Rapha, nice but a bit pricey?

;)

The architect reckons it will be done in the next few weeks, glass box delivery date was pushed back to this week. But that hasn't been mentioned since before Christmas and the contractor who is coming in to put the final finish on the Emporer's New Bath seems to have gone AWOL. Fine apart from that..!

It's not even as good as a Gabba though, "treated twice" whereas Gabba's being part of the fabric so doesn't wash off.

Good to know.

As impressed as I am with lolo's recall I think the price difference between standard tools and Park is somewhat smaller than Rapha and excellent quality alternatives, at least in this case. I bought a Gabba 2 on Saturday, wore it on Sunday for 66 miles of probably some of the wettest/most horrible conditions I've ridden in and I was impressed. Also with the Diluvio gloves.

I thought the same, it looks like an underwear set.

I think that's the style these days.

at £480 the set I'd be wearing boxers just incase of a stray shart.

Wouldn't it be repelled by the fabric? Or just skid off?

Someone needs to test that. I nominate @Dammit

skidding off a skid whilst doing a skid. meta-skids. In romantic black and white analogue/helvetica of course.

Where does the shadow jersey leave the pro team softshell base layer........ "The transformative garment that can be used to adapt all racing kit to be suitable for use in foul conditions, the Pro Team Softshell Base Layer acts as your first, and last, line of defence against the elements."

I would buy if I could figure out what to do with it..... cant race in it: Its not in team colours & most people racing will be in teams / clubs. Cant train in it for most of the year: Doesn't look very winter / spring / Autumn warm & wearing a jacket over it would defeat the purpose..... Perfect for those pro team belgian classics though :) apparently

'The outer coating needs to be replenished periodically to keep it from picking up water and dirt. You can rejuvenate the DWR finish by putting the garment in the dryer at low heat for about 20 minutes, or by ironing under low heat being careful not to melt the synthetic fibers of your garment.

The DWR finish will wear off over time and you may want to re-treat your Castelli product’s water repellency by applying a commercially available water-repellent spray-on DWR treatment by following these instructions'

This is about Gabba.

No-one reads the small print.

All DWR garments need reproofing

Or buy another one as they're a tad cheaper than this Shadow garb.

Gabba thread>>>>>>

I'll see myself out.

As quoted from the Shadow bib shorts The inner is brushed too, so the bib shorts can be worn comfortably straight onto skin.

errrr ok, then

Would a Rapha Ladies softshell be warm enough if it gets a tad colder than it is now? I tried on the medium with a fitted long sleeve base layer and it fit but I couldn't layer anything else. Next size up would be too big. V tempted in the current sale. My current Gore softshell is pretty snug but gets a bit chilly around 5 degrees.

credit @Tp88

I now have a headache. And still don't get the joke.

Don't think you'll get a reliable answer on the internet... depends on whether you feel the cold and what kind of pace you ride. For all the people saying they only get it out when it's under 5°c and wear it with a thin baselayer, there are others who feel the chill and like to layer.
(right now I'm sitting indoors wearing two merino t-shirts, a wool jersey, a scarf and a rapha softshell. I expect I'd overheat fairly quick on the bike but I'm still cold now... and overheating for me will mean taking off my scarf and dropping the hood of the jersey)

Top shelf?

Buy both sizes, use the one that fits your gear closet best, you have 30 day "Classic Guarantee" where you can use it, and if it doesn't work for you refund it. For the unused jacket you have 90 day refund if you don't use it. Simple =)

Hard to put a temperature on garments, that's why Rapha's descriptions now don't mention temperatures, and in the Q&A portion, the CS reps are very general with their responses b/c everyone is different.

DASing someone in Shadow kit is going to be a nightmare.

Tea out of nose

Close to asphyxiation/drowning by tea