Rapha, nice but a bit pricey?

Ah, that's a shame but yeah fair enough. At least there's less chance of us matching on the road now ;)

just thought i would put this here before i return to rapha soho, i have a shakedry jacket size medium in flight print if anyone wants for the price i paid £240 including the cap and a box of 12 gels. Unworn on bike only tried on with various layers at home, i bought two sizes and keeping the one that fits. give me a shout before Sunday if interested. Collect from N1 near Haggerston or can post at cost.

The new Pro Team Winter Jacket, anyone else getting a cold stomach whilst descending due to the much thinner material low down on the front of the jacket?

I wish Essex provided long enough descents to comment.

I wish the UK provided long enough descents to comment.

rude to the bealach na ba

Or the 15km decent from Glenshee Ski Centre to Braemar

The Peak District also feels slighted.

I think it would be noticeable on most chilly descents though, the Gabba I'm replacing is the same thickness throughout. Anyone else noticed it?

Couple of months in and I'm liking my Brevet insulated jacket a lot so far! Wore it for about 10 hours the other day in variable conditions and was comfortable throughout. Not tried it in proper rain yet but was good when I got caught in an unexpected shower.
My only comment would be that the 2 rear pockets with side openings aren't as easy to access whilst riding as your standard jersey with the opening at the top. The pockets also get pretty full of condensation when riding, I've had to buy a small dry bag for my phone.

cant believe Rapha awarded Panache to Maro Pantani again!

Did he bother to attend to collect it this year?

When does sale kick off?

Anyone know the deal with most the base layers being out of stock? Likely to be restocked or do Rapha tend to sell out before the end of season?

There isn’t one

When does sale kick off?

When Pantani throws his earring to the floor before attacking 😍

Or only xxs or xxxl are left.

Got given some merino socks for Christmas that I’d ideally like to exchange for some of the winter ones - is this possible during tier4dom, or should I just wait till all this blows over?

If i return multiple return orders in the same package will the system at Rapha get confused? The number of retailers that can't handle this is ridiculous (I think they* must just look at the order number on the postage label and click 'returned')

*they being Wiggle, Blacks etc

Rapha returns are free aren't they? Why not save yourself a potential headache and just send them separately?

I will wait it out...

Hot tip.

I’m loving the PT Softshell Baselayer (remember these?) as a mid-layer.

@youramericanlover loves his

Mid Layer? Do you run cold? Mine is wonderful but v warm.

I think I’m about average. I did say ‘hot’ tip :)

I have mostly used it before in ~ 5° over a light sleeveless baselayer and under summer-weight jerseys/skinsuits. I’ve done two really shitty-weather 25 mile TTs when it was usable. I agree it’s pretty niche and can see why it’s not been popular – in most uses a packable gilet is preferred instead.

Yesterday in 0-1° I tried it over the PT LS Baselayer and under a PT Training jacket for very low intensity riding (picking through snow in low gears for most of the four hours). Far from it’s intended use but amazing. Very comfortable. Unzipping the jacket on long climbs becomes less of a shock-of-cold. A gilet over the jacket would have been fiddly. Leaving the jacket collar open on steady efforts around tempo it was still not too warm.

I have the first version of the Softshell Baselayer (the one with no zip). It’s pretty much a piece of material like that used on the outer layer of a Gabba, with no lining at all. It’s a bit like a modern interpretation of the newspaper down the front. Being Rapha that paper would obviously be the FT. It doesn’t do any normal baselayer things like wicking at all so definitely has to have something under it IMHO.

I took a few new to the bike game dads out and had it on underneath a PTJ. It was about ~6 and the pace was v slow. I was toasty the entire time though. Then did some super mucky trackocross in it with a winter jacket on top and was perfect. Strangly I stopped for 3/4 mins to swap to freewheel (because fixed in the muck is hell on the knees) and by the time I got back on I had to stick on another layer. I think trapped moisture underneath made it hard to get warm again. Anyway it's a hell of a thing, either weird or genius, I can't decide