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rapha core winter jacket and bibtights
either mrs washingmachinepost and i have become hardier over the past year, or this autumn is a tad less iniquitous than those of previous years. for at the time of writing, we have yet to switch on the central heating. i know you all have mental pictures of us collecting bags of peat from the peat bank to stoke a glowing fireplace, but even the life of the crofter is no longer that idyllic. in fact, not that i wish to overly emphasise my point, when i arrived home from the office on monday afternoon, the sitting room window was open.
on the other hand, it reinforces my point to a greater degree that hebrideans are the flandrians of the west; this far west, rule#5 is an integral part of everyday life. yet, while this year's autumn climate may be seen as more amenable, the prevalent wind shows no real signs of following suit. ferries have already been cancelled, delayed or re-routed, not only on the islay passage, but on those further north. time was when cancellation of the ferries indicated to the intrepid velocipedinist that a heightened degree of caution ought to be invoked, but in this age of health and safety, the boats frequently stay berthed while we echelon to our hearts' content.
traditionally, too, autumn would be the start of a carefully curated training programme, exertions that ought to provide a head start to a potentially successful 2018 season. trials and tribulations in the face of adversity while one's alleged competitors are still opening the free toy along with their mcdonalds happy meal. at least that would probably be the case if training were the targeted objective, which it may well be for more than just a few of you. in fact, introducing their latest core range products, rapha state "...proving that winter training is about getting the basics right..."
receipt of their core winter jacket and core bibtights therefore gave rise not only to feelings of inadequacy, but of possible misrepresentation. for, in truth, i have no intentions whatsoever of indulging in any form of exertion that might be misconstrued as training. cycling will keep me fit as a matter of course, always assuming i'm doing it right in the first place, but the ride itself is paramount. you can keep your stravas, go-pro heros, heart-rate monitors and power meters; i just like riding my bike.
but however much i may like to promote the sturdiness of the average hebridean, i'd be fibbing if i denied that looking forward to a hot shower at ride's end is often a convenient means of separating the art of riding a bicycle from the autumnal weather that accompanies doing so. the central heating might not yet have kicked in at the croft, but in wishing to keep cosy and warm, i'm no different from any others. and a rather obvious precursor to that hot, steamy shower, is maintaining an accurate semblance of comfort and joy while in the saddle. the only way i know of doing so, other than riding on the limit, is to clothe oneself both appropriately and stylishly.
after all, when the physique is in the process of being dismantled pedal stroke by pedal stroke, it is altogether necessary to remain presentable to the civilian population (even though there is a scarcity of the latter in some of islay's more remote parts).
the core bibtights share several features with their shorter-legged brethren, most notably by way of the same pad and the straight-line waist adjoining the bibs. though the latter are not stretchy mesh like several of their more expensive siblings, there is no danger of incurring any hint of shoulder discomfort. while this top part is fabricated to be stretchy and breathable, the legs are meanwhile cosily ensconced in fleece-backed comfort, the fit of which is well-nigh impeccable. throughout the review period there was no discernable bunching at the knees, either fore or aft.
the ankles, featuring reflective stripes, are close-fitting enough to offer a modest degree of difficulty in getting a pair of richard sachs socks under their tenacious grasp. as far as i'm concerned, that is a good thing.
the jacket is little short of marvellous. as with almost all of rapha's clothing and equally pertaining to the core range, the fit is impeccable, with superb arm length, a collar that exhibits both comfort and wind protection and an overall stylish fit that contrives to flatter the honed physique. the drop-tail features silicon gloop to keep draughts from troubling a merino baselayer while the front ends at a point that prevents bunching when (s)training in the drops.
the three integral rear pockets, though bereft of scalloped outers, proved easy to get stuff both in and out: mini-pump, multi-tool, core rainjacket, essentials purse, spare pair of gloves and a digital camera. the fabric kept those safely in situ with no hint of discomfort and no swaying from side to side while i was swaying from side to side. there's also the mandatory fourth zipped edition within the rightmost rear.
rapha claim that the three-layer front panel offers a modest level of weather resistance, from both wind and rain, the latter being a promise with which i would usually treat with a healthy degree of circumspection. what passes for weather resistance in the deep south frequently fails to pass muster on the atlantic's edge. though the online weather forecast prophesied no rain, once again, they were completely wrong. allied to strenghtening winds, the resultant precipitation proved rapha's assertions to be not without foundation. in fact, the weatherproofing of the core winter jacket turned out to be quite impressive; i experienced several showers in the space of a couple of hours and though none were torrential, there was enough wind-blown rain to test the core mettle.
though currently the season has proved less chilly than expected, the relative mildness showed the jacket's breathability to be up to par, though i still figure that nothing ever breathes as quickly as a cyclist perspires. that thin fleece lining probably doesn't help, but even in situations such as this, i'd prefer to have that soft core (see what i did there?) than be without.
rapha's core range has been referred to as consisting of their more budget-level products. that may arguably be the case, but ignore the price tag and there's really nothing even remotely budget about either of these two garments. my only superficial disappointment with the jacket is, unlike every other rapha jacket i've come across, it has no collar loop with which to hang it up. but bearing in mind the purported flandrian nature of the hebrides, i confidently expect to be still wearing the core winter jacket and bibtights up till next easter.
rapha's core winter jacket is available in black, navy, pink and red (as reviewed), in sizes ranging from xs to xxl at a retail price of £120. the core bibtights are available only in black both with or without pad, in sizes xs through xxl. retail price of the padless tights is £95, while the padded version (as reviewed) adds £25 (£120).
wednesday 11 october 2017
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