The updated 2018 Rapha Brevet line includes some great new products like their active t shirt, bibs with pockets, and performance lightweight materials. All allow you to travel further and lighter, (#packlightravelfar I think is their hashtag )by making products designed for heat, exploration and overnight drying materials which helps when on the road multiple days.
Fit and Materials
The brevet jersey uses a combination of lightweight materials optimized for breathability and distance riding with various levels of perforation and structure. The fit is slim, not “pro tight”, but slim with a slight collar, all the seams and cuts appear to be well designed, no nagging little material pulls, nicely fitted. That alone makes a difference on a long day.
Reflective accents keep you safe at dusk or even night should your journeys turn that epic. These reflective materials use a dye containing an ‘optical brightener’, a treatment which captures light outside the visible spectrum and reflects it back as visible light.
The fresh summer colourway of orange and white really make this jersey stand out, but other colour combinations are available of the lightweight jersey.
The jersey’s three larger rear pockets are supplemented by a small zipped, mesh-lined valuables pocket, and the jersey’s panel and material construction ensure that it stays in place, even with fully loaded pockets.
Lower orange gripper detail, which offers a nice colour pop touch.
Nice touch on the hang tag inside of the collar, showing Rapha’s dedication to aesthetic design.
Reflective perforated arm bands, which is a similar material as the chest.
Close up of the materials used. Side panels are ultra light, breathable.
Construction is of a high quality. Side panels add to the fit of the garment.
The reflective tag on the lower back of the jersey. Subtle blend in on the white.
Pocket and side vented mesh detail. Hidden zipper for your valuables.
165lbs and 6ft 3 – This is a medium, and you can really see how the reflective stripe starts to work even in normal lighting.
In Use
After seven hard rides in this jersey, I can tell its a great lightweight. Ideal for temps 65 (18 Celsius) and up. The material breathes great and wicks away perspiration while the reflective accents are perfect if you are riding at dusk or dawn. Perfect for summer am rides before work.
Im not sure if I’m getting older and my arms are less flexible, but the pockets do feel 1/2 inch higher than normal Rapha garments. I love the internal mesh zippered valuables pockets and think all jerseys should have this because every ride it so useful for keys or credit card. The material on the collar feels great in high temps and when dealing with a lot of perspiration. Rapha has chosen their materials well.
As for the white colour – needless to say, yes you have to be careful, dirty gloves and hands can easily make a mark on this jersey, but the good news is it available in other colourways.
Summary
A premium jersey as you would expect from Rapha, great fit, thought out materials and fashion-forward colourways. No the real test how white will it stay for my adventures 🙂
Details
Rapha Brevet Collection : here
Price $185 – http://www.rapha.cc
Shown here is a Medium which fits a 6ft 3, 160lb cyclist very well. Not tight, not baggy, a slim cut. Available in other colour combinations:
UPDATE JULY 2018
As with most of my jerseys, I normally wear a base layer, even in ultra hot conditions, I have a super light base layer. Recently I forgot a base layer and wore this jersey without one. – never again. The inside of this jersey is scratchy to the skin, because of the backing used over the inside reflective stripes. If your dela is no base layers you should strongly consider this in your purchase decision, the scratchy material could annoy the heck out of you like it did me.
Way too much for me, that’s almost three jersey’s worth of cash! It may very well be nice, but I’ll never know.
True, its an expensive piece of kit. But also consider most of Rapha is 20% off, free shipping, free returns, no quibble warranty , – so for example this guy cost me $149. I tend to buy one jersey per season and use it for two seasons. Makes it worth it for me.
Dig the classic styling. Last lightweight Rapha piece I had got me a sweet sun burn through the jersey on a tour. Which is fine once you know to throw a bit of sun block on your back/shoulders if its gonna be a scorcher.
Appreciate their details and cut. Only thing I’m not sure about is the perforated material. Seems less breathable and heavy; more there for style. But I guess it looks cooler than some 3M.
Good point ben, yeah the material is not dense enough to block UV. And yes I think the reflective perf materials (stripes) are heavier than the body weight. for style yes and the reflective aspect for safety. Im sure esthetically the stripes are there to ties to the rest of the Brevet range.
Hey Ben, actually upon further inspection, the orange stripe is a lightweight material, it’s only the reflective grey taht is heavier, and probably something to do with the reflectivity.