Rapha Hardshell Jacket

Has this been superseded by the new Pro Team Softshell, or are they aimed at different temperatures / weather conditions?

Which one is more "breathable" / less boil-in-the-bag?

Is the Hardshell as close a fit as the Pro Team Softshell?

Fantastic quality jacket but don't be led to believe this is fully breathable - it really isn't. Its waterproofing is excellent but it hasn't got the balance between that and letting the moisture out. I've only done 3 rides in it - each one about 2 hours at 5C degrees - and every time I have returned with really damp arms in particular. I've no doubt there are jackets out there that get a better balance......5/5 for quality and fit; 5/5 for waterproofing; 2/5 for overall functionality.

Interesting although if the waxy stuff is a coating then doesn't it have the same weakness as DWR in that it will disappear after a few washes and leave you having to reproof it?
For the person that posted about the Endura Stealth - it's cheap because it's not breathable. I have one but rarely use it (basically only if it's sub-zero and I'm on the MTB).
I think I'll stick with a decent softshell + breathable rain jacket for now...

I got one of these as a Christmas present this year, and I've worn it a lot since then in all kind of wintry conditions. Here's what I think...

I'm 6'4" tall and finding long fitting jackets is a REAL problem. Not so with this Rapha stuff. I got the XL size and the sleeves are good and long. Yes, you do get a slight bit more bagginess around the body, but I can live with that. I think the styling is good, and I really like the offset main zip. The collection of pockets is good, I can easily take enough gear to last a full day in the saddle. I got the blue jacket...yes, it's dark, but I'm riding in back lanes mainly so not a big problem for me, and hey you gotta think of the style!

As for the performance for £240 it better be faultless, but it isn't. Sorry Rapha. Firstly, it's supposed to be breathable. If I go out for a very low intensity ride it's OK. But, as soon as you start riding at higher intensity it struggles to cope. I regularly arrive back home with forearms that are soaking wet, the interior of the jacket is clearly wet too. Bear in mind I'm talking about low temperatures here - I've not ridden in anything above 5 degrees in it yet so this indicates a real problem to me. The jacket is perfectly waterproof, rain simply beads on top and runs away. However, I'm pretty certain that this beading also prevents the jacket from breathing. A high intensity ride when it's raining and I'm pretty wet inside the jacket; I think it just stops breathing.

It's a warm jacket despite being a hardshell, and absolutely brilliant at windstopping. This is it's saving grace -at least when your damp inside the jacket the wind is not getting through and making it worse. I have worn it with,the Rapha merino long base layer in zero degrees and I've been comfortable. The windstopping is no doubt helped by the 'hermetically' sealed zipper on the front. That's great, but it's stiff, and is impossible to unzip one-handed when you're riding; again, I'll live with that.

On balance I like it, but I did think it would perform better, and as soon as Spring comes it'll have to go back into the wardrobe as it'll be way too hot.

I have an endura stealth , been out in all weather for hours on end, and never got wet on top,
It has side vents and under arm vents if you start to overheat, only wear it with a base layer in all weathers and its nice and warm.
Great fit , good pockets and detail and looks good on and off the bike, all for £75 in the sale,
Normal rip £150

I'm not keen on the chef look and I'd prefer to unzip a centre zip if I get too hot. Not that I can afford it in any case... I'll settle for a £60 Santini H2O jersey and a windproof.

Compared to the softshell, how is the sizing on this, tighter or looser. I wore a small softshell once but wonder if extra small on this would be better. I am tiny, 65 inches, 130lbs.

I'd be wary of cyclists who do get out much. They'll only want to sit you down and tell you their Strava times. Zzzzzz.

Get a dark one and chuck a cheap high viz gilet over the top if you're worried about your threads getting dirty. I'd be wary of any cyclist with spotless gear on though, they obviously don't get out much.

A friend of mine has this jacket. The chartreuse colour looks better in the flesh, it seems difficult to photograph well as it's appearance depends on the lighting, going from greenish to vivid yellow.

As the softshell is pretty good at keeping you dry I didn't see the point of this jacket - having rained/snowed almost non-stop since Christmas however, I guess it would have been perfect.

I have to agree with the previous comment about living with the yellow and accepting it might get dirty. I have seen the blue and red versions in the London store, and both are nice but very dark.

Those offset zips are a treat, especially with a full length zipped jersey underneath it. Having the bulk of two zips piled on top of each other is really irritating.

Compared to goretex jkts in the outdoor and ski industry £240 is only just starting to get the good jkts. Have had the privilege of testing one of these jkts through a friend and I must say the breathability is great and better than my £400 Arcteryx gore pro shell jkt. Pretty warm though so don't layer up too heavily.

Luckily my GF buys Grangers cleaner by the 1lt bottle! Dirt shows easily like any jkt this colour but not found it worst then any other.

Just rode 30km through sleet (half rain, half snow) and was bone dry up top!

Confused, £240 for a workhorse jacket that can't be kept clean, is only good value for those that can afford it yet scores exceptional…

I have the yellow and given up on keeping it clean, it's my winter jacket and will get used in terrible weather. The yellow is really visible though so perfect for horrendous days when it's dark on the roads. I'd rather be slighlupy mucky than run over.

It's an order of magnitude better than the soft shell on really wet/cold days, a perfect jacket for deep winter.

I'll keep my soft shell neat and tidy and use that for posing instead.

i have the rain jacket and thats superb. i like the colour

What other high-end jackets have you compared this to?

I don't think £240 is unreasonable (though too much for me) for a high-end jacket that performs as well as you say, but I wouldn't consider it good value if there are cheaper jackets that perform just as well. The styling isn't to my taste either, but it may look better in the flesh and in a different colour.