The Lancashire Pike jacket looks great but their sizing is really strange. XS size has a chest measurement of 108cm

Are you trying to be funny or do you take delight in being offensive?

The XL is huge

If you are going to frot over them, make sure you don;t get splinters from that coatstand.

The Lancashire Pike is a fairly close copy of the old Greenspot Nomad, which looked out of date when it was being worn by cycletourists in the 1980s and before.

If the main appeal is the Ventile fabric, why not get a more modern style interpretation which is probably a far better product in design, cut and features by Hilltrek (a company which makes clothing for outdoor activities, rather than wannabe hipsters). Review here. It is also much less expensive than the Pike..

I had some nice smart wool trousers my mum altered to make them more bike friendly. I.e consider buying a jacket you like that is non bike and get it altered to a better cut.

If you can find the Rapha city rain jacket, it works well and is very discrete (in the fig or the Paul Smith Black version) – and reviewed well. I wear mine more off the bike than on.

If you want tweed, just get a hacking jacket. They’re designed for riding horses so they’ll do for riding bikes too!

Tweed, you say?

drlex – why couldnt I find that coat on the rapha site under jackets?
Its not a bad one, even for Rapha 🙂 Goes on the shortlist anyway.

hebden – I love a good tweed hack, my colleague tends to wear one so I wouldnt necessarily want to go to meetings with both of us looking like we’d tumbled out of Brideshead Revisted. But they’re also quite bulky and hot. Im looking for a year round outer shell really, that I can layer underneath if needed.

slowster – that hilltrek looks interesting but there’s something about it that’s too “casual/sunday mtb ride” about it

That Rapha rain jacket is strangely tight under the arms. I ordered one and exchanged for another but they were both the same. I’ve never had that with a jacket so not me 🙂

well, it’s late, and that price on the rapha is very keen at £140, so I’ve put an order in. They also do my “size” in XXL, although the sizing guide is hardly massive at 45″ chest. 90 day return so will see if it fits. Ol’ JoB of this ‘ere parish seems to like it, so I’ll knee cap him if it’s shit.
http://road.cc/content/review/50916-rapha-city-rain-jacket

I can’t believe you fell for Rapha. You’d be black balled in my club for that.
Is disappoint

Ah, you bailed in the end.

Hope it fits you, some of the sizing is meant for lean folks,

i may be wrong, but that rapha jacket looks like a pretty thin soft shell to me.
i have 2 soft shell jackets that claim to be waterproof. they are not.
1 is a northface apex. it is brillant tho at keeping you very warm when wet. it cost £80.
1 is a decathlon quecha one. it is thinner, good for cold dry days. it cost £30.

like i said earlier, cycling clothing is fashion led crap that is nowhere as near as good as outdoor clothing.

it’s a bit spendy, but this Cafe Du Cyclist jacket looks pretty good.
Parka

I have that Rapha city rain jacket, its great. Definitely not a softshell, it’s a hard shell with a few bits of lining. Waterproof, but not that warm, which is fine if you’re riding. Wear it off the bike a lot too.

Look, I’m a huge Raphafanbouy you lot should know that by now.

But the soft shell you have ordered isn’t very thick, it’s a little thicker than the original rain jacket and that’s just a single layer. I’m sorry but you will be a bit sweaty, it’s a little less breathable than the rain jacket and that is because the sheen on the outer layer is non breathable. It’s a nice item, but it’s really a riding jacket.

This however is lovely, I have the navy one and it’s really neat, tailored and breathable and so nice to wear. It’s a little pricey but well worth it if this floats your bike.
However, at this price there are many more nice jackets out there that would do the same thing, for less, and still look tailored when you get off the bike.

Rapha Wind Wool Jacket.

agreed largman

bb – that’s not going to keep me dry now is it!

the rapha city jacket isnt quite as natural fabric-y as Id like, I agree, but it’s a rain shell, not too thick, smart and assuming it’s big enough in XXL I can fit a pullover on underneath.

what about a sailing jacket ? they can have a similar cut to cycling stuff and tend to be waterproof if not very breathable.

it’s arrived.

anti-rapha sentiment aside, it’s bloody well made.
The cut is excellent, and even with a mid weight fleece on, the XXL has got plenty of room for me with a 46″ chest. The burgundy colour is nice and subdued too, so wont show up grime and dirt nearly as much as fluoro jacket. Pleased with it out of the box. Will see how it fares in foul weather.

Cool, the subdued colourways are lovely ..

Well done!

In before the sell-out to LVMH… 😉