Rapha, nice but a bit pricey?

UlTC had packed this kit on the train to the poor student earlier this year. With some Assos as well, different world.

the first Brevet Jersey

I love the first brevet jersey so much! Been using it for 3 or 4 years now, it's color all burnt out and fabric at some spots is so worn out it's transparent but when I look at current brevet jersey range I feel that they won't be as good as the first one. The new ones don't seem to have a wind block layer in the front, right?

Must have been introduced after I last looked. I try to avoid having to use the current Rapha website, which I find nerve-gratingly awful.

new PTJ is nice. no polartec though
https://www.rapha.cc/gb/en/shop/mens-pro-team-winter-jacket/product/PJW01XXBCN

There was a version called something like ‘Windproof Brevet Jersey’ which had a lightweight windproof fabric overlaid on the front of the jersey? Found this great for long rides, a sort-of integrated gilet, which you didn’t notice at all if you unzipped to let air through.

Original Brevet jersey used a 180gsm Sportwool, but not sure if the latest versions migrated to the lighter ‘RPM 150’ that was developed for the Classic Jersey II - either fabric is great, but you’d benefit from the 150gsm for hotter/summer riding.

.... I might have some time in the near future and I’ve been toying with the idea of doing a complete background/insight breakdown on iconic jerseys & products. Material/trim insight, design quirks, learnings that went into other products, marketing materials. Of interest to anyone? If so, anything in particular?

He might have had one of my own-brand pieces with him too!

I’d be curious to know, why the Brevet insulated gilet doesn’t have rear pockets but the pro team does. As I have both.
It kinda seems the wrong way round?

Can I ask what you don't like about the current website?

Definitely of interest! No particular preference for any particular product, as it's the process I find as interesting as the final result IYSWIM.

Primary gripe is the huge and slow-to-load enormophotos of everything, with the result that browsing the site ends up involving vast amounts of scrolling past all the enormophotos. The loading speed has at least got better recently - previously even on a decent broadband connection I'd spent a lot of time looking at grey rectangles as the enormophotos loaded veeerrryyyy sloooowwwlllllyyy.

Embedded videos. Huge, embedded videos. On the landing screen, in particular.

The replacement of the ability to search by collections in the top bar with 'Riding Styles', with products distributed at random through them. For example, the Explore gloves appear under gravel riding, but not bike packing. Apparently the only Rapha gloves suitable for bikepacking are the short-fingered Brevet gloves. Collections is now a tab on the Highlights section, but has at present only three collections, all illustrated with yet more enormophotos, and doesn't include ProTeam, which appears to be under the Road Racing 'Riding Styles' tab. The Riding Styles/Collections distinction is IMV a total mess.

But mostly it's the size of the images. By the time I've navigated the menus, and scrolled and scrolled and scrolled to find the item I want, I've got RSI in my mouse thumbwheel finger and have lost the desire to buy the item I've now found.

Would read. Sounds great.

Thanks for all the help on the brevet jacket! I'll give it a go.

Any opinions on the Core vs regular cargo bibs? I can't see much reason to go for the regulars other than waterproofing (and snazziness) but I might be missing something..

Edit: I went with the core shorts

Aha thanks for the comprehensive answer. Testing and updates for design and general UX are being made so this is helpful. Page loads are always a thin line to dance when you want to sell a product vibe / intended use and with print being largely dead, online has got even more image heavy as it's become the single source of location imagery. However, shoppable pages aren't really my backyard as I would probably change the layout personally, again updates are being made. Navigation is continually being tested and I think you've picked up on some things that are under review. Also AB testing means that certain customers / regions will see different layouts, so your experience may not be what your next door neighbour is seeing and will change from time to time.

I'm not a fan of endless pages and scrolling either, but at least the search bar is now pretty usable. Will try to use this feedback anyway so thanks.

@brommers has existed for at least two years based on the age of product reviews.

Interestingly I do not have an issue with image load time at all.

Windproof Brevet Jersey

Brevet Windblock IIRC? It's a great jersey, it's sort of replaced all my older 180 Sporstwool ones, as it's more versatile. It deserved more success I think.

The thing is, having recently been gifted some assos stuff... it’s just better.
But I stand by the fact that the cargo bibs are the second best thing they produced.
The best was the thermosuit. I wish I’d bought more of those.
Incomparably good.
(Though I haven’t tried the Castelli equivalent)

@brommers has existed for at least two years based on the age of product reviews.

Sounds about right. Pretty much when I stopped using the Rapha website or buying Rapha kit. Mostly because I'd bought it all already. #buyer

Interestingly I do not have an issue with image load time at all.

It's better now. It was appalling, it's now only mildly annoying.

And what’s Assos top jacket £550 or something crazy...!?

(Though I haven’t tried the Castelli equivalent)

It's not as warm, particularly the material they use on the arms and shoulders. And because it's designed in a country where they drive on the right, the flouro arm is on the wrong side. It's marginally more comfortable though, but that's a trade off with the thinner/not-as-warm material up the upper part.

yo wtf - $725 on this side of the atlantic. Holy smokes. Looks shit as well.

.

Please do

Is there a jacket which is equivalent to the Pro Team Training Jacket. Probably best jacket Rapha ever did. I cannot find anything similar?

https://www.rapha.cc/us/en_US/shop/mens-pro-team-winter-jacket/product/PJW01XXBCN

Product description is very similar to what I remember the PTJ description being.

Ah different panels make sense too.

Not sure about colourways.