Rapha Pro Team Winter Tights with Pad

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