Rapha Long Sleeve Brevet jersey

"Howevet, it does get you a fully equipped..."

I assume "Howevet" is pronounced in much the same way as "Brevet". If so, it sounds very suave and French, and I shall make sure to add it to my repertoire of... words like "repertoire" immediately.

Although I wouldn't be able to justify buying one myself, it's good to see a British company doing well, helping to make cycling an aspirational pastime, and contributing to a reduction in the UK's trade deficit too. For the quality, I personally think it's worthwhile to spend a little more, especially if it enhances the whole cycling experience. So fair play to Rapha, I say.

But dear oh dear, road.cc.

"Rapha has often been (unfairly) criticised for its lack of reflectivity in its clothing, but it has done a superb job of countering such criticism with this combination."

Sorry, but I'm still struggling to stop laughing. Look at the side picture - how much reflective material can you really see? For clarification, look at my avatar, which shows a pic taken from roughly the same angle, and which clearly demonstrates the need for rather more reflective material. Look at the positioning of the rear reflective panel on the gillet - when the rider is "on the rivet", in a streamlined position, just how much of that panel would be seen by drivers? And finally, why is the reflective arm band on the left arm, rather than the right arm? Surely Rapha's renowned attention to detail could extend to knowing that we cycle on the left in the UK? There must be enough margin to have left hand and right hand versions.

As journalists, shouldn't you be raising points like these too? Honestly, this "review" sounded like the sort of stuff spouted by estate agents, and yet some of your reportage is well researched and pulls no punches.

"While stylish isn't perhaps the right word...."

Come on guys, your constant negative quips about reflective clothing, drip fed to impressionable young cyclists and mamils, trying to achieve the "look", is a little depressing frankly.

I know, if everyone wore hi-viz then you'd have less to write about, but instead of cheezy, possibly unwise, comments about hi-viz, why not fill those spare column inches with less controversial copy.

I have the short sleeve version of this and it's my favourite item. Stylish, comfortable and extremely well fitting. Given the fact you get a high-viz as well definitely brings the price down.

Any my other half always goes on about 'cost per wear' - basically the more times you wear something the more value you get. I have a couple of other jerseys I wear very infrequently. This and my other Rapha stuff will get plenty of wear.

Then add on the crash guarantee, helpful service, ebay resale value and then decide if this is an outrageous 'long term' expense.

Cycling is an expensive hobby, like golf, sailing and so on. But these items are meant to last and never go out of fashion.

I finally took the plunge and coughed up for Rapha - £7.50 for a pair of socks, half price. Think I'll stick at that though. Too cold still to report on their quality but they look pretty in the kit drawer.

BTW why do all the Rapha videos show guys plugging up hills in impossible heat, torrential rain or snowstorms and grimacing? I like to enjoy my cycling.

Whilst it looks nice, the London price make me laugh! And to be honest I'd be somewhat embarrassed wearing something that expensive.

Don't worry if it's out of your budget too, there are loads of other options which do the job equally as well for a fraction of the price, you'll cycle just as far just as fast, and no one will think you're a city banker..............

Quote:

Paris-Brest-Paris.....1,200km Audax, that inspired the creation of the jersey ......... it takes anywhere from 50 to 90 hours to complete

Or 91 hours and 40 minutes in my case but I was wearing a cheap polyester technical T-shirt so that might have been where I went wrong.

I bought one of these in size medium at the Rapha Store in Soho last week with my xmas vouchers for £150. There are still some left in store even though its sold out online. For those who live in london and want one of these, its probably worth giving the store a ring.

Quote:

… comparable to two tanks of fuel for the car.

Good point, well put.

I've just got the Mrs a Rapha jacket, I know they're expensive, but I haven't found any other cycle specific jackets that offer the same quality AND look ok when going to the pub after work. There are alternatives, but only ones that are in a similar price range or more. For her, although it's massively expensive, she's now cycling to work and it's comparable to two tanks of fuel for the car.

So, yes they are expensive. But, it depends what you're looking for.

I've got one and it's glorious. It's seeing me through the cold with a base layer underneath and has rendered all my other long sleeve jerseys inc Castelli and others unusable. You get what you pay for. The quality is sublime.

Favourite item in my cycling wardrobe by far.

Totally agree that the pockets are too high. I've been riding with this for several months and have had no problems, except the pocket height, with it. Yes it is expensive but it is a well made piece of kit that should last. The reflective parts are good but it still doesn't stop some drivers from seeing you but hey ho.

I was the lucky recipient of one of these, in Chartruese, for Christmas (god bless my wife), and I have to say I'm mightily impressed with how warm this jacket is, whilst having the usual excellent venting qualities from Rapha thus preventing overheating.

The fit is excellent, but as per the article the pockets are a little too high. In addition to this, as is bizarrely common with Rapha jackets, the zip pull is ridiculously small and thus incredibly hard to manage with winter gloves. Given their attention to detail, I can't quite understand their design process or apparent lack of testing in this area.

I feel Rapha will never be accessible for the average cyclist, guess I better get a new job.

To expensive, sportwool, not 100% merino? Oh the irony coming so soon after the Road rats review.

A review for a product that is now unavailabe from Rapha. Very useful.

Saw a couple on LEL, and was pretty jealous. Reflectives were certainly picked out in my lights, and give I'm lower down on a recumbent I reckon car drivers would have no problem at all.

Ignoring the cost and that it is Rapha, is the reflective actually that visable? Looking at the photo of the rider on the bike the reflective is quite high, would it actually reflect and be visable to a following car?

£150 in the sale. Not all colours and sizes left though.