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rapha pro-team insulated jacket

rapha pro team insulated jacket

over the years, i have attempted to carefully craft a sustainable level of insouciance, one that borders on apparent indifference. even on the days when i am visibly struggling to keep up, i'd like to think that a) it doesn't look like that's the case or b) at any event, i could really care less. this goes way beyond appearing not to be trying when in fact i have black spots before my eyes and i'm breathing through my ears on the hills. i have long affected not to be one with any need to train, mostly because that's actually true; come the festive 500 i will deliberately avoid mentioning quite how long it has taken me to complete the distance.

rapha pro team insulated jacket

this carefully curated insouciant stance has, however, need of being skillfully consolidated. every aspect of my bicycle riding has to complete the effect. for instance, there's really no point in my asserting that the garmin sits on the handlebars merely for the clock, if i'm continually checking the numbers and it beeps at annoyingly frequent intervals. someone would twig sooner or later that all was not as innocent as it appeared. and every now and again, i take the specialized crux 'cross bike for road duties, just to ensure nobody thinks i'm trying too hard.

but then comes the question of suitable apparel. these are undoubtedly cold days, days on which it is pertinent to not only insulate the extremities, but pretty much all of the rest of me too. but that's a decision fraught with danger. hanging on the back of the bedroom door is a rapha brevet insulated jacket, a featherweight accoutrement that engenders cosy cycling in the face of sub-zero temperatures. the benefit of wearing that particular item of garmentage is that it is designed for less ferocious velocipedinal activity and thus can provide insulation without the need to appear to push the envelope, so to speak.

rapha pro team insulated jacket

but what of those who do have need of gaining an improvement of speed over the course of a weekend? granted there's the new-fangled zwift where you can pretend you're riding on a fictitious, summer-blessed isle instead of in the garage. but i'm banking on you having a great deal more mettle and character than required by indoor electronica and have the temerity to venture outdoors no matter the ambient temeperature. without wishing to undermine the quality of the aforementioned brevet jacket, it really wasn't built for unadorned speed.

rapha pro team insulated jacket

and that is precisely where rapha's latest insulation enters the fray. comfortably residing under the pro-team heading on rapha's website, the insulated jacket fulfils every aspect we have come to expect from a range of clothing initially developed with team sky. admirably, it is built of such gossamer constitution that scrunching it into a ball and stuffing it into a rear jersey pocket is a realistic proposition. however, featuring polartec's alpha insulation, the jacket is scarily close-fitting, highly windproof, amazingly breathable and pretty darned impressive at repelling hailstones.

the insulation resembles that of the recently reviewed long-sleeve pro-team baselayer; all fluffy and waffle-patterned. in fact, on days when the temperature hovers on the plus side of zero, matching the jacket with said baselayer is a more than practical option. however, on those days when minus six windchill ruled, a thin(ish) jersey underneath didn't disappoint.

rapha pro team insulated jacket

unlike many another stowable jacket, there are not only the mandatory three rear pockets, but a fourth, zipped security edition for coffee money. rapha have specifically aimed this jacket at those with speedier needs than yours truly, but in point of fact, wearing it means only that my hard-won indifference merely has to work a tad harder, lest anyone think i have dave brailsford on speed-dial.

however, while i have frequently paid tribute to the impeccable fit of rapha's clothing, i did find a couple of minor issues with the insulated jacket. it's no secret that the pro-team range is designed for the more svelte figure, but i cannot deny that fastening that full-length front zip at the bottom, was more onerous than usual. lest you think i may have had too many mince pies of late, my other pro-team apparel in the wardrobe displays no such awkwardness. and when it comes to getting the jacket on in the first place, the cuffs seem unnecessarily restrictive. this part of the equation has to be approached with care and hands squeezed as narrowly as possible.

rapha pro team insulated jacket

i can readily understand the need to keep chills at bay by providing close-fitting cuffs, but i think they may have erred just a smidgeon too close to the edge in this case. one or two others have remarked of a shortness in length of the sleeves, but i think this may be regarded as a feature not a bug, avoiding any potential conflict between gloves and cuffs.

for those of you with an unabashed need for speed, the pro-team insulated jacket can be thought of as something of a necessity, particularly if you plan on dispensing with those festive 500 kilometres in record time, no matter the elements with which you are presented.

rapha's pro-team insulated jacket is available in dark navy (as reviewed), rich burgundy or light blue. if you live in particularly agricultural surroundings (as i do), i'd think twice about ordering the latter. it can be purchased in sizes ranging from xs to xl at an rrp of £160. there is also a rapha cycle club specific version available.

rapha pro-team insulated jacket

monday 11 december 2017

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