@chapaking: I’m debating about those grey merino sweatshirts of yours but I’m also a bit between sizes – some Rapha tops I’m a medium, some a large. Not sure I can afford/justify having both then deciding which one fits!

crazy-legs – Member
Not sure I can afford/justify having both then deciding which one fits!

Heard of DSR? Will help Sir find an overpriced top to wear that fits in with the hip cyclocross circles.

The sweater is more like a standard medium than the bike tops.

The large is way too big for me.

Might have kept the medium if I was a bit more trim and hadn’t also ordered the rain jacket.

Merino jersey reduced to £80 so what? My £70RRP Altura and £90RRP Bontrager are windproof, merino has been widely decried as Emporer’s new clothes.

Its easy to find examples to support an argument. My Sportwool (not simple merino) reduced to £60 Rapha Country Jersey is cheaper than my £75 Montane Sportwool jersey, is far better finished, a better fit, has more features, and has Rapha’s peerlesss customer service behind it (crash in it or snag it on a thorn, send it back for “repair” and you get a new one back according to numerous reports).

Whether merino or sportwool works for you is subjective. Munqe Chick and I have something like 30 merino tops between us, from the original cheapo P-X base layers to Rapha, Howies, Icebreaker, Finisterre, Embers etc and are (obviously) big fans of the stuff. It doesnt wick as well as synthetic so apparently if you are a heavy sweater it holds on to moisture and you get cold, which isnt an issue for either of us.

As with most things premium prices dont offer a proportionate increase in performance, its incremental, and whether those increments are worth it is up to you and you find a price/performance point that youre happy with (I’m an Ultegra/XT person).

Re: rapha repair service, the blurb says that (because it is too delicate or something) that they don’t do repairs on merino. Doesn’t specify if sportwool counts or not. Anyone know?

So, hooded rain jacket in red arrived yesterday – very nice indeed!

Today, from the eBay site I received the merino hooded top, and a cycling cap, £35 the pair!! Wore the merino top out today in 2 C with a thin base layer and it was great!! I’d say anything in the city riding range is a slightly more relaxed fit than the normal cycling gear.

rain jacket arrived here today too.

fits really nice apart from I’d prefer if the tail went just a bit further down my bum

hmmm

merino has been widely decried as Emporer’s new clothes.

Never been overly convinced by Merino after a couple of Endura bases, but the Rapha merino winter base is lovely. 3 rides in and it’s quickly becoming one of my favourite bits of winter clothing. Not a Rapha fanboy, sale has seen me go from 1 item to 4, but I think I’ll be getting another of the winter base.

Chapaking – I think the stuff in the city riding range is all a similar cut like that. It seems to be a slightly longer front too, so not that much shorter at the back, and you always have the fold down bum cover if required.

you always have the fold down bum cover if required.

😳

So you do.

Problem solved then.

🙂

Chakaping I will take the Large winter base layer .

sorry, that lot’s all gone back now

No worries, I will check for stock update.

Merino is THE way forward I LOVE the stuff and I have probably in excess of 25 different merino tops, thin sleevless base layers, short sleeved, long sleeve, jumpers, jerseys, thicker weight! LOVE IT 😉 No Rapha merino yet though.

Merino is awesome for some purposes, not so good for others.

Been very glad to be wearing it on the last couple of mtb rides this week in freezing temps and snow.

Medium Long sleeve jersey showing in stock……

Hooded top just arrived via ebay listing. Very nice indeed, great link thanks, just ordered the purple XLG which they still have in stock.

Just got my hooded merino jersey too. Very nice indeed but think the xl is a touch too big for me. If anyonone fancies a swap for their large I’d be interested!.

grey hooded top also just arrived. Looks well made, bit long in the arm and body in a XL but will not be wearing it on bike, so should be fine. Good for the money 🙂

Thanks to this PSA I have this top, a winter base layer, a cross top and an orange hat, all lovely, none of which I actually ‘needed’ 🙂

Just got mine merino hoodie, bag felt heavy… Realised there’s 2 in there so one xl, one xxl… BOGOF day 🙂
Looks great zipped up, not so good undone and the hood is made of paper. Nice though… Cheers for the tip off

Some items back in stock – Large City Rain Jacket etc…

My womens winter tights are brilliant. Bargin.

Blimey is it still going?!

Did pick up a second winter base. Looks like I may need it later this week.

Daffy : That could be the large hooded rain jacket I sent back as the medium I orded fits perfectly, I was out for near enough 3 hors on Sunday morning in horizontal pissing rain and yet I was still bone dry underneath. I’m usually a sweaty sod and need pit zips but the Rapha jacket seemed to breath really well (I had the winter base layer on underneath) and the hood fits very snug so it’s easy to ensure nae rain sneaks in.

For £120 I’m really impressed.

lad i know bought the Sky bib shorts, wore them once, had some threads coming loose, emailed Rapha who sent him a returns label for the Sky ones, and a voucher to cover the cost of some classic bibs 8)

don’t suppose there’s a black rain jacket anybody was going to send back Lg-XL ?

It was just red ones in the sale that I saw.

It’s very nice in red.

wore my hardshell jacket commuting the past couple of days in pissing rain. No rain got in and I wasn’t wet inside from sweat. Lovely jacket, incredibly comfortable.

Re: rapha repair service, the blurb says that (because it is too delicate or something) that they don’t do repairs on merino. Doesn’t specify if sportwool counts or not. Anyone know?

I crashed wearing a long sleeved sportswool jersey last year and send back for repair. Repair consisted of a matching patch on the sleeve, it was quite neat but not invisible by any means.

I’d managed to talk myself our of buying anything as the only thing I wanted they’d ran out of my size and I didn’t want to buy from people off here in case the size was wrong. I didn’t really need one if truth be told.

They’ve now got that size back in and I’m a few quid down in my bank account. And I’ve got a Belkin top on the way too. I think I may need an clearout…

First ride in the rain jacket today. Very impressed with the design and the performance in some unpleasant conditions.

Very glad of the hood when the jail started pelting down.

Ahsat were those the bib ones with no pad? I kept toying with the idea but unsure…

Ahsat were those the bib ones with no pad? I kept toying with the idea but unsure…

Yes, the classic winter tights. Full length, including over the chest! I wore them on a 26 mile cross-cafe ride last weekend when it was pretty cold with a pair of Howies bib shorts underneath. It was one of those cases that I totally forgot they about them as they were very comfortable and I was warm and it was a rather chilly wind in the NE last weekend (they are not windproof but have a good fleece inside). The bottom has a wind/water resistant reinforced panel and I didnt notice a wet chamois. Sizing was true – I am a 5’9″ size 12 and I got a large. Medium wouldnt have gone over my hips and bust. If they hadnt been on sale I wouldnt have bought them; but for £85 I am very pleased. Ok my dhb £40 tights are also good; but these are next level!

EDIT: Dont forget as they are part of the classic collection you can ride them for up to 30 days and still return them! Mine wont be going back though!

Sale’s over. Thank god for that!

“Sale’s over. Thank god for that! “

Not quite, the reduced stuff is stil there, they have just removed the sale section.

For example

http://www.rapha.cc/gb/en/shop/hooded-rain-jacket/product/HRJ01

I have just popped back to say that the winter base layer is a bloody lovely bit of clothing. Only just got round to wearing it.

Perfect under a summer jersey for spring riding!

I have been wearing the winter unpadded tights today, they are also absolutely excellent

I missed the dry bit, so I’ll need to test the rain jacket properly if I head out today.

More discounts on the site, including base layer etc..

I really like the cross jersey I got – it’s a good ‘un

Rain jacket passes with flying colours.

🙂