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rapha men's trail merino long-sleeve t-shirt

rapha trail merino l/s t-shirt

if we were able to re-invent ourselves from the beginning, when it comes to cycling apparel, today's dress code might be imagined a smidgeon different than has become the case. though the average (and not so average) road rider demands a closeness of fit to dispense with any potential flappage in the heat of battle, despite probably exerting a similar amount of energy, mountain bikers seem far less concerned with the latter, witnessed, at least superficially, by sleeves that seem to sport little affinity with the bicep region. and that's probably very much in keeping with the likes of joe breeze, tom ritchey and the other boys in the band, few, if any of whom wore skin tight jerseys as they descended at speed on mt tamalpais on bicycles scarcely suitable for the job.

rapha trail merino l/s t-shirt

and the bit that has always stumped me, is the apparent lack of concern for any cargo capacity in the rear of a mountain bike jersey. ardbeg distillery in the early days of their appropriately monikered jerseys, occasionally dallied with the offroad world (though i very much doubt they were aware), sporting a range of jerseys with flappy sleeves and not a rear pocket to be seen. were this to be succinctly encapsulated, you might propose this to be a singular activity separated by uncommon garmentage. and no matter the gap to be witnessed between road and offroad, whether seen to be closing or expanding, there's no doubt that it's pragmatically difficult to be a gnarly dude when clad in a skinsuit.

rapha trail merino l/s t-shirt

conversely, i feel we're unlikely to witness van aert and van der poel enter cyclocross battle, clad in rapha's merino trail t-shirt and a pair of baggy shorts. and i will not disavow that constructing suitable circumstances in which to review the sample kindly supplied by rapha, was not, in itself, somewhat challenging.

a good friend of mine, in response to my continued querying as to where the intrepid offroader might place their mini-pump, spare inner tube and foil-wrapped chunk of mrs washingmachinepost's christmas cake, was kind enough to point out the potential error of my ways. while i think of offroaders, just like roadies, being as self-sufficient as possible, he averred that the mountain biking fraternity are far more likely to sling their springy farm gates onto a car bike rack or into the rear of a pick-up and drive to the scene of their intended velocipedinal activities. this, he continued, was likely to be a closed offroad loop from which it would be simplicity itself to walk back to the car, should they suffer a puncture or other mechanical malfeasance.

rapha trail merino l/s t-shirt

though i fear there may be modicum of disrespect contained within his advice, he might also be right on the money. for even a quick perusal of the mountain biking section of rapha's website brings to light an entire range of clothing with nary a rear pocket to be seen, consisting, as it does, of baggy, gnarly-dude clothing.

the second factor inhbiting a straightforward review was the hebridean climate prevailing over the festive break. i could have successfully reviewed any amount of rapha gore-tex kit, but an inherently non-waterproof, merino long-sleeve t-shirt with no pockets was an altogether different sort of challenge, even if i did plan to ply the paths and trails of bridgend woods on my cyclocross bicycle. my efforts were not assisted by the images displayed on the website, showing the garment in question as perhaps intended for solo use. i'm afraid, in the case of yours truly, the long-sleeve merino trail t-shirt was worn over both a long-sleeve merino baselayer and a short-sleeve merino baselayer. with an ambient temperature of barely above three degrees celcius, getting there and back also required a thermal jacket over the top.

rapha trail merino l/s t-shirt

that said, many of the properties for which merino wool is rightly famous, were demonstrated during my uncouth perambulations. echoing the scenario described above, the outer jacket was left by a gatepost, its own pockets concealing mini-pump, essentials case, digital camera and christmas cake within easy walking distance, should the worst that could happen, actually happen (it didn't). and despite the merino/nylon combination being disarmingly thin, my three-layers certainly paid their dues in the cosy department.

that said, it is not possessed of a high collar (or any collar at all, come to that), so to keep the breeze at bay, i augmented mine with a monogrammed richard sachs neck warmer.

rapha trail merino l/s t-shirt

so why not, i hear you ask, simply purchase a rapha long-sleeve merino baselayer for £25 less? the answer was effectively included in that last paragraph, attesting to the combination of merino wool (52%) with nylon (48%), the latter providing a degree of ruggedness that would be completely absent from a garment constructed solely from merino wool. and to reinforce that situation (if you'll pardon the pun), the trail t-shirt arrives replete with a pouch of adhesive patches made from offcuts of the very material used to build the t-shirt in the first place. thus, if your skills in the undergrowth let you down for any reason, 'tis but simplicity itself to effect a repair on the fly, and carry on trundling.

and those for whom the word gnarly is defined as several hundred kilometres in the hindu kush, or the solitary roads of alaska, this would still provide that extra layer of comfort and joy, baggy enough as it is to be worn over several other rapha layers as i mentioned above. i can't help thinking that a rear pocket or two could but enhance its versatility, but you should always bear in mnd that my perceptions are those of a roadie, and one bereft of any sort of mountain or gravel bike in the shed.

if they were aiming for nifty, then they've nailed it.

rapha's trail long-sleeve merino t-short is available in dark grey, blue or pastel green, in sizes ranging from xs to xxl at a retail price of £95.
rapha men's trail long-sleeve merino t-shirt

wednesday 4 january 2023

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