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Tech specs
Price: $365 / £275 / €320
Sizes: XS to XXL
Colours: Three
Weight: 232 grams – Small
Material: 73% recycled nylon / 27 elastane
At the end of September last year, Rapha relaunched its Shadow clothing range after a few years of it being out of the line. There is now a new Pro Team Shadow collection, comprised of pieces designed for ‘the toughest racing and training conditions’. The range is currently made up of a jacket, long sleeve jersey, and a gilet.
I’ve been testing the long sleeve Pro Team Shadow jersey since just after launch, and have ridden with it through late summer, autumn and the depths of winter at home in the UK to see how it stands up against the best cycling jerseys.
This is the thinner, lightweight jersey, not the heavier-weight Shadow jacket. The brand says it is breathable, windproof and water-resistant, with a temperature rating guide of 5-12 °C / 41-53°F, which should suit autumn, winter, and spring riding, depending on what you are doing.
In theory, that description gives you a thin long-sleeve jersey that is a little jacket-like to wear in cool to cold temperatures over a base layer, negating the need for a full-blown winter jacket.
What it isn’t, however, is cheap, with an RRP of $365 / £275 / €320. For this price, top-level performance is required.
I’ve put more time than usual into testing this piece; its performance has disappointed me in a few areas, and I’ve repeatedly wondered about where it performs best.
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Design and aesthetics
The Pro Team Shadow Jersey comes in both mens and womens versions, and there’s a choice of three colours for the men and two for the women.
Curiously, the Aqua/White reflective (pictured) colour I have been testing seems to have been switched out from the mens options. I have got in touch with Rapha to query this and await the brand’s response, but it remains an option for ladies.
The jersey features reflective details on the shoulders and in the form of horizontal chunky Rapha ‘dashes’ in the middle of the rear pocket; there’s also a bold reflective ‘Rapha’ wordmark on the left arm.
On the inside, where the pockets are, there’s a little patch with, if I’m not mistaken, an excerpt from Sean Yates’s book ‘It’s all about the bike’, a nice nod to cycling’s history and culture from Rapha and something that features on lots of the brand’s pieces.
The jersey itself is comprised largely of recycled nylon, and it’s a nylon/elastane mix altogether. It’s a silvery colour on the inside, and is pretty soft and slightly rustly.
This is a fairly thin, lightweight jersey that Rapha says uses a microporous three-layer membrane to produce a high-stretch, light, breathable and windproof garment, which also has PFAS-free DWR coating.
There are also three pockets in the rear, and a two-way zipper to help you regulate temperature.
The neck, back, shoulder and zipper seams are taped to keep the rain at bay, and the rear is slightly dropped for a little extra protection with a nice gripper on the inside to keep the bottom of the jersey in place.
The cut is quite fitted; there’s only really room for one layer underneath, whether that’s a base layer or thin jersey. The cuffs sit quite tight around your wrists, and overall, it’s fairly figure-hugging.
This isn’t a garment that’s roomy enough to go on top of lots of winter layers. As a Rapha Pro Team product, it’s designed for performance-oriented riding, and the cut reflects this.
I’ve been testing a size small, for reference i’m 176cm and about 66 kilos right now.
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Performance
I’ve given the Shadow Jersey a long test period and have been riding in it since late summer, when I was still in shorts. I’ve worn it for all sorts of road rides with all kinds of kit combinations, off-road on gravel rides, in the rain, doing intervals, and going hard on my local Saturday morning chaingang.
I haven’t been particularly impressed by the Shadow Jersey. I can see where Rapha is coming from with its design, but the end product doesn’t quite deliver for me, and I suspect most riders will choose something else when it comes to winter layers and where to spend their money.
This review isn’t a Rapha-bashing; the brand has answered my questions and queries generously, and also provided insight into the difficult post-PFAS ban landscape, which must make moving forward with foul-weather kit and rain jackets very difficult, and I’m not deaf to that.
My main issue with this piece is its lack of breathability. I have worn it in a wide range of temperatures and have only worn base layers underneath, and I can honestly say I’ve gotten sweaty in it to varying extents on very nearly every ride I have done.
I’ve worn it with a thin short sleeve base layer in late summer, and with a thermal long sleeve winter base layer, most recently the MAAP Thermal base layer, in close to freezing temperatures and I’ve finished with a damp base layer on almost every ride. On one of my last intense three-hour rides, I finished up with my light grey merino blend base layer being dark grey in appearance and pretty damp and soggy. Breathability is not a strong suit with this jersey, and I have put in the hard yards to test this.
Some may point to the two-way zipper as a way to cool down and combat a lack of breathability, and I’m more than happy to crack a zipper to let some air in. But I don’t want to ride around with most of my zipper undone to try and stay comfortable; it doesn’t look or feel good to me. If you are having to do this regularly, I’d suggest you’re wearing the wrong piece of kit.
Rapha says a ‘lightweight, breathable, microporous membrane’ has been used here, but doesn’t say exactly what membrane is used in this jersey. I think the use of a no-name membrane here at this price is going to be seen as a negative against some brands with similarly priced offerings using options like Polartec Aircore or Gore-Tex Infinium and the like, especially when breathability isn’t a strong point.
On waterproofing, the jersey has kept some rain and showers at bay and does provide protection, but it isn’t waterproof, and you will still reach for a rain jacket if the heavens open. In one of my latest rides, the arms also wetted out inside an hour in on off drizzle, and I ended up with soggy base layer arms and in some areas on my chest on a cold day with plenty of wind. I felt clammy and uncomfortable inside an hour. If you are going hard, it won’t be at the forefront of your mind, and you can get away with a lot thanks to the heat you generate, but for easier rides over longer periods, in the rain, you’re going to end up uncomfortable if you wear only this, especially in colder conditions.
On waterproofing, Rapha advises tumble drying on a low heat to reactivate DWR and rinsing twice after washing. We also have a good guide on reviving your waterproof that the brand helped with. Waterproof kit or DWR coatings need more maintenance now, and that’s something we will need to adapt to post-PFAS ban.
The windproofing from the jersey is quite good, and it has kept me feeling comfortable on colder days with a long-sleeve winter base layer, which is nice if you want to ride in less bulky kit. I feel the jersey is at its best for me on cold days toward the bottom of the recommended temperature range, when I’ve been riding a little easier. I’ve not been riding hard enough to start sweating, which leads to breathability problems, and the jersey has kept me feeling warm enough in the wind.
The cut is quite fitted, the tight wrists aren’t going over the outside of any winter gloves, for example, and for me, that middle pocket is still a little undersized. If you’re on a winter training ride carrying a rain jacket, food, and maybe taking gloves on and off on certain climbs, it gets a little annoying trying to shove anything into that middle pocket on the bike. Rapha mentioned it’s addressed this, but I’d still like that middle pocket to get a bit more volume.
Warmth-wise, as mentioned, it isn’t bad and keeps the wind at bay. But the thin, slightly rustling nature of the material and general lack of insulation mean there’s none of the comforting snugness one of the best winter jackets brings, which is something I always welcome in winter, and we are comfortably into winter jacket money here.
One thing I have enjoyed is the thinner material on the arms; it’s been pleasant to wear something lighter and thinner over a winter base layer on some rides, and the reduced bulk and stretchiness are nice. The overall styling is also smart, usually the case with Rapha kit, I think, and a few riding mates have commented on the nice colour in the winter gloom.
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It’s great to have kit options, but I think focusing on trying to achieve good breathability, water resistance and warmth in one thin, lightweight package has resulted in the jersey not being amazing in any one area. I’d say its ace card is the pretty good windproofing.
I’d say forget the waterproofing or water resistance, it’s a hard thing to nail right now and go for top-level breathability with some insulation in the right places, something jerseys like the Assos Equipe RS Spring Fall Jacket with its big mesh back panel do well.
I’d prefer that kind of lightweight jersey and ride to the start of a ride or before intervals, etc., using my rain jacket as a shell if I needed extra warmth and stow that in a pocket when I started generating some heat, that way you are still properly covered in the event of rain and more comfortable when generating heat.
In terms of competitors and options, if I were buying my own kit as an amateur, I’d probably be looking at spending a few more dollars and buying a Castelli Gabba R if I were spending this kind of money to go fast in the rain or foul conditions or to race in. I’d be confident it was the more aero option with better waterproofing and breathability.
For a similar setup, you could always just go for a Gabba-style short-sleeve jersey with DWR arm warmers like the Castelli NanoFlex and benefit from improved breathability. Something like the Sportful Fiandre short-sleeve jersey or even Castelli Perfetto RoS 2 works just as well here for me.
Value
At its RRP of £275 (though you can of course now find it for less), this is an expensive jersey, and I can’t say it offers good value.
In this price bracket, I’m looking for standout performance, cut, or styling that really make me want to keep reaching for the product time and time again. I want a clear advantage over other options on the market for my investment, or just something that looks and feels really special, and I don’t think that is the case with the Shadow Jersey.
I feel riders are going to maybe invest in a good, warm winter jacket and a good rain jacket. Then perhaps start filling gaps as needed. I can’t see a case where the Shadow Jersey overtakes one of those options as a spending priority.
What may be a more attractive option is the Shadow Gilet, which, with a lack of arms, should improve breathability whilst keeping the cold and spray at bay, and the brand told me some pro riders had been using this piece.
The Shadow jersey does a good job in some areas, but I can’t honestly say it represents good value when comparing its performance against the high price.
Verdict
I’ll cut through my months of testing here to summarise things. The poor breathability of the jersey often leads to me getting sweaty, damp and a little uncomfortable. In proper rain your still going to want to reach for a waterproof, and there isn’t quite the thermal efficiency or comfort or, in some cases, better breathability that a full winter jacket brings in colder temperatures, though the jersey does do a good job at keeping the wind at bay. In milder temperatures, it is a more viable option, but that breathability point is still the issue for me.
In short, I don’t feel it beats a waterproof jacket, winter jacket or one of the other more breathable, lightweight protective options on the market. As such, there aren’t too many situations where I would reach for it over a different piece or combo.
I really like that the Shadow range is back. I’m still regularly riding in my years-old Shadow arm warmers from the previous collection. I don’t think this jersey is a world beater, but I am interested to see where Rapha takes the range in the future, and I fully appreciate the difficulties the PFAS ban has created for brands regarding waterproofing and water-resistant coatings.
I’m yet to test the Shadow gilet, but am currently logging miles in the Shadow Jacket, which appears to be a strong jacket option. I’ll report back on how the rest of the Shadow range measures up.
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Rating |
|---|---|---|
|
Fit |
The actual cut is good with no nasty surprises. Fitted, with only really room for a base layer or thin jersey underneath. |
8/10 |
|
Protection |
Good windproofing, my DWR coating does seem to have degraded in a few months. Rain jacket still needed for more than a shower. |
7/10 |
|
Features |
Two way zipper, three pockets, DWR coating, reflective detailing. Nothing out of the ordinary |
7/10 |
|
Breathability |
Poor. I’ve gotten sweaty on nearly every ride with a single layer underneath. |
2/10 |
|
Value |
At it’s RRP, I don’t think the Shadow Jersey represents good value. |
4/10 |
|
Overall rating |
Row 5 – Cell 1 |
56% |