You could argue that Rapha are
rather late to the ‘Gabba party’ as
most brands have already launched
their own version of Castelli’s game
changer. But this isn’t a ‘me too’
product; Rapha set out to raise the bar.
The Shadow kit was developed for
and with Team Sky, who used it during
the 2015 Classics. Rapha didn’t start
with the fabric, they went back to the
yarn. The thread itself has a Durable
Water Resistant (DWR) coating applied
before it’s woven into the fabric. It
then undergoes a steam-pressure
treatment, shrinking the fabric by
half and creating a very dense weave
which is claimed to greatly increase
its resistance to rain and wind while
retaining breathability. Finally, another
coat of DWR is applied. The fabric
is described as hydrophobic. That
sounds like it’s scared of water but
really it’s the other way around. When
the two meet, raindrops run away
screaming. As with all DWR products,
you have to clean it with a technical
wash and re-proof it occasionally
but Rapha claim that the two-stage
coating means this is less frequent.
The fabric has slightly less stretch
than normal kit and comes up a
bit smaller, so make sure you try
it on before you rip the tags off.
The jersey requires a base layer
as it isn’t designed to sit next to
skin. Generally the cut is really
good, though we’d like the sleeves
to be angled forward for riding to
eliminate the stretch across the back
that’s visible in the main photo.
Through a number of rides in
disgusting weather, the Shadow kit
really impressed. It keeps you dry in
the rain, the fleece-backed bibshort is
warm enough at 2ºC, chill air is always
held at bay and the pad is superb.
The jersey is good down to around
6ºC with a regular base layer and
should also be wearable on wet days
when the mercury is in the upper
teens. Summer then. It showed itself
best on a hill rep training session,
working very hard on the way up,
sweating, and then coasting back
down at 50kph in cool air. The
combination of breathability and
windproofing is excellent.
The Shadow kit is twice the price
of most rivals; it is the best that
I’ve tried but it isn’t twice as good.
The only other niggle is the lack of
reflectivity. Rapha say it’s impossible
to bond to the DWR fabric.
Rapha say lots more Shadow kit is
on the way: warmers, caps etc. Good.
Brilliantly effective;
very comfortable
PROS
Colossally expensive;
stealth-ninja visibility
CONS
Outstanding
performance, always
knowingly understated
VERDICT
You might want to be
seen in Rapha kit but
in none-more-black
it’s rather unlikely
Water simply
bounces off the
Shaow kit, like, well,
water off a duck’s
back
http://www.rapha.cc
Rapha Pro Team Shadow kit
76 // March 2016