight at the top; who wears other jerseys and jackets of the brand in size M should choose the Shadow jersey in L. Then it still sits pretty close to the body, but you can wear a base layer or a jersey underneath. It is noticeable that the sleeves, which reach up to the elbow, are slightly wider, which makes it easier to wear arm warmers. In the sitting position on the racing bike, the jersey does not bulge at the front, but there are creases in the forearm area and on the chest, which are not disturbing. The wide hem fits snugly, which is very comfortable, especially when it's cold.
Rapha Shadow – wet and cold or damp and warm?
We tried out the set of trousers and jersey on several days with cold, wet (7 °C) to warm and humid (22 °C) weather and fought through sometimes extreme precipitation mixed with sleet. First of all, we were able to establish the following: Rapha's Shadow material is indeed extremely water-repellent to waterproof. If it starts to rain, you can watch the water beading off; if you are wet, it is enough to shake yourself a little to get rid of the drops. At some point you are completely wet from the outside, but even when it rains heavily hardly any water penetrates the inside - with the following small restrictions: Wherever the outside of the material is rubbed, water can find a way in; this applies, for example, to creases forming in the crotch or the area of the seat padding. In addition, only the seams on the chest and shoulders are sealed from the inside, which also means that moisture can penetrate. However, this happens only to a very small extent; overall you stay as dry as cycling can get. However, it is advisable to at least ride with an “Ass Saver” on the saddle. The splashing water-dirt mixture penetrates deep into the seat upholstery, which is not only uncomfortable but also rather unhygienic.
You can really feel how well the Shadow set works when you combine it with conventional arm warmers and leg warmers – they get soaked up in a very short time, and then the arms in particular can get really cold. In the meantime, however, Rapha has supplied various accessories from the Shadow material; arm and leg warmers, among other things, are now available, with which the extremities are also packed watertight.
It's also very nice that damp spots dry off fairly quickly, at least if it's not too cold. Incidentally, when the temperature is well below 10 °C, both the trousers and the jersey are pleasantly warm – logical, since both are absolutely windproof and slightly roughened on the inside, and you can also wear a warm jersey underneath.
When the weather gets muggy it turns out that the Rapha Shadow collection isn't overly sweaty, unlike, say, the first version of the Rapha Pro Team Softshell Jacket. If you wear the shirt directly on your skin, you won't feel like you're in a sauna even at 20 °C, especially since the very smooth-running zip allows you to easily regulate the air supply.
As is typical for Rapha, the jersey has three not-too-large back pockets and a small pocket with a zip. The bags are equipped with eyelets that allow water to run out – but before that happens, it has to rain really, really hard.
Jersey 280 euros, bib shorts 335 euros – Rapha's Shadow suit costs a lot. A lot is offered in terms of weather protection. The investment is worthwhile for those cyclists who don't want to fiddle around with a rain jacket and overtrousers in changeable weather, because both can definitely stay at home with the Rapha Shadow. In any case, the jersey is more of a warm, rainproof jacket - at least as soon as the matching arm warmers are available. Then the price is put into perspective. The pants, on the other hand, make additional winter pants superfluous, as they keep you warm even in the cold thanks to the windproof material.
At the end of the day, you just wish you could at least get the jersey in a slightly more eye-catching colour, because what may be good for Team Sky in the race is rather impractical on the road when visibility is poor. But a red jersey could hardly be called a "shadow"...
Conclusion Rapha Shadow
Rapha's Shadow suit is largely waterproof, yet comfortably warm in the cold and non-sweaty in muggy weather. You can get over the fact that a little water gets in here and there - only the proud price hurts.
Product Highlights
- Almost completely waterproof
- Wearable over a wide temperature range, windproof
- Highly breathable in warm weather
prices and web
- Shirt €280
- Bib shorts €335
- www.rapha.cc