Until now Rapha have never offered a padded bib tight, but that has all changed with the release this winter of the Pro Team Winter Tights with Pad, developed at the request of Team Sky and perfect for those who prefer the simplicity of padded bibs over separate bib shorts and over tights.
Unpadded bib tights offer a lot of useful flexibility; you can get more use out of them between washes and wear them over your favourite bib shorts. But the high price of Rapha's previous unpadded bib tights was hard to stomach. These are a much better proposition, providing fantastic thermal insulation, protection from the rain and road spray, and a comfortable Cytech insert.
The tights use a heavyweight windproof fabric with a durable water repellent (DWR) treatment for the front of the legs, and a thinner, more breathable fabric on the back. Splashing through puddles or riding in the rain showed the front of the tights to provide extremely impressive protection, with no water ingress at all. I've used tights with so-called water protection but they all have their limits, I haven't found the limit of these tights yet. They're very impressive.
They're also lovely and warm. Heading out on a couple of early morning rides with a temperature of about 2°C, my legs were toasty warm. And thanks to the breathable fabric at the back of the legs, I never experienced any overheating, even as the temperature moved up into double figures after a five-hour ride. For riding in really bad weather these tights are about the best I've ever tested.
Fit is an area Rapha generally do extremely well, and these are extremely comfortable bib tights. The DWR treated material does not have a great deal of stretch, but thanks to the smart cut of the various panels there is no restriction on your freedom of movement when pedalling. The fit is good around the hips, bum and crotch area too, and the flat wide bib straps exert no undue pressure on your shoulders.
The big news with these tights is the addition of the padded insert. Rapha have used the same Cytech pad as used in their Pro Team Bib Shorts, and while it's a very basic looking insert, it does provide very good comfort for rides in excess of five hours, so no complaints there.
Above the waist is a generous overlap with the kidney area, and there's enough stretch in the front panel that no zipper is needed for comfort breaks. The bib straps are very wide and very flat and they sit comfortably over the shoulders, with a large panel of mesh in the back.
As you can see in the photos, there are quite a few Rapha logos compared to the more discreet aesthetic we're used to with Rapha clothing. The Rapha logos and the horizontal stripes on the lower legs provide a good contrast to help boost visibility though, it's just a shame they're not made from a reflective material. Fair enough the tights have been developed for Team Sky who do all their training in daylight, but for us non-professionals who have no choice but to train after work hours in the dark, a bit more reflectivity than the two tiny rear tabs would have been nice.
Despite the niggle about the lack of reflectivity – a complaint that can be levelled at most bib tight manufacturers – these are very good bib tights and they do work hard to justify the very high price tag, much more so now they have an integrated padded insert. The fit is perfect and the comfort second to none, but it's the thermal insulation and protection from the rain and road spray that really moves these tights into a category of their own. £200 is a lot of money to spend on bib tights, but if you rack up the miles and want properly warm and hard-wearing bibs, then these must be on your shortlist.
The Rapha Pro Team Winter Tights with Pad are available in six sizes from XS to XXL.
Verdict
Stunning thermal insulation and rain protection with long ride comfort, but they're a pricey investment
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road.cc test report
Make and model: Rapha Pro Team Winter Tights with Pad
Size tested: Medium
Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
Like the Rapha Pro Team Jacket, these tights use a wind-blocking, DWR fabric for the front panels and a breathable fabric for the rear – perfect for high-tempo training sessions. This construction allows sweat to be released from the back of the tights, while the front panels give necessary protection from the elements.
The chamois is in the same position as in the Pro Team Bib Shorts, staying stable and comfortable during even high-intensity efforts in the drops. The bib straps are constructed from a lightweight mesh, and the tights' waist is raised to offer insulation across the torso. Finished with bright details for visibility in low light.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
DWR treatment
Breathable rear panels
Multi-panel fit
Same chamois as Pro Team Bib Shorts
High waist for insulation
Yes they're expensive, but they really do work hard to justify the outlay with impressive performance that is easily better in the cold and rain than cheaper bib tights.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
For cycling in the winter tights don't get more comfortable or insulated than these.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Fantastic warmth and protection from the rain, ideal for the worst cycling conditions. You won't get cold in these.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Lack of reflective details.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.
Would you consider buying the product? Yes.
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.
Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?
Considering the level of performance, comfort, fit, insulation and weather protection, nothing else really comes close but there is no getting away from the fact that £200 is a serious expenditure on a pair of tights. If you rack up a lot of miles these would undoubtedly pay for themselves through the course of a tough winter.
About the tester
Age: 31 Height: 180 Weight: 67
I usually ride: My best bike is:
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo cross, commuting, touring, mtb,
13 thoughts on “Rapha Pro Team Winter Tights with Pad”
Sounds good but unfortunately
Sounds good but unfortunately you can’t buy it!
No stock for any sizes.
Has Sky bought them all?
Has Sky bought them all?
with short/tight reviews can
with short/tight reviews can you photograph the pad as well road.cc?
obviously not these ones now as i dont want to see the tester skid marks
:))
For that money you’d think
For that money you’d think they’d have a stirrup loop for the foot.
Das wrote:For that money
Not required IMO and loops are a personal thing – I find them highly anoying. These are very compression heavy and the legs are going nowhere. How do I know? I managed to get a pair and have done just shy of 1000 miles this month wearing them. Complete luxury.
Das wrote:For that money
I’m not personally a fan of stirrups, so I didn’t mind that these didn’t have them, and because the fit is so good there was no need for them anyway, the lower legs don’t slip or move around
Back in stock end of
Back in stock end of November.
Which is kind of now…
C’mon Rapha! Want!!!
What a wasted opportunity –
What a wasted opportunity – those stripes by the ankles would be fantastic for dark winter rides. They’re the most visible thing you can see on a rider.
Winter tights are wasted without them.
fenix wrote:What a wasted
Not really, ‘ankle stripes’ aren’t on my personal list of bib tight essentials for starters.
I see another review of these
I see another review of these has them as quite restrictive, so maybe one for the skinny climbers and not for the one day or six day specialists ??? Clearly the tester here is a bean pole (jealous and heavy )
spincycle wrote:I see another
The thicker material on the front of the legs doesn’t have a huge amount of stretch and this does mean they’re a bit more restrictive than regular tights that employ a stretchy fabric everywhere, but i didn’t find them tight or restrictive – sizing is probably important here too, possibly sizing up if needs be
Never left a comment before.
Never left a comment before. However £200 for some cycling leggings? C’est très cher (as a Rapha inside story label would probably say). I thought my experience may be useful…
I rode 500 km over Christmas in these close fitting tights. I found them very warm and comfortable, even in sub-zero conditions. Echoing the review, the wind resistance and insulation is excellent, especially considering how light and thin the tights are. The legs stay in place without riding up and the back of the bib is highly breathable.
My only (slight) negative comment is that, for me, the pad doesn’t always pull into the crotch area as well as it does on Rapha’s Pro Team shorts. However, this is a problem I’ve found with other padded tights, which is why (perhaps) tights worn over bib shorts still sell.
On the looks/reflectivity elements, you can make up your own mind. I think they’re overbranded. Rapha are best when they rein it in. Still, when I wore them in church during a Christmas Eve carol service (long story), I didn’t get too many bad looks. Had they been pink, I would’ve probably been chased out of the village.
Finally I see someone else
Finally I see someone else having the same issues as I have David Arthur!
I have many Rapha products and these tights are quite simply, the worst fitting I’ve ever had. It seems to me as if the pad has been fitted about an inch to far to the front.
The legs are short, although with long socks or oversocks you can’t tell and I’m glad they don’t have ankle hooks. Not sure how the reviewer manages to get the legs to be so close to his ankles without having the pad round his knees!
To be fair, the legs are actually a good fit and as previous reviewers have said don’t move, not need ankle hooks to hold in place. I don’t get any bunching behind the knees and they’re warm enough even on cold windy days we’ve had recently.
If only the pad was in the right place like it is with Rapha shorts… how difficult can it be?
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