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rapha pro team l/s thermal baselayer

rapha pro-team l/s thermal baselayer

despite having recently switched on portions of the central heating, scrabbling out of bed on a sunday morning at half-past dawn to get changed ready for another morning's velocipedinal battle, never really becomes any less onerous. snuggling under a whole host of duvet togs while the wind rages outside, is a hard habit to break. and the fact that one's outer apparel promises every level of thermal, scarcely accommodates the lower layers which may not be quite so externally adjusted.

just to underline this distraught set of circumstances, there is no heating in our kitchen and until the porridge has been heated and dished, sweat will be very far from my brow.

rapha pro-team l/s thermal baselayer

appropriately enough, my first experience of real waffles was when staying with former rapha north american manager, slate olson (now at chrome industries). having shrugged off a disconcerting level of jet lag, the delightful aromas emanating from the olson kitchen made the shuffle from bedroom to table a great deal more amenable. that visit to portland took place in early may, so there was no chill to endure. while i'm content to heat a saucepan of green city jumbo oats each and every morning, mr olson had set up a waffle production line on the kitchen table with fresh fruit to accessorise.

british idiosyncracy had already introduced me to the dubious delights of frozen potato waffles, but what could reasonably be described as belgian waffles are several orders of magnitude more delicious, though you'd hardly have thought that the dimpled pattern might also offer insulating properties. but as already seen on the thermal lining of rapha's pro-team winter bibtights, a pattern such as described above seems to do precisely that. and as an antidote to those cold sunday mornings, that selfsame waffle pattern features on the inner layer of rapha's long-sleeve pro-team thermal baselayer.

rapha pro-team l/s thermal baselayer

and believe me, it is a cosy sensation to rival that of the heavily togged duvet.

however you adjudge the suitability of any cycling garment for the trouble it's about to get into, there is little that compares with donning a baselayer adorned with the legend trouvée d'arenberg about its person and immediately warming to its personality. no matter the garmentage applied on top, there's really nothing that can take that away.

its impressive length all the way to the bottom of the drop tail is equally matched by a collar that can be rolled all the way up and over the chin and mouth. though the phrase "hey baby, it's cold outside" is one that has been frequently used of late, those lowered temperatures have yet to enforce a collar rolled quite so high. however, its versatility will allow it to be adjusted low, medium and high, depending on the severity of the incoming breeze. i have, so far, opted for a just-below-the-chin stance with waffled comfort.

rapha pro-team l/s thermal baselayer

but once again, my concentration has directed itself to the length of the sleeves, the extent of which approaches not only the wrists, but veers ever so close to the back of my hands, if i'm of a mind to let them. i've ridden to the outer-edge wearing solely a jacket over the waffles with no apparent loss of therms and i've wimped out completely by accommodating a jersey between jacket and baselayer, during which cosiness was of an order i'd be more than happy to get used to.

rapha's pro-team long-sleeve thermal baselayer can be acquired in three colourways: a rather dramatic black and yellow that only the bathroom mirror is likely to see, plain black and the dark olive green as reviewed here. sizing ranges from xs to xxl. for a mere £70, you too can enjoy the benefit of waffles and the fact that the thermal baselayer exits a full wash darned near bone-dry.

rapha pro-team long-sleeve thermal baselayer

wednesday 15 november 2017

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