Rapha Lightweight Jersey-Experience? Update with Ride Report

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iamalex
Posts: 234
Joined: Sun Oct 30, 2011 5:25 pm
Location: London, UK

by iamalex

Evening All, It's cold and wet here in London so naturally thinking about summer kit… Was in Condor Cycles and really liked the look/fit of the Rapha Lightweight Jersey, the Classic was also great. I want a cool jersey so leaning towards the Lightweight (and it's blue rather than my too common black stuff) however, I'm not so sure about the two vertical pockets at the back versus the three of the Classic.

Anyone got the Lightweight jersey and can share their thoughts:
    Ample room for pump, energy bars, allen key/multi-tool, rolled up extra layer, maybe even a cheeky sandwich if I'm off exploring? I read here someone mention excess sagging if you put too much in it. I don't race so always something in the pockets.
    Is that little pocket on the back sweat-proof?
    If you have experience with the Classic would you say it's a-okay for the british summer heat?
    Classic better for carrying the aforementioned gear?

I appreciate that there's split opinion about Rapha but I'm happy to pay the extra because it looks nice.
Cheers
Last edited by iamalex on Mon Jun 25, 2012 8:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Roobay
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by Roobay

i have 3 of these jerseys, and they are fabulous in warm conditions, the classic is far too hot in the summer, the vertical pockets took a little getting used to. the jersey cannot take too much weight, the nature of the fabric makes it sag quite dramatically, however i was in mallorca last june, and it performed well, from a point of keeping cool, and looking cool too. the jersey is expensive for what it is, and really isn't designed to take huge loads of stuff, most days i managed a pump, an energy bar,gel, and iPhone without feeling dragged down.
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jekyll man
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by jekyll man

I have one of the older lightweight jersies.
I'm not sure if the new ones are the same but mine has an "inner" pocket, that would take a jacket packed flat etc.
I find Rapha pockets a bit small normally, but this helps out no end, when you want to carry a camera etc...

Might be worth noting that if you have a hairy back, you might end up looking like a porcupine.. :lol:
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iamalex
Posts: 234
Joined: Sun Oct 30, 2011 5:25 pm
Location: London, UK

by iamalex

Roobay, Jekyll man - Many thanks for the replies.
Inner pocket sounds useful; I'll have another look for that, also perhaps stick and handful of kit in it too. Have a tiny saddle bag that should take the edge off. And the porcupine look won't be a problem!

Of course there's always the option I resort to on my singlespeed - masking tape stuff to it! Underrated. I think a pair of sandwiches under the top tube will fit nicely.

incognitus
Posts: 69
Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2011 4:30 am
Location: NYC

by incognitus

I have a 2010 and a 2011 model. Love them, as mentioned before, they really rock in hot weather.

However, both of them started to sag quite noticably (not only the pockets, but also - in example - the fit of the neck went from tigh to loose over time). This might have something to do with washing them often (which I did...hot weather, lots of sweating...and they are not pure wool). So don't excpect getting many seasons out of them, I'd say.

mjduct
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by mjduct

too expensive...

what are you actually paying for?

and by warm are you talking 110 degree days with 70% humidity? I had 3 rides in those conditions last summer and over a dozen rides in 100+ temperatures. Get any baggy sleeveless jersey and ride fast to get some wind...

I have a Primal jersey that I bought in 2007 for 45 bucks that is still just as good as the day I bought it even though I've probably worn and washed it 100+ times in my normal rotation...

why people are OK with a jersey that costs 2, 3, 4 times more and doesn't last or perform boggles me...

iamalex
Posts: 234
Joined: Sun Oct 30, 2011 5:25 pm
Location: London, UK

by iamalex

incognitus wrote:I have a 2010 and a 2011 model. Love them, as mentioned before, they really rock in hot weather.

However, both of them started to sag quite noticably (not only the pockets, but also - in example - the fit of the neck went from tigh to loose over time). This might have something to do with washing them often (which I did...hot weather, lots of sweating...and they are not pure wool). So don't excpect getting many seasons out of them, I'd say.


mjduct wrote:too expensive...

what are you actually paying for?

and by warm are you talking 110 degree days with 70% humidity? I had 3 rides in those conditions last summer and over a dozen rides in 100+ temperatures. Get any baggy sleeveless jersey and ride fast to get some wind...

I have a Primal jersey that I bought in 2007 for 45 bucks that is still just as good as the day I bought it even though I've probably worn and washed it 100+ times in my normal rotation...

why people are OK with a jersey that costs 2, 3, 4 times more and doesn't last or perform boggles me...



Hmm, sad to hear durability isn't up there with the best. However the following statement in their returns policy suggests I'd have some recourse if not happy, perhaps you guys do too:
Rapha also offers a free repair service where a crash or accident has damaged a garment or if a failure has occurred even after significant usage.

Durability question aside it has gotten positive reviews so it's doing something right. Also I'm happy to pay extra for a great looking/stylish piece. Same reason people pay £££ custom painting a frame over a flat colour at £ - looks nice but serves no further purpose.

incognitus
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Location: NYC

by incognitus

iamalex wrote:Hmm, sad to hear durability isn't up there with the best. However the following statement in their returns policy suggests I'd have some recourse if not happy, perhaps you guys do too:
Rapha also offers a free repair service where a crash or accident has damaged a garment or if a failure has occurred even after significant usage.

Durability question aside it has gotten positive reviews so it's doing something right. Also I'm happy to pay extra for a great looking/stylish piece. Same reason people pay £££ custom painting a frame over a flat colour at £ - looks nice but serves no further purpose.


By all means buy one, I did not mean to disencourage you from that. And to your point, I once had another garnment from Rapha that was not holding up as expected, and I did send it back after one season and requested a replacement, and without any questions asked, I got a new one.

This is still a great Jersey, and I will buy one this season as well (either the lightweight or the super light weight that is announced) for the extra hot days. Its just not one that you should expect to ride for 5 years imho. Just think of it as a wearing part (in both senses) :-)

ph
Posts: 48
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2006 8:36 am

by ph

Rapha is always a contentious subject matter so I am treading carefully. I have 2 of their Lightweight Jerseys, one is the original (all one colour, perhaps from 2009) and the other is the two tone colour (2010). I have not had sagging issues though I don't wear the LW jerseys that often.

Strengths:
- Fits me like a second skin. I find all the other Rapha short sleeve jerseys too long in the body. Frankly Rapha sizing seems inconsistent across their range.
- About as cool as a jersey can be on 30C+ days. The full length zipper (2010 version) is important in this respect. I also have the Classic jersey which i find to be sufficiently cool for British summers but I stopped using it because I can't stand the fit.
- Storage. I carry a micro pump, phone/wallet/keys, energy bar/chews. I find the vertical zippered pocket handy if I need to carry a gilet. Not sure about carrying a sandwich.
- Rapha service. I acquired the 2010 edition through the crash replacement policy (I think I had to pay something like the wholesale price). I very much appreciated that.

Weaknesses:
- Fabric feels delicate (but I haven't had issues)
- White slightly discolours/fades over time (this would probably happen with all white fabrics)

I hope this helps.

iamalex
Posts: 234
Joined: Sun Oct 30, 2011 5:25 pm
Location: London, UK

by iamalex

Rapha finally got some Blue jerseys back in stock so I took the plunge, should get the first ride in at the weekend. Once I've got some miles on the jersey I'll post some thoughts here in case it's of use to anyone else.

Thanks for all the help!

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kac
Posts: 361
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2010 5:31 pm

by kac

iamalex wrote:
incognitus wrote:I have a 2010 and a 2011 model. Love them, as mentioned before, they really rock in hot weather.

However the following statement in their returns policy suggests I'd have some recourse if not happy, perhaps you guys do too:
Rapha also offers a free repair service where a crash or accident has damaged a garment or if a failure has occurred even after significant usage.


The fealty to the guarantee has been suboptimal in my experience with Rapha. A small sample size (n=1) to be sure, but nonetheless, caveat emptor.

KAC

mrfish
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Location: Near Horgen, Switzerland

by mrfish

By no means a Rapha fan, but my sister bought me a Rapha Brive-Agen classic jersey for my birthday 6 years ago. I wore it so much that the back is now rather faded. So far it has zero broken threads, undone stitching etc.

It's nice in that it's warm when cool but also cool enough to wear in places like Italy mid summer or in Singapore. Only downside is that it stretches a bit if you fill up the pockets. I would personally not bother with the lightweight jersey as I thought they were see-through, look flimsy and likey won't hold as much in the pockets.

Yes it's a lot of money, but it's a nice contrast to Assos / Castellli's synthetic approach, so worth buying one.

serbelo
Posts: 76
Joined: Fri May 06, 2011 6:31 am

by serbelo

mrfish wrote:By no means a Rapha fan, but my sister bought me a Rapha Brive-Agen classic jersey for my birthday 6 years ago. I wore it so much that the back is now rather faded. So far it has zero broken threads, undone stitching etc.

It's nice in that it's warm when cool but also cool enough to wear in places like Italy mid summer or in Singapore. Only downside is that it stretches a bit if you fill up the pockets. I would personally not bother with the lightweight jersey as I thought they were see-through, look flimsy and likey won't hold as much in the pockets.

Yes it's a lot of money, but it's a nice contrast to Assos / Castellli's synthetic approach, so worth buying one.



Would you recommend the Rapha lightweight in a tropical country?
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Roobay
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by Roobay

serbelo wrote:
mrfish wrote:By no means a Rapha fan, but my sister bought me a Rapha Brive-Agen classic jersey for my birthday 6 years ago. I wore it so much that the back is now rather faded. So far it has zero broken threads, undone stitching etc.

It's nice in that it's warm when cool but also cool enough to wear in places like Italy mid summer or in Singapore. Only downside is that it stretches a bit if you fill up the pockets. I would personally not bother with the lightweight jersey as I thought they were see-through, look flimsy and likey won't hold as much in the pockets.

Yes it's a lot of money, but it's a nice contrast to Assos / Castellli's synthetic approach, so worth buying one.



Would you recommend the Rapha lightweight in a tropical country?


maybe look at this jersey http://www.rapha.cc/mercury-rising
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KB
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by KB

serbelo wrote: Would you recommend the Rapha lightweight in a tropical country?

No. I work in Nigeria and most jersey's are too hot, especially if it's a wool mix. The temps here are at least 32-34c with humidity above 80% and more. I would say it's OK for a Brit summer though.

I've just bought the new super lightweight and I think that will be OK for the tropics. It's a very light fabric. I haven't checked it out so far as I'm back in the UK at present.

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