Rapha Pro Team Shadow Winter Jacket

The Rapha Pro Team Shadow Winter Jacket is plenty warm enough for temperatures in the low single figures, but with sufficient breathability that you won’t overheat. The windproofing is exceptional and the water-resistant coating will withstand surprisingly heavy rain – at least early in its lifespan. Not every rider will be Rapha-shaped, however, and it’s debatable that the jacket quite justifies its price tag when measured against similarly performing competitors.

Pros

Exceptional windproofing

Balances warmth and breathability

Impressive initial water resistance

PFAS-free water-resistant coating

Cons

Water resistance liable to deteriorate

Looser in the arms than most

Costs more than a bob or two

*******

Rapha bills the Pro Team Shadow Winter jacket as representing ‘the ultimate in cold weather performance and protection’ with a recommended temperature range of -2C to 5C.

The jacket promises windproofing, but only water resistance rather than full waterproofing – presumably to help ensure decent breathability. The brand’s ‘how to wear’ instructions suggest pairing it with a thermal base layer (and of course Rapha’s own Pro Team Winter Tights).

Fit

Rather unflatteringly, Rapha’s size guide suggests my chest measurement is medium but my waist is large. I went with the latter on the basis the jacket’s ‘worn by WorldTour riders’ and presumably therefore intended to be more of a race fit. Elsewhere, Rapha also says it’s, ‘designed to fit close’.

I’d say this was the correct choice of size. The waist of the large was about right, while the chest was roomier but still perfectly acceptable. I’m 1.85m tall and I also wouldn’t have wanted the garment to be much shorter.

There was, however, more width in the arms than I expected. The material wasn’t flapping about, but it was noticeably looser relative to the fit elsewhere and also compared to other long-sleeve cycling garments I own. The material’s reasonably stretchy so I’m surprised they weren’t tighter.

Features

You get three rear pockets with the right-hand one getting a side-entry ‘essentials’ zip pocket. Personally, I’d have liked the main pockets to be a smidge deeper, but they’re fairly typical.

The main zip is a two-way affair with good chunky pullers that are easy to operate in winter gloves – or perhaps that should be ‘a winter glove’ because they move easily enough to operate one-handed. Needless to say, there’s a zip garage at the top to protect your neck.

As for the rest of the body, there’s a grid fleece lining throughout, which is comfortable and welcome without feeling uncommonly plush. A silicone gripper at the rear is broad enough to keep the jacket in place.

On the bike

I found the Pro Team Shadow Winter Jacket really did its job. An early ride with no base layer and the temperature in double figures dissuaded me from wearing it again until more wintry conditions had arrived – and thereafter it provided welcome protection.

On one occasion, I went out for a four-hour ride with a thin short-sleeve base layer underneath, having seen that temperatures were forecast to peak at 8°C. Cresting the railway bridge on the way out of my home village, I felt the catchphrase of Arrested Development’s Gob Bluth come to mind.

‘I’ve made a huge mistake,’ I thought, as a colossal, biting wind whipped against my face. With riding time always at a premium, I’m not one for going back in these situations, so I pressed on anyway. Picking up speed down the other side I realised it was only my face and legs that were feeling the wind and I arrived home later in the day having felt pretty much immune to the windchill-exacerbated cold throughout.

I’ve also worn this jacket happily on colder, stiller days, but on that particular occasion the windproofing really stood out. While it hasn’t yet seen sub-zero conditions, I don’t see why the Pro Team Shadow Winter Jacket wouldn’t cope if combined with the recommended thermal base layer.

In the temperatures for which it is designed, I never overheated either, which speaks of decent breathability.

I also wore it in incredibly heavy rain on one occasion and it kept me dry for 40 minutes and would have continued doing so for a while longer if I’d been willing to stay out there. It’s doubtful it will be able to maintain that level of performance long term however, as its water resistance derives only from a durable water repellent (DWR) coating which will eventually wear off. Nevertheless, it’ll be deteriorating from a high point and kudos to Rapha for sourcing a coating that is PFAS-free.

Value

Despite the £325 price tag, you can actually spend more on a winter jacket. The Castelli Alpha 150 https://road.cc/content/review/castelli-alpha-150-317261, which is intended for temperatures from -2°C to 10C, costs £360, for example, or you could opt for waterproofing and a little less warmth from Rapha’s own Pro Team Insulated Gore-Tex Rain Jacket https://road.cc/content/review/rapha-mens-pro-team-insulated-gore-tex-rain-jacket-291139, which is now £330.

Elsewhere, the Assos Mille GT Hashoogi Winter Jacket S11 https://road.cc/content/review/assos-mille-gt-hashoogi-winter-jacket-s11-312363 is an excellent option for £265 and at the same price, I would guess the updated version of Gobik Armour 2.0 Vanta https://gobik.com/en/products/heavy-jacket-armour-2-0-unisex-vanta is too because we loved the previous version https://road.cc/content/review/gobik-jacket-unisex-thermal-armour-vanta-293057.

More recently, Jo thought a great deal of the £210 Santini Alpha Insulated Jacket https://road.cc/content/review/santini-alpha-insulated-jacket-317243, which shares a lot of features with the Velocio Alpha Merino Air Jacket https://road.cc/content/review/velocio-alpha-merino-air-jacket-306657 (£190).

For more options, check out our best winter cycling jackets https://road.cc/buyers-guide/best-winter-cycling-jackets buyer’s guide.

Conclusion

Other than minor quirks of fit – which may or may not apply to you, of course – it’s hard to quibble with the performance of the Rapha Pro Team Shadow Winter Jacket. It’s warm and breathable and can shrug off surprisingly heavy rain. You’ll no doubt already have a pretty firm opinion whether that’s worth £325 to you.

VERDICT

Quietly warm and strikingly windproof without ever quite feeling as extraordinary as its price

Verdict

Quietly warm and strikingly windproof without ever quite feeling as extraordinary as its price

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