Rapha, nice but a bit pricey?

Probably not. The Rapha softshell baselayer is one of the least successful bits of Rapha kit I've got. It's not very well cut, and the material is very odd, rather like a very thin neoprene. It works, but if you just want a windproof baselayer then there are better options out there. Although TBH, unless you're racing and you have to wear team kit which isn't windproof, I usually struggle to see what the point of a windproof base layer is. I wear mine once a year, when I'm racing in the Ely Hardriders TT. The rest of the time, if I want windproofing I'll use a windproof top layer.