Rapha Women's Long Sleeve Jersey

The long sleeve jersey from Rapha is primarily designed as a piece for autumn and winter training and racing use. It is constructed from ‘merino rich’ Sportwool fabric (52% merino/48% polyester), and is designed to have the temperature maintenance and odour resistance properties of merino, together with the higher moisture wicking capacity of synthetics.

It’s a very attractive looking jersey, available in three colours, with the petrol blue/peacock type “blue” being particularly fetching. All are accented by the signature Rapha armband on the left sleeve. The outer of the fabric has a pleasant sheen to it, without being overtly shiny and the overall effect is stylish but understated.

The cut is well proportioned, with good length in the torso and sleeves, meaning it should suit a variety of heights without too many problems. Sizing available covers a pretty diverse range of women’s builds, and the size Medium I tried was spot on for a good 12. The fit is neat and contoured without being oversnug, and lends itself well to the possibility of layering. Cuffs are broad and comfortable, and are capable of being pushed up the arm a bit if overwarm. The collar is a good height and soft to wear, with no zip chafing. Hem grippers do a good job of preventing the jersey from riding up the body, even when down on the drops for a protracted period. There’s also a hem drawcord which does seem slightly like overkill with the neatish fit at the hem anyway.

Features include three classic gently elasticated pockets at the rear, with the central one containing a nifty pump sleeve and one of the others houses an eyelet for an MP3 headphone cable, should you be someone who likes tunes while you ride. The right hand pocket also has an extra zipped pocket with protection against moisture, a decent enough size to house all but the very largest smartphone. There’s a reflective tag at the bottom of the zip pocket too.

Created for stand alone use with coldish conditions in mind, the jersey is ideal for autumn riding. It will however, happily cope with a variety of temperatures and conditions, either layered up underneath, or over the top, or possibly both when the mercury really drops. The merino mix fabric is soft next to the skin, but wicks moisture well and dries fast enough to maintain a good stable riding temperature. In use it was comfortable and pleasant to wear, and with a reasonably versatile level of warmth and insulation.

It’s well made and with great attention to detail, but ultimately, £130 is looking a lot for a 3 season jersey, when other products, using similar fabrics and aimed at a similar purpose are much cheaper, such as the Shutt VR top at £89 and even the more expensive Smartwool only coming in at £105. There’s only so much you can do with a jersey, and this one does it all, but still doesn’t warrant the extra money I’m afraid.

Verdict

All the bells and whistles, but ultimately still just a straightforward long sleeved jersey, and as such, it looks expensive.